Fleadh champion

She has won four All-Ireland competition titles and represented Luxembourg in her own country, and at just 22 years old, she is widely respected in local trad music circles. There was music on both sides of Audrey Murphy's family. Her paternal granduncles played the accordion and on her mother's side - there was singers and flute players. While her parents never played music, they were fascinated when they heard Audrey play a tin whistle when she was around three years old. "I got a few tunes from my neighbour, Willie Coughlan, and that got me interested, and then I went for lessons to Karen McCormack in Tubberclair, who entered me in my first fleadh, when I was around 7 or 8 years old," said Audrey, who is a native of Ross, Glasson. Audrey, who has made herself available for many charity gigs, has competed every year in the All-Ireland fleadh as a tin whistle player since then. She plays many instruments especially the flute and whistle, and she moved to another teacher, Noel Sweeney from Longford and finally to Geraldine McGlynn from Tang. Despite winning multi-awards, Audrey believes she is still learning her instruments. "I don't think you can ever master anything and you can always get better," she said. She won her first All-Ireland in 2007, for tin whistle, and has won each consecutive year, until 2010. Audrey has been studying Accountancy and Law at the University of Limerick for almost four years, and when she was on placement in Luxembourg, she got involved with Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and represented that country in the All-Ireland fleadh. She won a silver medal for the European country. Audrey was the first person ever qualified to represent Luxembourg at the All-Ireland fleadh ceoil. "I hope to compete again this year in the All-Ireland, if I can find the time, because during the summer I'll be starting an accountancy job in Dublin," she said. Audrey is the eldest of four Murphy children, and her sister Avril and herself have regularly danced with the Straw Boys. Audrey has two brothers, Austin and Aaron. She went to school at St Joseph's College, Summerhill, and was awarded 'Senior Music Student' there, during her last year, in 2008. "I got into dancing later than music, and first went to Joe Ganley in Mount Temple to learn, and did all my grading there, before I moved to be with Avril, with teacher, Christine Concannon," said Audrey. Audrey has danced at feiseanna all over the country, particularly at many weddings and shows with the Straw Boys, where they dance the old traditional stuff. When she got the option of doing a placement with her course, Audrey decided to travel into Europe to work with Franklin Templeton Investments in Luxembourg city. "Luxembourg city is a really small city, with loads of Irish people there," said Audrey. "In my spare time over there, I started teaching music and helping out with a dance school, and the pupils were mostly my own age, and older, but I had never seen adults as interested in learning, and many of them have come over to Ireland since for workshops." She also played in two Irish music bands while over there, and also with a French/Irish band. Four years ago, she appeared on the TG4 music programme 'Glas Vegas' with 'Tintreach' and her sister Avril. Audrey and the group got into the final with their dancing and music performances. "That was exciting at the time, and it changed every week as we went through each round and after that I took part in the European People's Festival in Latvia, and the following year in Portugal, and I was really proud to be in the festival in Athlone in 2010," said Audrey. Audrey started teaching tin whistle and flute playing when she was in Transition Year, and has continued teaching throughout her college years. She has taught pupils in Tubberclair Hall and Glasson in the Heritage hall, and now teaches at home. "I find adults are more enthusiastic at learning music, but children do pick it up quicker, and have more time to practice, but adults put in the work too, she explained. "I always practice for hours and hours, everywhere, but I haven't had as much time lately because I'm in my final year." She recently adjudicated at the mummer's festival in New Inn, and has also adjudicated at County Fleadhs. Audrey has ambitions to release a traditional music album, of fast reels, jigs and hornpipes. She also likes slow airs and had written many compositions of her own. "I plan to write more, and I would definitely have some backing on the album, probably guitar," she said. She plays a regular session in Sean's Bar most Saturday afternoons between 5pm and 7pm, and also regularly in the Three Jolly Pigeons. As well as playing on TG4, Audrey has also played on television on RTE's Fleadh Cheoil programme. She has also played many times on national and local radio, including Kieran Hanrahan's Celli House on RTE radio, on Radio na Gaeltachta, on Shannonside and on Midlands Radio 3. "One of the best things about music is the travel and people you meet, and when I was in Luxembourg, I met some lovely people because of playing music," she said. "In countries with different languages you don't have all had to speak the same language, you just play music, and everyone will understand you." Audrey's parents are Padraig Murphy, who is a native of Ross, Glasson, and her mother was the former Maria Berry from Percy Cottages, Magazine Road. Audrey has played music in many nursing homes and hospitals for the benefit of residents and patients. "The older people love listening to music, and I used to play at Loughloe House where my granduncle Paddy Collins lived, and Paddy is now in Sonas and I go there sometimes also, and I played in St Vincent's and in Thomond Lodge, Ballymahon, and it's lovely and you can see it brightens up the day for patients, and it's only an hour out of my time, so it's great," she said. In 1977, the traditional music community in Ireland was shocked and saddened by the death of Tom McHale at age 32. He was resident in Athlone for many years, and was a popular All-Ireland tin whistle champion. Audrey won the Tom McHale cup for tin whistle playing for the first two years (2003 and 2004) of the festival named after him, in his native Tulsk. "He used to call into my granny's house when he was alive, and I was really proud to win the cup, and he was really ahead of his time, and one of the best whistle players of all time, and had such a unique style and had variations on his ornamentation," said Audrey. "Tom McHale played the old tunes, and that I also love. I also love the whistle playing of Mary Bergin, and I'm told I have a style similar to hers and I think if you are listening to some players, you kind of pick up their style, but once styles were unique to different parts of the country, but now with people listening to CDs, there is not as much a variation in style. There is not much uniqueness in each area now, and that's in all instruments." Audrey still plays music with her neighbour, Willie Coughlan, who started her in music when she was a child. Willie also started her off reading music. Audrey is a member of Moate Comhaltas, and has played for many years as part of the Seisiun Group in Dun na Si every Sunday night during July and August. "I'm going to try accountancy for a while, but I can see myself in a band in the future, and no matter what, I'll keep the music going," she said smiling.