Patrick is an ethnomusicologist and author specialising in Irish traditional music, but he is also an experienced musician. He is a concertina player with over thirty years performing in Irish traditional music and was brought up in Wicklow, Ireland. He is now a non-stop performer, session musician and recording artist. Patrick was taught by the late well-known Wexford concertina player, Larry Kinsella.
During the 1990s, he developed his music by performing with his brother Larry and competing at all-Ireland music competitions with solo, duet, grúpaí cheoil and also with the Mount Leinster Céilí Band. Regular Saturday night sessions happened in Egans Bar Parkbridge for over fifteen years, where he developed a unique and diverse repertoire in a range of genres.
In 2004, an invite from the Japanese government brought him to Tokyo, Japan where he played as part of and international festival of indigenous and traditional music. The band, “The Geantraí Players”, consisted of 15 well regarded musicians of Irish traditional music including Jimmy O’Brien Moran, Dave Sheridan and Eoin Maher.
Since 2006, Patrick has been an active volunteer, organizer, website developer and performer for the Cooley Collins Trad Fest in Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland. The weekend is the longest running Irish festival in honour of a well known musician since 1983. Joe Cooley became one of the most famed Irish button accordion players, and Kieran Collins was also a famous whistle player. The festival continues to draw crowds from both home in Ireland and internationally.
Whilst living in London in 2009, he began teaching groups of concertina players and continued teaching for five years at the London Irish Centre. Patrick’s style of teaching reflects the “system” he inherited from his teacher, Larry Kinsella. The system and style of concertina playing places emphasis on push and draw technique with a plaintive touch to the sound.
In 2011, he performed at the Return to Camden Town festival as backup to internationally acclaimed Irish group, Lúnasa.
Patrick directed, performed on and launched an album of Irish traditional music in 2012 entitled Nights in Shanaglish. The recording received excellent reviews in Irish Music Magazine and Trad Connect, with sell-out launches in Ireland, San Francisco, United States and London, England.
In 2012, he also recorded with renowned Cork musician Seán Ó Driscoll. Seán’s album, “So There You Go” was released in Cork city and showcased collaborations with a host of well known musicians in Irish traditional music such as Dave Hennessy, Donncha Moynihan, Johnny Neville and Mick Daly.
A year later, Patrick recorded with the band Los Paddys, a development by fellow Irish ethnomusicologist Paddy Mulcahy. The resultant album “Come Home” has since been promoted and toured all over the world. Patrick continues to collaborate with Los Paddys, developing his repertoire with Irish-South American styles of music.
In 2016, Patrick also performed at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, USA:
During his fellowship studies at the Library of Congress in 2019, he performed and interacted with performers up and down the East coast of the United States. In August of that year, he hosted over 75 musicians, ethnomusicologists, digital technologists and members of the public at a presentation of his research at the Library.
In late 2019, Patrick travelled across America after finishing his fellowship positions at the Library of Congress. He performed at a number of venues in Chicago, Santa Fe, San Francisco and Vancouver Island with his partner, Nicola Stathers. As a duet, The Quiet Ones continue to perform in Ireland.
In 2020, Patrick continues to record and collaborate with other musicians and artists. He was also invited to teach at the Dinny Delaney festival in Ballinasloe, county Galway. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was postponed.