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 Kathleen Nesbitt comes from the Roscommon / South Sligo
/ Leitrim area which is renowned for fiddle playing. Her mother and uncle were both fiddle players and as a child she was steeped in the local tradition. Musicians who
have influenced her at this time were Mike Kelly, Paddy Kenny, Jack
Flanagan, Eddie Kelly, Tommy Flynn, Fred Finn and Paddy Ryan. Sean Ryan of Tipperary and Paddy Canny of Co.
Clare made a lasting impression on the young fiddle player.
In Dublin and attending the Church Street and the Pipers' Club regularly she was part of a rich and rewarding era in
Irish music. She played with such musicians as Tom Mulligan, John Egan, John Kelly, Tommy Potts, Joe Ryan, John Dwyer and musicians of her own age such as Sean Keane, Tommy Peoples, Mick O'Connor and many others.
She won the Oireachtas Gold Medal, and with her husband, John, the Oireachtas duet competition at a time
when the list of competitors read like a who's who of Irish music. She was at this time an early member of the Castle Ceili Band.
Moving to Tipperary in 1967 she began teaching music and became one of the most well known music teachers in Ireland. Her pupils in Loughmore won honours at all levels in fiddle, band and group playing.
From 1983 she taught at Scoil Eigse, the intensive master classes run prior to Fleadh Ceoil na hEireann by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. She continues to be a major influence at Scoil Eigse.
In 1980 Comhaltas inaugurated a diploma course in the teaching of traditional music. Designed by Micheal O
hEidhin of the Dept. of Education, it was the first course of its kind in Europe, and called An Teastas i dTeagasc
Ceolta Tire. Having obtained an honours advanced diploma, Kathleen went on to tutor and lecture on the course and is currently an assessor and lecturer on the T.TC.T
When not teaching she is busy performing and has toured in the U.S.A., Canada, Iceland and France. She
has performed on many television series such as Comortas, All The Best, Bring Down The Lamp and Geanntrai,
on which she featured with her husband, John on accordion and their family of six musicians
Frances and Mairead (fiddle), Sean (accordeon), Michael (banjo) and Noel and Karl (flutes).
Kathleen is an examiner of the new syllabus in Irish traditional music S.C.T, run by Comhaltas Ceotoiri Eireann. To this position she brings her long experience as a teacher and adjudicator.
Since 1990 she has taught fiddle workshop at the Festival Interceltique in L'Orient in Brittany, and in 2000 featured in a special concert "Virtuosi Irlandais".
She continues to teach at local level and at workshops in Ireland and internationally, while retaining
her great love and respect for the tradition into which she was born.
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