In association with
Dr. Liz Doherty CEO at

Immerse yourself in music

Workshops, live tunes, and endless inspiration. Join the journey!

April 25 –27, 2025
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Dive into The Sugarloaf Sessions!

This event is about more than music—it’s about preparation, connection, and unlocking your full potential with like-minded musicians. Get ready to experience a whole new way to learn, play, and connect at The Sugarloaf Sessions!

Join us for a unique musical experience created in association with Dr, Liz Doherty and brought to you by TuneClub. As the founder of I Teach Trad and with over 30 years of teaching traditional music, Liz is passionate about helping great musicians become great teachers.

How It Works

1. Sign Up

Reserve your spot for your chosen instrument and get ready for an unforgettable experience!

2. Get the App

Access the TuneClub App and start your learning journey.

3. Practice

Dive into carefully curated learning pathways.

4. Connect

Chat with tutors and fellow musicians, building bonds before the festival.

5. Earn Points

Unlock TuneClub Points as you learn and engage—redeem for festival perks and rewards.

6. Sharpen Your Skills

Arrive prepared, confident, and ready to take your playing to the next level.

7. Arrive at the Festival

Step into The Sugarloaf Sessions, where learning and live connection come to life!

8. Play Music & Grow

Put your skills to the test in live sessions and make memories

Frequently Asked Questions

The Sugarloaf Sessions is an immersive music learning festival hosted by TuneClub. It’s designed for musicians who want to learn, connect, and improve their skills through pre-event preparation, live workshops, and evening jam sessions.

The Sugarloaf Sessions will take place April 25-27, 2025, in Bray, Co. Wicklow. https://bray.ie/

This event is primarily for musicians at intermediate level. We are also running a tin whistle workshop for complete beginners. Please note that attendance is for individuals aged 18 and over.

You can sign up on our website. Early Bird tickets are available for €150, so grab yours while they last!

Instruments and Levels

  • Singing – All levels
  • Harp – Intermediate
  • Flute – Intermediate
  • Banjo – Intermediate
  • Fiddle – Intermediate
  • Concertina – Intermediate
  • Button Accordion – Intermediate
  • Uileann Pipes – Intermediate
  • Guitar – Intermediate
  • Tin Whistle – Intermediate
  • Tin Whistle – Beginners

The Sugarloaf Sessions Festival 2025 - Itinerary

Friday, April 25

19:00 – 20:00

Drinks reception – meet & greet

The Harbour Bar

20:00 – 22:00

Concert

The Harbour Bar

Saturday April 26

10:00 – 13:00

Music Workshops

Colaiste Raithin

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

On-site

14:00 – 17:00

Music Workshops cont.

Colaiste Raithin

20:00 – 22:00

Trad Session

Local venues

Sunday April 27

10:00 – 14:00

Music Workshops + Singing Workshop

Colaiste Raithin

15:00 – 17:00

Social Event

Local

19:00 – 22:00

Trad Session

Local venues

Meet Our Creators

Tim Doyle

Tim Doyle is a Dublin-based uilleann piper, violinist, composer, and music educator. He has collaborated with musicians, composers, and directors across various genres, and has worked in theatre productions, performing both scored and live-improvised music.

As an uilleann piper, Tim has toured with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, performing at state events in Cuba, Brazil, Canada, and Britain. From 2015 to 2022, he was part of the National Folk Orchestra, playing at the official commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising and for Pope Francis in 2019. He is also a festival musician for the annual ‘Sitges Live’ festival in Spain, orgainised by Artscope. Tim holds a BA in music composition and an MPhil in Music Technology from Trinity College Dublin. His current projects include composing for traditional and contemporary classical ensembles, collaborating with the Crash Ensemble on a new piece for Uilleann pipes and electronics, and co-directing the Rithim Folk Orchestra for young musicians.

Rachel Duffy

Rachel Duffy is a harper from Bray, Co. Wicklow. She has performed across Ireland and internationally at festivals in China, France, Germany, Spain, Wales, and Scotland, and has featured in numerous radio and TV broadcasts.

Rachel regularly collaborates with groups such as Na Cauci, Triad Harp Trio, and the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra. She is also a committee member of Cairde na Cruite and co-director of their international harp festival, An Chúirt Chruitireachta. Rachel teaches harp in Wicklow and Dublin, directing a harp ensemble at Bray Comhaltas and co-directing the TU Dublin Harp Ensemble. She holds a First Class Honours Degree in Music Education from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, along with a Comhaltas TTCT Diploma. Her PhD research at Technological University Dublin, supervised by Professor Clíona Doris, focuses on the Irish harp’s history and contemporary transformation. In autumn 2024, she furthered her studies with a research fellowship at Boston College.

Dr. Liz Doherty

Dr. Liz Doherty is a passionate and award-winning educator with over 30 years of experience teaching traditional music worldwide—in schools, universities, festivals, and communities.

Recognised as a National Teaching Fellow and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Liz is committed to helping great musicians become great teachers through her pioneering initiative, I Teach Trad.

A respected academic, Liz holds a BMus from University College Cork and a PhD from the University of Limerick. She is the author, editor, and contributor to over 50 works on Irish music, Cape Breton traditions, and arts education. As a celebrated fiddle player and recording artist, Liz has performed on over 20 recordings, including with String Sisters, Nomos, and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Beyond teaching and performing, Liz is a sought-after arts consultant, festival producer, and entrepreneur, winning the Best Innovation Award from Local Enterprise office in 2021 for her work in advancing traditional music education.

Meet our Tutors

Robbert Harvery

Dr. Robert Harvey, a seven-time All-Ireland Champion flute player, was selected by Donal Lunny for the TG4 series “Lorg Lunny,” leading to the formation of the band Ciorras and the release of their album Silver Lining.

Robert’s acclaimed solo album Feochán was released in 2020. He has toured internationally with the Katerina Garcia Band, the Traditional Arts Collective, and is a member of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland. Robert is the musical director of the DCU traditional music ensemble and Ceoltóirí Óga Laighean, who launched their album The Gathering of Leinster. In 2024, he released Beara, a duet album with Tara Viscardi, following performances at the Wales International Harp Festival and other notable events. He also released a CD of Laois music with his brother James Harvey and others. Robert’s first book, Feadail: The Whistling Tradition in Ireland, was published by Comhaltas in 2024. A renowned teacher and lecturer, he studied music in Trinity College Dublin and Conservatory of Music and Drama DIT and he completed a PhD on East Galway’s traditional composition style and teaches at Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University.

Gerard Lord

Gerard Lord is a seasoned multi-instrumentalist, mastering the banjo, guitar, and fiddle. His journey has seen him touring internationally with Eddie and George Furey of The Fureys, gracing stages across the Netherlands, the UK, and the UAE. Performing at iconic venues like Vicar Street and the Waterfront helped shape his early career and deepen his musical roots.

Recently, Gerard has played with Na Cauci alongside Tim Doyle and Rachel Duffy, touring Spain and sharing the stage with Kíla in Ireland, including a memorable performance at the National Concert Hall. A lifelong lover of bluegrass and old-time music, Gerard’s style blends Irish traditions with these influences, creating a distinctive sound. With a passion for teaching, Gerard has been guiding both adults and children for nearly as long as he’s been performing. A valued instructor with Bray Comhaltas, he currently teaches five instruments, focusing on technique, ear training, rhythm, creativity, and mastering the fundamentals.

Fiona Parker

Fiona is a multi-instrumentalist and primary school teacher from Shankill, Co. Dublin, with a long-standing association with the CCÉ Bhré and Craobh Chualann branches of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Proficient in fiddle, tin whistle, and flute, she has won numerous national awards and titles on each instrument. A TTCT graduate, Fiona has excelled in both classical and traditional Irish music exams and has been teaching solo and group ensembles through Comhaltas for 16 years. She has also tutored at workshops, festivals, and All-Ireland Fleadhanna and has adjudicated Fleadhs across Ireland. Fiona’s musical journey began with the fiddle at age nine, and her personal style reflects a range of influences. She has performed at prestigious national and international events, including in the National Concert Hall and Dublin Castle, and has traveled extensively with her music. A member of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, her debut duet album Scáthanna with Tim Doyle was named one of the top 12 albums of 2017.

Ciaran FitzGerald

Ciarán FitzGerald, from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, is a Senior Clinical Hospital Pharmacist and a highly accomplished multi-instrumentalist, proficient in the flute, concertina, uilleann pipes, fiddle, and tin whistle.

He is the composer and conductor of the 50-piece ‘Misneach Orchestra’, which has performed the newly composed ‘Misneach’ suite to sold-out audiences across Ireland. The orchestra is set to release its debut album, with a launch at the National Concert Hall on January 11th, 2025. A 14-time All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil champion, Ciarán has performed on the prestigious Comhaltas Tours of Ireland and the UK, for President Michael D. Higgins, and as part of the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland for Pope Francis. As a dedicated music educator, Ciarán has guided numerous students to success in competitions and festivals, including eight consecutive years teaching at Scoil Éigse. In 2024, he represented Ireland as the lead delegate on a month-long cultural exchange, The Ship for World Youth, in Japan.

Dan Gurney

Dan Gurney, born in upstate New York to artist parents, first picked up an accordion by chance in a toy store while Micho Russell was playing close by. He learned Irish music from Galway-born concertina player Father Charlie Coen.

After graduating from Harvard University in 2009, he lived in Galway playing with the likes of Dolores Keane, Johnny Ringo McDonagh, and Brian Mc Grath.

He has appeared on Public Radio International, at the International Accordion Festivall, and has even
appeared on Broadway. Dan has made five albums, with a new one on the way. He is now a proud Bray resident along with his wife and kids. Find out more at
https://dangurney.net

Catriona Sherlock

Caitríona is an Irish singer rooted in the rich tapestry of traditional music and song. From a young age she immersed herself in the tradition and has since won several All Ireland Fleadh singing titles and represented the culture and language of Ireland across the world.

A season performer Caitríona has toured extensively in the UK, Europe and the USA to much acclaim with such groups as Téada, ANÚNA, Systir, Irish Chrismas in America and The Choral Scholars of UCD. In 2019 she was a soloist in the prestigious Carnegie Hall NYC. At the heart of her artistic soul resides an innate storyteller, weaving captivating narratives through music. Her extensive repertoire and proficiency in various genres allow her to present vulnerable performances that intertwine the essence of both performer and song. In her performances the ethereal and earthy become one.

Reserve your spot and get ready for an unforgettable experience!

April 25 –27, 2025
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland 

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