Bio
Originally from County Wexford, Seána grew up with a deep grá for Irish music and culture, attending local Comhaltas classes, sessions and Fleadhanna from a very young age. Seána followed her heart at 18 years old when she moved out West to the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht to study and immerse herself in the Irish language, music and sean nós dance for 4 years while completing a BA. sa gCumarsáid | Communications through Irish in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge - Gaeltacht campus of University of Galway. She was awarded “Gaeilgeoir na Bliana | Irish Speaker of the Year” by the University in 2013 and achieved an Honours Degree result in 2015. This was an honour - having not been brought up speaking Irish or attending a Gaelscoil.
It was in Connemara that she became hooked on sean nós dancing, one of the most ancient forms of Irish dance. She was inspired and taught by masters of the art; Emma O’ Sullivan, the Devane Brothers and Sibéal Davitt. She then spent a year teaching and studying in the Gaeltacht Quarter of West Belfast, where the Irish language and culture are at the heart of the community. It was during this time that she studied and achieved a Post Graduate Certificate in Irish Medium Education in St. Mary’s University College, a College of Queen’s University, Belfast. Seána then went on to teach in many primary Gaelscoileanna (Irish medium schools) and also provide adult Irish classes with Conradh na Gaeilge and with Gaelchultúr. Having lived, studied, and taught in many different Gaeltacht areas in Ireland, Seána has a deep understanding and fluency in the Irish language & her various dialects.
Seána’s first music release “The Lonesome Boatman” went to No.1 on Southeast Radio Music Charts in 2020. Her dance dreams came through in 2019, when she was invited to dance for the legendary Kilfenora Céilí Band on their 110th Anniversary Tour at the Kilkenny Trad Fest to a sold-out audience. She also performed music and sean nós dance for the Opening of the John F Kennedy Irish American Hall of Fame onboard the Dunbrody Famine Ship, for Culture Night and has displayed sean nós barrel dancing on TG4. Seána holds a Distinction Diploma in Irish Traditional Music Performance from London College of Music. She has been teaching the tin whistle for over 10 years and has been teaching sean nós dance for over 5 years. Seána has been very lucky to be awarded County Fleadh Champion in sean nós dance and tin whistle over the years.
Seána received a Global Citizen Award in 2019 in recognition of her voluntary work in Calcutta, India. During this time, she shared the joy of Irish music, song, and sean nós dance with the members of Kasba Protection Home through teaching and performance. Seána also shared art and storytelling with the patients of The Hope Foundation Hospital, Calcutta during this time.
In 2020, Seána moved to Galway city, Ireland’s bilingual city for 4 years. During this time, she taught the Irish language, tin whistle and sean nós dance for organisations within the Irish speaking community such as; Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge - University of Galway, Conradh na Gaeilge and An Bruach Thoir - The Gaeltacht of Galway City East. Seána was deeply inspired by the vibrant expression of the arts in Galway city and spent many a day street dance busking on Galway’s famous Shop Street.
Seána is now based in County Wexford where she is a primary Gaelscoil (Irish medium school) teacher. She is also currently teaching the Irish language, tin whistle and sean nós dance within the community while working on new music releases and art work.