Jacqueline was born in London in 1957. Her parents had emigrated to England in the early 1950?s. She grew up to traditional music, her father Tommy McCarthy being a piper and concertina player from Kilmihil, Co. Clare. She played with all the legendary players from Ireland who were living in London. Musicians like Mairtin Byrnes, Raymond Roland, Roger Sherlock, Danny Meehan, Paddy Taylor and Bobby Casey were all part of a thriving music scene that Jacqueline experienced first hand. She also recalls meeting John Kelly and Willie Clancy during frequent visits to Ireland.

With her father With her father Tommy, sisters Marion and Bernadette and brother Tommy, Jacqueline performed throughout Ireland and the U.K. including The Royal Albert Hall, London. She was a member of The Sergeant Early Band who performed traditional music for a contemporary ballet production Sergeant Early's Dream by the London-based Rambert Dance Company. This association goes back to 1985 and has taken her to Poland, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Zambia, and all over the U.K. Since 1987 she has been living in Co. Galway where she teaches concertina.

She is a regular performer at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Co. Clare and has toured the U.S. on several occasions with her husband Tommy Keane. In 1995 they released an album The Wind Among the Reeds. She is a member of Maigh Sela a group who specialise in songs collected in North County Galway at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1999 she released The Hidden Note featuring the McCarthy family, Tommy Keane and Alec Finn.

Tommy was born in Waterford City in 1953. While in his early twenties, after playing tin whistle for a couple of years, he met local piper Tommy Kearney who encouraged him to take up the uilleann pipes. As well as his early tuition from Tommy Kearney, Tommy also attended Willie Clancy Summer School where he learned further piping skills from pipers, including Pat Mitchell and Liam O'Flynn. The recordings of Willie Clancy, Seamus Ennis and Tommy Reck have also influenced his repertoire and style of playing.

In the 1980's Tommy spent seven years in London where he played with many of the legends of Irish music including Tommy McCarthy, Bobby Casey and Roger Sherlock. While there he also provided music for productions by the National Theatre Co. and Rambert Ballet Co. He was in demand as a session musician and worked with Elvis Costello on The Pogues album - 'Rum, Sodomy and the Lash.' Other recording credits in London include Clannad and Ralph McTell. He was a member of the Thatch Ceili Band in London and in 1986 they won the Senior Ceili Band competition at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Co Kerry.

Since 1987 he has lived in Galway where he has worked with Druid Theatre Co. and with the National Irish language theatre - An Taibhdhearc. He has toured the U.S. on several occasions with Liam Clancy, Russia with Shaskeen and Zambia with the Sergeant Early Band. Recording credits since moving to Galway include working with Alec Finn of De Dannan on the album 'Blue Shamrock' - Alec's first solo album. He is a regular teacher and performer of the pipes at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Co. Clare and has also guested at international piping events in the U.K., Holland, U.S.A., and New Zealand. In 1991 he released his first solo album - 'The Piper's Apron' on the Mulligan label. He released a duet album - 'The Wind Among the Reeds' with his wife, concertina player Jacqueline McCarthy. In 1996 he toured Europe with Tony McMahon and Seamus Tansey and in 1997 performed with Iarla O'Lionaird and The Irish Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra at the Point, Dublin and Carnegie Hall, New York. He has produced three albums on the Maree Music label the most recent in 2002 the highly rated, The Family Album featuring the multi talented members of this major family of Irish traditional music The McCarthy Family.

Press Reviews

Dirty Linen, USA

"Sonically located in the centre of the tradition ... the affinities dovetail perfectly. Nuala O'Connor, Irish Times

"Two highly accomplished individual stylists ... together they gel convincingly ... among the best traditional releases of the year".

John O'Regan, Rock N Reel, UK

"Sit back and drink these tunes in ... jazz and blues fusion may be fun, but an album like this confirms that it was never necessary".

Anthony McCann, The Galway Edge

"A lively, varied and most enjoyable album. highly recommended. Joe Crane, Folk Roots, UK

"Tommy Keane is an expressively eloquent piper...Jackie brings to the concertina a delicate sense of musicianship".

Jeff O'Connell, Galway Advertiser

"Number 8 in the Folk/Roots Chart for Nov 95". Hot Press, Eire

"has to rank with the finest Irish traditional recordings of the past twenty years. My album of the year for 1995".

Don Meade, Irish Voice, New York

"This is straight-from-the-heart-to-the-fingers playing...performed with supple grace, beauty and passion ...

the second best traditional release of 1995". Earle Hitchner, Irish Echo, New York

"Every tune has a fine pedigree...this is a fine recording with close attention to detail. Alex Monaghan, Living Tradition, UK

"Fifty minutes of relentless drive by these two incredible musicians will leave you breathless. there is a magic at work here".

Jamie O?Brien, Irish Edition, USA

"This is superior music...this is a serious contender for instrumental album of the year". Bill Margeson, Irish American News, USA