MICHAEL ROONEY

Michael comes from Co. Monaghan. He is a music graduate of Queen's University, Belfast. Michael is an internationally recognized harpist and concertina player, as well as a tutor and producer on the Irish musical scene. He is also a well known composer of traditional Irish music in Ireland, and many of his compositions can be heard on his CD 'Ocras'. Michael spent three years working for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and produced the Comhaltas tours of Britain, Ireland and America during that time.

He is senior All-Ireland Champion on the harp and winner of the prestigious Granard and Keadue harp competitions on several occasions. He recorded with 'The Chieftains' on their Grammy award winning CD entitled 'The Celtic Harp' and toured the US with the group. In 2006 he published a book entitled 'Harp Tunes', which contains twenty three of his compositions.

Recording Credits:

•	Land's End (2006) Draíocht
•	Draíocht (2004)
•	Ocras of own compositions.
•	CD with Brian Fitzgerald and Oisín Mac Diarmada in 2000 with Cló Íar Chonnachta CICD144. Contact www.cic.ie
•	1 track on 'Cumar' compilation CD in 1999 with Cló Íar Chonnachta CICD141.
•	1 track on Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann CD 'Rogha Ordha' - a CD containing a selection of Irish traditional 'golden moments' of music and song launched at Scoil Eigse 2001 to celebrate Comhaltas's Golden Jubilee.
•	1 track on Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann CD.
•	In 2005, 1 track on 'RTE Ten Years of Ceilí House' - Ciaran Hanrahan.

Michael has also provided accompaniment on the following CDs:

•	The Piper's Dream - Brian Mc Namara's.
•	James Keane's
•	The Nervous Man - Micheal Ó Raghailligh's
•	Innishkeeragh - Brenda Mc Cann's
•	Launching the Boat - Síona's album

Composition Work:

• 2007 -	Aifreann Gaeilge 2: For Corofin Trad Festival (Broadcast on Raidio na Gaeltachta)
• 2006 -	Battle of Books: For Sligo's Ceol na nÓg (Story of St. Colmcille)
• 2006 -	Harp Tunes: Book of 23 Compositions
• 2006 -	Suite for Harp and String Quartet and Harp
• 2000 -	The Millennium Suite: For Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
• 1997 -	Aifreann Gaeilge: For Sligo Choral Society (Four Part Irish Mass)
• 1996 -	The Famine Suite: For the History Ireland Performance Company in Sligo. A CD of this suite was released entitled 'Ocras'