Niall Mulligan
Antrim Fiddler Niall Mulligan hails from Ballymena—his mother Lorna, from North Antrim, and his father Hugh from South Fermanagh, where the counties of Cavan, Fermanagh and Monaghan meet.
Taken to step dance lessons by his mother, a former step dancer, Niall would finish on the podium at Ulster, All-Ireland and World Championships prior to retiring in 1998. In the early years at local feisanna, in and around the Glens of Antrim, Niall would fall in love with the fiddle upon hearing it. He learned fiddle with Tommy McGoldrick, artist and All-Ireland Fiddler who had played with Niall’s great-uncle Cliff in “Cliff Ledger and The Countrymen” and the “Walter Lewis Showband,” and then with Denis Sweeney when Tommy stopped teaching to pursue painting full-time. Finding success in the fiddle as a member of Craobh Dun Laithi CCÉ, winning solo Ulster and All-Ireland medals, he taught fiddle for the neighboring branch of Portglenone and became a member of the Cois Locha Grupai Cheoil; the first senior group to take the All-Ireland title north of the border in 1994.
Niall’s grandmother Rosie ran into her cousin Eileen Quinn and Eileen’s fellow Glens fiddler Liz O’Loan playing a local feis in Glenravel. Niall, who had started fiddle by then, would be dropped downstairs to the local session in the famous Skerry Inn by his grandparents—leaving him with Eileen, Liz and Rosie’s childhood classmate, pianist Mary Mulholland (Pride Of Erin Ceili Band)—while they headed upstairs to the dances.
Niall loved these nights playing tunes with fellow CCÉ members Damien McKee (Beoga) and Marie Hefferon, along with a long list of other friends: Leslie Craig (composer of “The Road to Ballymac”), Dominic McNabb, Leo Brown, Liz O’Loan, the “two Alecs,” Billy and Elsie McKee, Leyonia O’Connor, the McLean sisters, Rose Murray, Paul O’Donnell, Johnny Murphy and Mary and her two daughters, Deirdre and Siobhán. Locals Jim McKillop and Sean McGuire would also make occasional appearances.
Niall became a sought-after musician for feiseanna, including multiple All-Ireland and World Irish Dance Championships, playing both fiddle and piano. Active in Comhaltas, he was selected for the 1997 Echoes of Erin Comhaltas Tour of Britain, both dancing and playing fiddle. He was offered the following North American tour but could not commit due to touring, first playing with “More Power to Your Elbow,” followed by dancing with “Riverdance, The Show.”
His fiddle was stolen upon his arrival in New York for “Riverdance-On Broadway,” and this was followed closely by the death of close friend Mary Mulholland in 2001. After that, Niall lost all desire to play, taking an almost two-year hiatus. Thankfully, a chance encounter with Niall O’Leary led him to play at the Putnam Feis, meeting fellow fiddler Billy Furlong, later introducing Niall to Sean Quinn and Pat Kearney, who reconnected Niall with Comhaltas. He joined the Mulligan-Quinn branch, where he now serves as chairman. Being encouraged to play the fiddle again by husband Brian Gerhardt, Niall now had active fiddle classes at the New York Irish Center followed by classes in Mineola.
Niall is extremely grateful for the years of support from both Centers, the parents, and especially his students, many of whom have become close friends and powerful musicians, some with Mid-Atlantic and All-Ireland titles—even professional careers. Niall is proud of every student and emphasizes the importance of the friendships and connections made along the way.
Niall is tremendously grateful and humbled by this honor. He thanks those in the Comhaltas Mid-Atlantic Region for the nomination as well as to the members and supporters of Mulligan-Quinn CCÉ, the Irish American Society and New York Irish Center. He is especially grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that Comhaltas has afforded him. He congratulates the other honorees and wishes everyone a wonderful weekend.