Cormac Begley and Liam O’Connor for Galway shows

Two of Ireland’s finest musicians, concertina player Cormac Begley and fiddle player, Liam O’Connor, will be in concert in the Pillar House in Balinasloe this Friday night, April 20, and in the Crane Bare. Galway City, this Saturday. Their Galway gigs are part of a tour following their sold-out show in the National Concert Hall last October.

Both men come from musical families and have been playing and recording since childhood.

Cormac,  a bass, baritone, treble and piccolo concertina player, is from the Begley family from West Kerry, who are renowned in music circles. In addition to gigging with Liam, he is involved in several other projects including duetting with cellist Rushad Eggleston; with his sister Clíodhna, who plays fiddle and viola and is a sean-nós dancer; with fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh; and with the multi-talented Liam Ó Maonlaí of the Hothouse Flowers. He’s also part of a trio with concertina players Noel Hill and Jack Talty.

Dubliner Liam O’Connor has several Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and Oireachtas titles to his credit and has been named a TG4 Young Musician of the Year.

The two men released solo CDs in 2017, which each received five-star reviews in The Irish Times, Folking and Irish Echo

■ Tickets for their Balinasloe show are at 090 96 43939 or at www.thepillarhouse.ie. For the Crane, go to www.thecranebar.com. They can also be bought at the venues.