MPI Artists

Frankie Gavin & De Dannan

50th Anniversary & Special Tribute to Dolores Keane

To mark his 50th Anniversary in Irish traditional music, Frankie Gavin has announced a special tribute to Dolores Keane. Gavin is internationally recognised as one of Ireland's most distinguished traditional musicians and cultural ambassadors; the founder, heart and core of the legendary band De Dannan.

Originally influenced by the great Irish and American-Irish fiddle players such as James Morrison, Frankie developed a unique musical style that combined virtuosity, innovation and deep respect for tradition. He later found himself playing with stars: The Rolling Stones, Stephane Grappelli, James Galway and Yehudi Menuhin, and for celebrity audiences including four American presidents: JFK on his 1962 visit to Ireland, followed later by Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama.

Perhaps most importantly, the name Frankie Gavin is synonymous with De Dannan, the globally celebrated band he founded with Alec Finn in the mid-1970s. De Danann have had members many of whom went on to be legends and the fabric of Traditional Irish Music. All the best musicians and singers in Ireland came through the ranks. Singers like The late Dolores Keane, Mary Black, Maura O Connell, Cara Dillon. 

2023 saw the birth of the latest incarnation of De Dannan. The band now comprises Frankie Gavin on fiddle and flute, Catherine McHugh on piano, Ian Kinsella on guitar, Séan Garvey Jr. on melodeon and Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz on vocals and cello. Throughout his career, Frankie has remained deeply connected to the musical traditions of his native County Galway while continually seeking new ways to present Irish culture to international audiences. Today he is recognised not only as one of Ireland's foremost musicians, but also as an artist whose work has helped strengthen Ireland's cultural reputation throughout the world.