Fiachra & Alannah

Fiachra Meek and Alannah Thornburgh deliver a spellbinding, cross-cultural exploration of acoustic music, seamlessly stitching together the deep-rooted melodies of traditional Irish music with the driving, rustic spirit of American Appalachian old-time music. Centered around the striking, ethereal pairing of the harp and uilleann pipes—two instruments rarely paired as a core duo—their sound is both hauntingly ancient and boldly contemporary.

The Musicians & Their Roots

• Fiachra Meek (Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle, Bodhrán, Vocals) hails from County Louth and comes from an illustrious folk lineage. He is the grandson of the legendary folk collector Diane Hamilton and relative of singer/author Bill Meek. His ancestral roots even trace back to Henry Joy McCracken, a key organizer of the historic 1792 Belfast Harp Festival. Fiachra's raw, expressive piping style and soulful vocals form a powerful anchoring force in their music.
• Alannah Thornburgh (Irish Harp, Vocals) is an award-winning, virtuoso harpist from County Mayo. Known for her innovative harmonic structures and percussive textures, Alannah reimagines the traditional boundaries of the Irish harp. Her ability to pivot from delicate, cinematic Irish slow airs to the syncopated, fiery rhythms of American old-time tunes gives the duo their distinctive edge.

Musical Style & Philosophy

What sets Fiachra and Alannah apart is their collaborative chemistry and deep respect for archival material. Rather than playing these two styles side-by-side, they intertwine them. An 18th-century Irish air might effortlessly shift into a standard American fiddle tune, exploring the historic, generational musical dialogue between Ireland and the Appalachian mountains. Their repertoire ranges from dark, dramatic folklore and historical ballads to playful nursery rhymes and driving dance tunes.

Evolution into 'Alfi'

Originally performing as the intimate duo Al-Fi (a simple combination of their names), their musical world expanded when they began collaborating with five-string banjo player Ryan McAuley. Embracing this unique, powerhouse instrumentation of harp, pipes, and banjo, they officially formed the multi-award-winning folk trio Alfi.

As a collective, their work has garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning a nomination for "Best Emerging Folk Artist" at the RTÉ Folk Awards, alongside prestigious accolades such as the US Embassy Creative Minds Award and the Caoimhín Ó Dochartaigh Award. Following their celebrated 2023 debut album Say Old Man, they have continued to captivate international audiences, bringing their refreshing, accessible, and masterfully executed brand of folk to the global stage.