The Carolan Collective
The Carolan Collective, led by musician / educator Mossie Martin and photographer / musician David Knight is a multidisciplinary project dedicated to learning, researching, sharing, promoting, archiving and performing the music and song of the northwest of Ireland. Taking its name from Turlough O’Carolan (1670 – 1738), one of Ireland’s greatest and internationally renowned composers whose remains are resting in north Co. Roscommon, the collective is a community-driven initiative supported by the Creative Ireland Programme. Here is how the collective functions from both a teaching and a performance perspective:
1. The Teaching Perspective: Community & Accessibility
At its core, the teaching philosophy of the Carolan Collective is deeply inclusive, focusing on community collaboration rather than rigid, formal academia.
- Open-Door Policy: We provide a space where musicians and singers of all ages, instruments and abilities – including beginners - can collaborate, learn and perform. Interested listeners are also welcome to attend events. Our goal is to always host workshops that are free for participants.
- Contextual Learning: Rather than just teaching tunes by rote, the workshops explore the broader historical context and examine the music, life, and times of local musicians and singers such as Carolan.
- Intergenerational Sharing: By encouraging family members and interested listeners to attend together, the teaching environment fosters an organic, traditional oral transmission of music and song
- Creative Wellbeing: Using shared performance and collective music-making to enhance self-confidence and community spirit.
2. The Performance Perspective: Collaboration & Multimedia
From a performance standpoint, the Carolan Collective combines developing talent with high-calibre, experienced artists to showcase the music and song of the northwest and provide performance opportunities and experience to as many as possible.
- Ensemble Collaboration: The performance aspect brings together a diverse group of local traditional musicians — ranging from emerging young talents (such as those from Music Generation Roscommon and Leitrim) to established artists on a wide variety of instruments including harp, flute, whistle, fiddle, accordion, concertina, guitar and more. It gives local musicians a platform to breathe new, collaborative life into wonderful local melodies such as ‘Sí Beag, Sí Mór’.
- The Carolan Collective also acts as a promotor for our musicians who are available for performances,festivals, concerts, corporate events both at home and abroad
Multimedia Integration & Archiving: Because David Knight is a renowned professional photographer and videographer, performance is heavily tied to visual documentation. The collective's concerts and regional pop-up performances (such as at Kilronan Castle or St. Ronan's Hall for International Harp Day) are systematically filmed and archived, blending live auditory performance with visual storytelling to preserve the region’s cultural identity.
Summary: The Carolan Collective masterfully balances education and exhibition. It demystifies historic music through free, multi-level community teaching, and elevates it through professional, multimedia-rich live performances that bring the music and song of the northwest of Ireland to fresh, global audiences.
Mossie Martin
Fiddle and whistle player from north Co. Roscommon, about a mile from where Carolan was laid to rest. Member of The O’Carolan Trio with Fiachra Guihen (harp, flute) and Ellen Godley (cello, concertina) and the Dartry Céilí Band. Teaches the QQI Level 5 Music course offered by Leitrim College of Further Education, Drumshanbo which was established in 1997 for adults of all ages, instruments and abilities. Released a semi-solo album in 2019 called ‘Humours of Derrynacoosan’ with his sister Áine (harp), brother Brendan (fiddle, banjo), father Tom (mouth organ) and accompanied by John Blake (piano, guitar).
Website: mossiemartin.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 7640332
David Knight
Singer and guitarist who has been performing in the region for decades, currently with the groups Reel Craic and Trinity Island. As a photographer, David is renowned for his decades of experience capturing the musicians, singers, characters, culture, landscapes and heritage of Ireland, particularly the northwest region. His visual, technical and promotional skills are legendary in the region and in recent years, he has boosted the visibility, online reach and audiences of many local events and festivals including The O’Carolan Harp Festival (Keadue), The Joe Mooney Summerschool (Drumshanbo) and The Night and Day Festival (Lough Key Forest Park).
- David Knight Festival Organiser : Founder of the Boyle Arts Festival https://boylearts.com/ and is still involved with many Arts and Music Festivals. He is currently serving currently as Pro of the O’Carolan Harp Festivaland Summer School, https://www.ocarolanharpfestival.ie/ Also he is the local Liason and local PrO for the Night and Day Festival in Lough Key Forest Park https://nightandday.ie/
Website: davidknightphotographer.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 086 8386128
The Carolan Collective, led by musician / educator Mossie Martin and photographer / musician David Knight is a multidisciplinary project dedicated to learning, researching, sharing, promoting, archiving and performing the music and song of the northwest of Ireland. Taking its name from Turlough O’Carolan (1670 – 1738), one of Ireland’s greatest and internationally renowned composers whose remains are resting in north Co. Roscommon, the collective is a community-driven initiative supported by the Creative Ireland Programme. Here is how the collective functions from both a teaching and a performance perspective:
1. The Teaching Perspective: Community & Accessibility
At its core, the teaching philosophy of the Carolan Collective is deeply inclusive, focusing on community collaboration rather than rigid, formal academia.
- Open-Door Policy: We provide a space where musicians and singers of all ages, instruments and abilities – including beginners - can collaborate, learn and perform. Interested listeners are also welcome to attend events. Our goal is to always host workshops that are free for participants.
- Contextual Learning: Rather than just teaching tunes by rote, the workshops explore the broader historical context and examine the music, life, and times of local musicians and singers such as Carolan.
- Intergenerational Sharing: By encouraging family members and interested listeners to attend together, the teaching environment fosters an organic, traditional oral transmission of music and song
- Creative Wellbeing: Using shared performance and collective music-making to enhance self-confidence and community spirit.
2. The Performance Perspective: Collaboration & Multimedia
From a performance standpoint, the Carolan Collective combines developing talent with high-calibre, experienced artists to showcase the music and song of the northwest and provide performance opportunities and experience to as many as possible.
- Ensemble Collaboration: The performance aspect brings together a diverse group of local traditional musicians — ranging from emerging young talents (such as those from Music Generation Roscommon and Leitrim) to established artists on a wide variety of instruments including harp, flute, whistle, fiddle, accordion, concertina, guitar and more. It gives local musicians a platform to breathe new, collaborative life into wonderful local melodies such as ‘Sí Beag, Sí Mór’.
- The Carolan Collective also acts as a promotor for our musicians who are available for performances,festivals, concerts, corporate events both at home and abroad
Multimedia Integration & Archiving: Because David Knight is a renowned professional photographer and videographer, performance is heavily tied to visual documentation. The collective's concerts and regional pop-up performances (such as at Kilronan Castle or St. Ronan's Hall for International Harp Day) are systematically filmed and archived, blending live auditory performance with visual storytelling to preserve the region’s cultural identity.
Summary: The Carolan Collective masterfully balances education and exhibition. It demystifies historic music through free, multi-level community teaching, and elevates it through professional, multimedia-rich live performances that bring the music and song of the northwest of Ireland to fresh, global audiences.
Mossie Martin
Fiddle and whistle player from north Co. Roscommon, about a mile from where Carolan was laid to rest. Member of The O’Carolan Trio with Fiachra Guihen (harp, flute) and Ellen Godley (cello, concertina) and the Dartry Céilí Band. Teaches the QQI Level 5 Music course offered by Leitrim College of Further Education, Drumshanbo which was established in 1997 for adults of all ages, instruments and abilities. Released a semi-solo album in 2019 called ‘Humours of Derrynacoosan’ with his sister Áine (harp), brother Brendan (fiddle, banjo), father Tom (mouth organ) and accompanied by John Blake (piano, guitar).
Website: mossiemartin.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 7640332
David Knight
Singer and guitarist who has been performing in the region for decades, currently with the groups Reel Craic and Trinity Island. As a photographer, David is renowned for his decades of experience capturing the musicians, singers, characters, culture, landscapes and heritage of Ireland, particularly the northwest region. His visual, technical and promotional skills are legendary in the region and in recent years, he has boosted the visibility, online reach and audiences of many local events and festivals including The O’Carolan Harp Festival (Keadue), The Joe Mooney Summerschool (Drumshanbo) and The Night and Day Festival (Lough Key Forest Park).
- David Knight Festival Organiser : Founder of the Boyle Arts Festival https://boylearts.com/ and is still involved with many Arts and Music Festivals. He is currently serving currently as Pro of the O’Carolan Harp Festivaland Summer School, https://www.ocarolanharpfestival.ie/ Also he is the local Liason and local PrO for the Night and Day Festival in Lough Key Forest Park https://nightandday.ie/
Website: davidknightphotographer.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 086 8386128