“Dublin Made Me is so much more than the sum of its parts. What makes it stand out from the crowded arena of traditional music is its blithe conviction that one’s inheritance, whether musical, historical or social, is there to be inhabited in all its ragged and real glory. This is a vibrant collection that never once loses sight of its birthright yet still manages to herald a new departure in casting a spotlight on two exceptional musicians who marry technical prowess with a marvelous sense of adventure and history.” (Irish Times)

“The piping solo by McKeon on the reels "The Ladies' Bonnet/The Pinch of Snuff" is simply sensational. He plays each note roundly, never eliding, and his imaginative fingering of the chanter and wristing of the regulators combine to produce music of rare eloquence” (Earl Hitchner)

“I think that it’s this ‘performance beyond technique’ that elevates this recording to a special status. Staying confidently within the structural constraints of Irish traditional music, this framework, with all its limits, seems to goad McKeon’s and O’Connor’s curiosity and their appetite for exploration.” (Journal of Music)


The importance of regional style to Irish traditional music has always been espoused by practitioners and historians alike. The status of the capital city as a region in its own right, however, with a distinctive style or voice, is less clear despite the strong piping tradition in the city.

What Seán McKeon and Liam O'Connor do with this exhilarating recording is to emphatically counter the consensus view that Dublin is merely a point of contact for musicians with myriad influences. McKeon and O'Connor, previous recipients of the TG4 Young Musician award, are torch bearers for two families steeped in the rich heritage of the city with pipes influencing fiddle and, in return, fiddle influencing pipes.

Rowsome, Potts, Keane, Glackin, Ennis, Reck; the names that shouldered the tradition in Dublin resonate strongly throughout. Add to that list McKeon and O'Connor and one begins to understand the importance of transmission and place.

Like all big cities, identity is easily diluted but while showing total respect for musical source from whatever region, McKeon and O'Connor are making a bold statement - Dublin may have been a melting pot of music in the past but their music is shaped distinctively by their environment - Dublin made them!

The music on Dublin Made Me is breath taking. It is innovative while remaining loyal to tradition - a true sign of greatness - and I am honoured that my own people are so closely connected with both the O'Connor and McKeon families.

Fad saol chugaibh beirt

Seán Potts Snr
Dublin, January 2009