Damhnait Sweeney

Damhnait Sweeney (Nic Suibhne) is a multi-instrumentalist and and an experienced harp teacher based in Cork. She is originally from Donegal and has a rich family legacy in Traditional music and Irish culture. She has won All Ireland titles on several instruments and was privileged to complete a Masters Degree in Irish Music/Ethnomusicology with Micheál Ó Suilleabháin in University College, Cork. She studied harp with Máire Ní Chathasaigh while attending UCC and has attended master classes with Janet Harbison and Helen Davies. She also undertook a study of harp pedagogy with Denise Kelly McDonnell in TUD Dublin.

More recently, she has explored her interest in early Irish Harp by particitating in several courses by the Academy of the Irish Harp with Siobhán Armstrong and Allessie Bianchi. She has played harp and flute with many groups both in Donegal and in Cork, and with Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann concert tour groups in Britain and Ireland. Damhnait has featured in several traditional music programmes on television and radio such as, Bring Down the Lamp, The Long Note, SBB ina Shuí, Iris, The Bibi Baskin Show and TG4 Fleadh ’22. She is an instrumental music teacher with over 30 years teaching experience across all educational sectors. She has worked as a full-time teacher with Cork ETB School of Music as a harp, piano and traditional music teacher since 1991 and has taught modules in Irish Music in both University College Cork and in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.

As a teacher, Damhnait has a special interest in experimenting with group playing across different musical genres and has established and directed several instrumental groups including, Glissando Harps, Sparkling Strings, The Young Carolan Players, Northern Stars & Strings and Things. She has a particular interest in working with the wider repertoire in Irish music and especially with both the ancient and contemporary repertoire of the Irish harp.