academic staff information

Tim Collins 

Arts Faculty Postgraduate Fellow

Department:  Centre for Irish Studies

Address:  Postgraduate Room, Martha Fox House, Distillery Rd., NUI Galway

Telephone:  353 (0)91 492051

Fax:  353 (0)91 495513

Email:   timncollinseircom.net

Profile

Tim Collins is a native of west Limerick and lives in Croisín, County Clare. A teacher of Biology and Mathematics, he graduated from Thomond College (now the University of Limerick) in 1990 with an honours degree in General and Rural Science. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Limerick with a first class Masters in Irish traditional music performance. His MA thesis focused on Jack Mulkere musician and pedagogue, who pioneered Irish music education in the 1920s, as well as being the founding father of the Aughrim Slopes Céilí Band, one of the first bands to shape the history of this genre.

In 2006, Tim was awarded the inaugural Fulbright scholarship in Irish music studies at Glucksman Ireland House, the centre for Irish Studies at New York University. During his six-month tenure, he taught a course on Irish music history. In addition, he conducted extensive research on the music diaspora of Sliabh Aughty (south east Galway/ east Clare). As a concertina player, Tim has performed, recorded and toured internationally both as a soloist and as a member of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. As well as concert and festival performances, Tim has conducted master classes in Japan, the United States, Britain, France and Germany during the past decade.  In 2004, he released his debut solo album Dancing on Silver, and in July 2007 he released Reed Only, a collaborative recording with Leitrim piper Dr. Brian McNamara.

Tim commenced his PhD last autumn. His thesis will examine the Sliabh Aughty dialect of Irish traditional music, which encompasses the traditional music communities of East Clare and East Galway. The indigenous dialectical traits, and that of its New York-based diaspora will be explored to evaluate the contribution of this archaic genre to Irish and Irish-American music culture.

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