The Way Traditional Music Was Meant to be Heard
Irish music played traditionally is more than just a folk genre. It’s a very skillful and artful music that is best appreciated up close and personal. Most people have listened to live Irish music in places that it’s most commonly played – pubs and festivals – where real listening is a challenge. For our pleasure and yours, we want to hear traditional Irish music in the most intimate of settings possible – in our homes – where every note, every instrument and every melody or song is savored personally. In fact, one might say that house concerts are the highest form of musical experience short of playing the music ourselves. These concerts offer a front seat view into the musical lives of the artists and provide an ideal opportunity to show respect for their exceptional talents. We hope you will join us as we present these concerts as a tribute to the musicians and their music and with the gratitude that both deserve.
Cathal Hayden and Matt Lewis
7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 31st
Richardson, Texas
We are pleased to offer a house concert with the legendary fiddler and banjo player Cathal Hayden and our good friend and guitarist from Houston — Matt Lewis. The concert will be held on Sunday, May 31st at 7:30 p.m. See below for more information. The admission is $25.00 per person and open to adults and children ages 12 and older. To reserve and pay for a seat or seats, go to RESERVATION or click on the button below. Once you have paid for a seat, you will be sent the concert address and contact information. If there are no seats available, you can be added to a waiting list by completing a CONCERT WAITING LIST FORM. Due to limits in the number of seats available, you can only make reservations online. We will not accept reservations at the door. Attendees can arrive at 7 p.m. for drinks (BYOB) and snacks which they are encouraged to bring to share. If you have any questions, call (469) 215-1840 or email times@irishtradmusic.org.
About Cathal Hayden and Matt Lewis
Cathal Hayden is a fiddle and banjo player from County Tyrone. This virtuoso will be known to many from his band Four Men And A Dog, one of the most successful Irish bands of all time – their debut album “Barking Mad” is one of the most successful Irish Traditional albums in history.
Having been immersed in music from a young age, he has received the All-Ireland Champion on both fiddle and banjo many times. Cathal has formed numerous alliances with musicians, including the renowned accordionist Mairtin O’Connor, piano accordion maestro Alan Kelly and Bothy Band piper Paddy Keegan.
In more recent years the duet with Mairtin O’Connor has taken him across the globe and he has undertaken tours of Japan with the famous O’Domhnaill family, and China, Iceland and the Faroe Islands as guests of the Donal Lunny band.
In addition to his many musical collaborations, Cathal has arranged scores for theatre productions for both the Lyric Theatre and Grand Opera House.
After 40 years of playing, Cathal’s contribution to Irish music is immeasurable – he is Ireland’s greatest ambassador for banjo and fiddle playing and continues to thrill audiences across the world with his extraordinary musicianship.
Multi-instrumentalist Matthew Lewis is known for his rhythmic versatility and thoughtful accompaniment on the guitar. In addition to guitar, Matthew is an accomplished bodhran player. He was awarded 1st place in bodhrán at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in 2025 and in 2026. Whether on guitar or drum, his approach emphasizes supportive, dynamic rhythm and an intuitive responsiveness to the melody.
Streaming Concerts
We have streamed live a number of our house concerts and instructor concerts at the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat that are available for viewing for a small fee. Go to CONCERTS for a listing and learn how you can see and hear some wonderful musical performances by some great players.