Eileen Gannon and Robert Ryan

Eileen, a St. Louis native, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. She has won numerous accolades including the highly coveted Senior Harp title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (World Irish Music Championships). Eileen has toured and performed all over the world and is a regular tutor at international festivals like the Catskills Irish Arts Week, and Scoil Eigse. Eileen also represented Ireland at World Expos in 2010 in Shanghai, China and in 2015, in Milan, Italy.

Robert Ryan is a traditional Irish fiddler from London, who grew up immersed in the thriving Irish musical community of that city. Robert was encouraged to learn the tin whistle from a young age, and took up the fiddle at the age of eight, learning from the great Clare fiddler Brendan Mulkere. Over the years he developed a strong interest in the music of the Sliabh Luachra region of Ireland, and he has a deep love of the dance music associated with that area. He has recently moved to St. Louis, where he performs and teaches Irish music, and is particularly interested in sharing his passion for the music of Sliabh Luachra.

Eileen Gannon and Robert Ryan have been performing to international audiences since 2015, when they met at the Catskills Irish Arts Week in upstate New York. Eileen and Robert are both born to Irish immigrant parents, growing up in St. Louis and London respectively, and in childhood they learned their music within the immigrant community of the Irish diaspora. They are based in St. Louis, MO.

Their album “Down The Rocky Road” can be found on bandcamp, and they will soon be releasing a companion book of transcriptions for melody and accompaniment instruments.