Matt Molloy

Matt Malloy excels as a practitioner of the Sligo style in flute and tin whistle performance, contributing significantly to the development of Irish musical traditions. As a founding participant in the Bothy Band, he has infused contemporary elements into the country's folk heritage. Beyond his four distinctive solo recordings, Malloy has lent the soft, breathy sounds of his instruments to collaborations with Paul Brady, Tommy Peoples, Michael O'Suillabhain, Donal Lunny, Planxty, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Since 1979, he has served as one of just two members of the Chieftains hailing from outside Dublin.

Born in the modest Roscommon village of Ballaghadereen, Malloy embodies the third generation of family members devoted to flute playing. He began studying the instrument at eight years old and captured the All-Ireland Flute Championship at age seventeen. Soon after, he received an invitation to participate in the National Fleadh Cheoil And Oirechta. Relocating to Dublin during the early 1970s, he rapidly gained recognition among the capital's foremost traditional performers. Whenever time permits amid his demanding commitments, he appears at his own pub located in Westport, County Mayo.