Mossie hails from Co. Roscommon, teaches music in Co. Leitrim and lives in Co. Sligo. The music of North Connaught, in the northwest of Ireland, has always been his primary source and he has been exploring and sharing tunes from this region for many years. His influences include the recordings and compositions of Turlough O’Carolan, Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran, John McKenna, Josie McDermott, Charlie Lennon, Michael Rooney, John Carty, Matt Molloy, The Bothy Band, Planxty, The Chieftains, Altan, Dervish and many others.
Mossie performs concerts and ceilis with the Sligo-based Dartry Céilí Band (https://www.dartrycb.com/) and also plays in sessions sporadically throughout North Connaught. He is an annual tutor at the Joe Mooney (Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim) and O’Carolan (Keadue, Co. Roscommon) summer schools and is a regular performer and teacher at Irish and international festivals such as Féile Chois Cuain (Louisburgh, Co. Mayo) and Sitges Live (Spain). He has collaborated with many other traditional artists including Draíocht (June McCormack and Michael Rooney), Leonard Barry, Michael Holmes, Sean & Noelle Carroll, Fionnuala Maxwell, John Blake, Seamie O’Dowd, Fiachra Guihen, Ellen Godley, Bernie Flaherty, Donie O’Connor and David Knight.
‘The Humours of Derrynacoosan’ (2019) was the first semi-solo effort from Mossie and fulfilled a long-held ambition to record an album that celebrated his roots and the Martin family. He was expertly assisted by John Blake (guitar, piano) and his father Tom (mouth organ / harmonica), sister Áine (harp) and brother Brendan (fiddle, banjo). The album includes compositions from many local musicians such as Turlough O’Carolan, Josie McDermott, Shane Meehan, Seamus Thompson, Philip Duffy, Michael Rooney, Charlie Lennon and Mossie himself.
His most recent collaboration is with The O’Carolan Trio which includes Fiachra Guihen (harp, flute, guitar) and Ellen Godley (cello, concertina). They explore and perform the music, history and stories of one of Ireland’s best known and most celebrated composers, Turlough O’Carolan (1670 - 1738), whose remains are resting on the shores of Lough Meelagh, beside where Mossie and Fiachra grew up. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram and on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOCarolanTrio-Keadue
In 2009, Mossie recorded on the first Leitrim Equation album alongside Lúnasa and, a couple of years later, recorded a few tracks with Dervish fiddle player Tom Morrow and Leitrim legend Ben Lennon for the album Leitrim Equation II. Mossie is one of the four fiddlers in the Dartry Céilí Band, alongside Philip Duffy, John Kilkenny and Declan Folan, and has recorded three albums with the band - ‘The Killavil Post’ (2010), ‘Making Tracks’ (2014) and ‘Dance Upon the Mountains’ (2023). The other members are June McCormack, Cian Kearins, Noelle Carroll (flutes), Sean Carroll (accordion), Michael Rooney (concertina), Kevin Brehony (piano) and Damien McGuinness (drums).
Mossie currently teaches the Music course based in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim, which was established in 1997 and is administered by Leitrim College of Further Education and Training (FET) which is part of the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB). This is a QQI accredited course (Music Award, Level 5) that provides an introduction to Irish music, song and dance. The course welcomes learners of all ages, all instruments, all genres and all levels of experience including beginners and there are currently two options to do the course;
