Scoil Acla - Accordian Classes

The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.

It is played by compressing or expanding a bellows whilst pressing buttons or keys, causing valves, called pallets, to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel, called reeds, that vibrate to produce sound inside the body.

The instrument is sometimes considered a one-man-band as it needs no accompanying instrument. The performer normally plays the melody on buttons or keys on the right-hand manual, and the accompaniment, consisting of bass and pre-set chord buttons, on the left-hand manual.

The accordion is often used in folk music in Europe, North America and South America and is a popular instrument in Ireland.

Scoil Acla Accordian Tutors

Fiachna Ó Mongáin

Fiachna Ó Mongáin comes from a very musical family and hales from Dumha Thuama in the Mayo Gaeltacht. The entire Ó’Mongáin family are talented singers and musicians and Fiachna is no exception.  Fiachna is a renowned young accordion player and has his own style of playing based on the great Joe Cooley from Gort and is no stranger to the stage. Has made numerous television appearances both as a guest musician and as a presenter and he has toured extensively. Fiachna was awarded TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2007.

P.J Hernon

P.J was born into a traditional music family in Rusheenamanagh, Carna, Connemara in 1951. Along with brother Marcus, a fine flute player and composer, they have performed at music festivals in Germany, England, the USA, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Luxembourgh and of course all over Ireland.

PJ was a member of the renowned Shaskeen Céilí Band for some years and after much success as part of this talented group he later embarked on a solo career.

In recent years his music became hugely popular with people on the set dancing scene after he formed the very successful Céilí Band named The Swallow's Tail.

Interestingly one of the tracks on this CD by PJ is the popular reel “ The Swallow's Tail “.
PJ has several albums and a DVD  accordion tutor to his credit.

He also won the All Ireland and Oireachtas button accordion titles in 1973 as well as being a member of  the All Ireland winning duet and trio acts in Sligo in 1989.

PJ is one of the finest exponents of Traditional Irish music on accordion and melodeon and has presented Traditional Irish music programmes for Radio na Gaeltachta agus TG4.

Today PJ remains as popular as ever on the Irish Traditional music scene both for his live performance and for his much sought after music teaching techniques.

Tom Doherty

Tom is from Foxford, Co Mayo, and is a full-time professional musician and teacher.  He is an All-Ireland melodeon champion, music teacher and performs regularly with Céide and the Swallows Tail Céilí Band and Fuaim Connemara.