Chulrua

Chulrua (pronounced cool-ROO-ah), translates from the Irish as "red back," and was the name and distinguishing feature of the favorite wolfhound belonging to ancient Irish hero Fionn MacCumhaill. It is also the name of an internationally acclaimed trio of some of the most respected and unique exponents of Irish traditional music.

Button accordion icon Paddy O'Brien has accumulated a veritable hoard of rare versions of tunes and stories gleaned from more than forty years of patiently seeking out and spending time with older musicians throughout Ireland. A native of County Offaly in the Midlands of Ireland, he is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant to record and annotate 500 dance tunes (a small fraction of his repertoire), and is revered by aficionados worldwide.

Also an avid student of the old masters, Timmy Britton is a virtuoso on the rare uilleann (pronounced ILL-an) pipes, wooden flute, and tin whistle, appearing on more than two dozen recordings. His profound insight into the tradition is tempered by the many influences he grew up with in Philadelphia.

For twenty years, Tipperary man Pat Egan has developed his own powerfully emotive style of guitar accompaniment and vocal delivery. He has chosen to feather his nest with some wonderful but little-known songs, old and new, that fit into both traditional and contemporary contexts.

Chulrua's 71-minute CD, entitled "Barefoot on the Altar," captures the trio's driving rhythms, as well as their delicately artful interaction, live on stereo microphone, just as it filled a small church in southeast Iowa during their recording sessions.

Back to Performers

Last updated on June 11, 2001
Page maintained by NTIF Webmaster