Nia Byrne

Nia Byrne/Ní Mhaonaigh, is a young fiddler and singer from the North-West Donegal Gaeltacht. She has learned her fiddling from her mother Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her cousin Ciarán Ó Maonaigh and her father Dermot Byrne. She is steeped in the Donegal fiddling tradition and now teaches it to younger learners at a local traditional music school, An Chrannóg , where music and song is taught through Gaelic. She is a regular attendee at the Fiddle Week in Glencolmcill, County Donegal, every August and The Willie Clancy Summer School , which takes the lace in Milltown Malbay , Co Clare every July. She has listened and learnt a lot of her music from the Campbells of Glenties, Dermot McLaughlin, Liam O’Connor, Clare Friel to mention but a few. She has toured along with her mother with Altan in the USA and Australia. Her composition , Port Nia can be heard on Altan’s latest album ‘The Gap of Dreams’.

Is fidléir agus amhránaí óg í Nia Byrne-Ní Mhaonaigh, arb as Gaeltacht Iarthuaisceart Dhún na nGall í. D’fhoghlaim sí ceol na fidle óna máthair, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, óna col ceathrar, Ciarán Ó Maonaigh agus óna hathair, Dermot Byrne. Tá ceol fidle Dhún na nGall go smior inti agus tá sí á mhúineadh anois d’fhoghlaimeoirí óga ag scoil áitiúil cheoil, an Chrannóg, áit a múintear an ceol agus na hamhráin ar fad trí mheán na Gaeilge. Bíonn sí i láthair go minic ag Seachtain na Fidle i nGleann Cholm Cille, Co. Dhún na nGall agus ag Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, i Sráid na Cathrach, Co. an Chláir. Tá go leor foghlamtha aici ó mhuintir Campbell ó na Gleanntaí, Dermot McLaughlin, Liam O’Connor, Clare Friel, agus daoine eile nach iad. Tá camchuairteanna déanta aici lena máthair agus Altan sna Stáit Aontaithe agus san Astráil. Tá port dá cuid féin, Port Nia, le cloisteáil ar an albam is déanaí ó Altan,‘The Gap of Dreams’.