(with examples of the songs performed by Mary McPartlan)

Mary was born in Drumkeerin, in County Leitrim and now living in Galway, Mary started singing in the early 1970s, but it was not until 2003 that decided to make music her professional career.  Described by the Irish Times as … "gloriously earthy, she breaks in her material for all their life-giving powers" … she released her critically acclaimed first album The Holland Handkerchief in January 2004, voted Number One Folk Album by Mojo magazine in Britain and short listed for a Meteor Award in Ireland. This was followed by her second album Petticoat Loose in 2008, which celebrated her long association with many of the high profile artists in the traditional music world in Ireland, including Frankie Gavin, Mairtin O Connor, Cathal Hayden, Seamie O Dowd, Steve Cooney, Rick Epping, Dervish, and the ConTempo String Quartet amongst others. Mary has toured extensively in Ireland and abroad and is currently researching material for her next CD. As an arts producer she has worked extensively with many of the Irish arts organizations and cultural institutions including the Irish television network TG4 where she initiated and assisted in the development of the TG4 national traditional music awards and co-produced an award winning traditional music series for the station. She is currently a teacher working in creative arts development in academic modules at NUI Galway and director of the popular innovative Arts in Action programme. She has recently been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and spent Semester 2 in January 2013 at City University of New York (CUNY).

Free for AIHS members, $10 at the door for non-members