Paddy Keenan

Paddy Keenan, born in Trim, Co. Meath, is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest uilleann pipers. Both his father and grandfather were pipers, and by the age of ten Paddy had taken up the pipes himself, performing at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, at just fourteen. He later played with his family group, The Pavees, before embarking on a journey that would shape the sound of modern Irish traditional music.

After a spell in London busking and absorbing blues influences, Paddy returned to Ireland and began performing with Mícheál and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Paddy Glackin, Tony McMahon, Matt Molloy, and later Donal Lunny. This group evolved into The Bothy Band, one of the most influential ensembles in Irish music. As a founding member, Paddy’s ferocious, improvisatory piping style earned him comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and John Coltrane and helped define the band’s groundbreaking sound in the 1970s.

Since the Bothy Band’s break-up, Paddy has forged an extraordinary solo career, touring globally across Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia. His performances have included major festivals such as the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo and CeltFest Cuba in Havana. His music features on the soundtrack of Traveller (1997), and in 2008 he appeared in the acclaimed documentary Dambé: The Mali Project, chronicling his journey with Liam Ó Maonlaí to the Festival au Désert in Timbuktu. He has also performed at Irish embassies in Moscow and Tallinn.

Honours include the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year award (2002) and the Irish Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2011).

Recent years have seen Paddy continue to inspire new audiences. In 2025 he leads The Long Grazing Acre tour, a celebration of the immense contribution of the Traveller community to Irish traditional music. Touring Donegal, Clare, and Louth, the project highlights different Traveller families in each location. At a concert in Ravensdale, Co. Louth, Keenan was joined by descendants of legendary performers such as Margaret Barry and Johnny Doran, alongside Gerry O’Connor and his long-time musical partner Éamonn de Barra.

Renowned for his flowing, open-fingered style that echoes the great Traveller pipers before him, Paddy Keenan remains one of the most powerful forces in Irish music—an innovator whose playing continues to connect tradition with new generations around the world.