‘I play accordion, flute, piano, harp and tin whistle’: Make-up maestro Paddy McGurgan’s hidden life as an All-Ireland traditional musician

Make up artist Paddy McGurgan performs at Visit Belfast as part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Read more: Mayo musician who built a 100-student Irish music school in New York is coming to Belfast Fleadh – The Irish NewsI still play traditional Irish music all the time. “There weren’t really grades in Irish traditional music then,” he explains, even though he’s achieved Grade 8s, “You were trained to compete. But, despite becoming synonymous with beauty rather than music, McGurgan believes the two worlds have more in common than people might imagine. Make-up artist Paddy McGurgan and Emily Oakes during a Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann performance at Visit Belfast.