North Coast Trad

Conor Mallon from Keady, Co.Armagh started his musical career with the Armagh Pipers Club where he attended Uilleann Pipe lessons. He has progressed through ranks to become one of the senior teachers at the club before touring in a full time capacity. He has been taught by many pipers over the years and they include Tiarnan O Duinnchinn, Mick O Brien, Sean Og Potts and John McSherry. Conor has been categorised as the one leading pipers in his generation as described by folking.com, “In the week that we learned of the passing of Liam O’Flynn it was apposite to hear Conor Mallon leading the next generation of Uilleann pipe players.“

Conor was the first recipient of the ACNI/BBC NI Young Traditional Musicians Platform award and subsequently was a guest musician with the Ulster Orchestra and with the award winning Foden’s Brass Band. Conor is a Senior County, Ulster and All-Ireland Champion on Uilleann Pipes in the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and has won many other awards including the Uilleann Piping Scholarship by the Na Píobairí Uilleann Dublin in 2008 and was the first recipient of the Mark Donnelly Bursary for Uilleann Piping Award in 2010.

Conor has performed at many festivals both solo and in various groups in Ireland, Europe and the USA including the William Kennedy Piping festival, Piping Live in Glasgow, the Milwaukee Irish Fest and has toured extensively on his own, with his band Connla and also with Comhaltas. He plays Uilleann Pipes and Whistles in the emerging trad band Connla who are described by Irish Music Magazine as, "A New Musical Powerhouse is among us. It is from Ireland, and it is Connla. Wow!" He has performed on a number of Radio shows, TV programmes for RTE, TG4 and the BBC individually and with various other groups including main band Connla.