April 25 –27, 2025
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
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.
Reserve your spot for your chosen instrument and get ready for an unforgettable experience!
Access the TuneClub App and start your learning journey.
Dive into carefully curated learning pathways.
Chat with tutors and fellow musicians, building bonds before the festival.
Unlock TuneClub Points as you learn and engage—redeem for festival perks and rewards.
Arrive prepared, confident, and ready to take your playing to the next level.
Step into The Sugarloaf Sessions, where learning and live connection come to life!
Put your skills to the test in live sessions and make memories
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
April 25 –27, 2025
Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
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