Sheila O Dowd was born and reared in Kilavil, Co Sligo, into a family steeped in traditional Irish music.

Her father, Frank and brother Michael, were highly regarded fiddle players. Sheila was also influenced by the playing of Martin Wynne, a regular visitor to her family home over the years.

House sessions were the norm back then and Sheila learned in a total immersive environment.

Her home was considered a hub for visiting and local musicians over the decades, many of them fiddle players.

In 1975 Comhaltas opened a branch in Sligo and Joe, her husband was the main instigator of the weekly sessions for years.

In the early noughties, Sheila set about writing down the tunes which were familiar to her and regularly played at local sessions and in her home.

FOUR GENERATIONS: A collection of reels, jigs, and hornpipes from the county Sligo was published in 2007.

Sheila remained a cornerstone of the Sligo fiddle tradition until recent times due to failing health.

Her melodic, well-paced, not too flamboyant playing style has been much lauded on both sides of the Atlantic over the decades and many aspiring fiddlers endeavour to emulate her relaxed and fluid style of playing.

Sheila turned 90 in 2024.

Her son, Seamie, one of our most iconic performers of song and guitar, will accept Sheila’s award on Sunday, May 4th.

Comhgairdeas,  a Shíle.