Dennis Brendan Mulvihill

Brendan Mulvihill died on December 23rd, 2024 at his home in Glin, Co. Limerick, Ireland. He was a world-renowned traditional Irish fiddle player.

Brendan was born in Northampton, England in 1954. He immigrated to New York City with his family in 1965. He was taught to play the fiddle by his father Martin Mulvihill yet developed his own unique style. At 17, he moved back to England where he continued to hone his skills. Early in his career, he won the junior and senior All Ireland Fiddle Championships and then the senior All Ireland Duet with Billy McComiskey.

Brendan returned to New York in 1975. Along with McComiskey and Andy O'Brien, he formed the band The Irish Tradition. They traveled to Washington, D.C. for a week-long gig at The Dubliner pub that turned into several years. The Irish Tradition helped to pioneer the traditional Irish music scene in Washington, D.C.

Brendan toured with groups such as The Green Fields of America All-Star Irish Concert Tour, and the Masters of the Folk Violin Tour. Brendan has an extensive discography that includes both solo and collaborative recordings. He performed at numerous festivals around the world and in concerts such as the PBS broadcast "In Performance at the White House" for the President and Mrs. Clinton. He played at venues including The Kennedy Center, National Geographic, and The Music Center at Strathmore.

In his personal life, Brendan was an incredibly loving father to his daughter Ciara. They had many adventures together around the D.C. area, from trips to the Smithsonian, walks to the mall, and many visits to Asian supermarkets. Ciara cherishes the travel she was able to do with her mother and father to places like Iceland, Canada, and Scotland.

Most recently, Brendan released a two-volume tune book (including three CDs) of traditional Irish music. Some tunes were composed by Brendan, and others were his preferred versions of other artists' tunes. In 2024, Brendan published a four-volume set of thousands of never-before-released tunes compiled by his father.

Brendan is survived by his mother Olive Mulvihill; his siblings Brian, Gail, and Dawn; his daughter Ciara from his marriage to Abbie Mulvihill; and his partner Clara Poffenberger.

A celebration of life will take place on Monday, February 24, 2025, upstairs at O'Connell's in Alexandria, VA.