About Darren
Darren Culliney is an Irish traditional musician, composer and PhD researcher from Ballinamuck, Co. Longford.
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist with numerous awards and titles, Darren hails from the ancient Conmhaicne region, a historically vibrant region of Irish music which encompasses South Leitrim and County Longford.
Growing up surrounded by music, under the tutelage of Padraig Lynch, Darren began learning the tin whistle aged 5. At the age of 9, he started learning the button accordion and has since become his main instrument of focus. Darren is a proud lilter, having won numerous medals at Fleadh Cheoil throughout the years. He also plays piano and melodeon.
A graduate from Maynooth University (Bachelor’s of Music and Masters in Music Composition), Darren is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology. A member of the DkIT Creative Arts Research Centre, he is the beneficiary of a TUTF Postgraduate Research Scholarship and is under the joint supervision of Dr Daithí Kearney (DkIT) and Dr Verena Commins (University of Galway). His research examines the button accordion and Irish traditional music in Ulster.
Darren is actively involved in the field of ethnomusicology, with a recent publication in the Rising Voices Journal. He is currently the editor of ICTMD Ireland’s Spéis, a thrice annual pubication highlighting news and new research in the field of Ethnmusicology. Darren has presented papers at numorous conferences, most notably the ICTMD World conferences in Legon, Ghana and Wellington, New Zealand. Darren has also delivered lectures and lecture recitals for fesitvals and organisations.
Darren is an active performer and composer, having performed at festivals and sessions across the island of Ireland, Europe and worldwide. He is continuously composing new Irish traditional tunes as well as new contemporary works. He frequently uploads music videos and uploaded a weekly series of music videos across numerous social media platforms in 2023. He is also a member of Lasta, The Badgers Céilí Band, and The Misneach Orchestra, who are currently working on and performing music.
