Green Fields of America


The Green Fields of America is an ensemble which performs and promotes Irish traditional music in the United States.
"The Green Fields of America" was formed in 1978 in Philadelphia and still led by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney. The band was created to present and tour some of Irish America's finest musicians and dancers. "The Green Fields of America" was the first group on either side of the Atlantic to bring together Irish vocal, instrumental, and dance traditions on the concert and festival stage. Featuring Irish stepdance they introduced their sound to general American audiences.
The critically acclaimed album The Green Fields of America Live in Concert in 1989 subtitled "Irish Music, Song and Dance in America" credited Mick Moloney, Robbie O'Connell, Jimmy Keane and Eileen Ivers, Séamus Egan, Donny Golden and Eileen Golden. Many had their performing starts with The Green Fields are Egan, Ivers, Golden, Marie Reilly, Jean Butler and Michael Flatley.
Playing such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wolf Trap, The Smithsonian Institution, The Festival of American Folklife, the Milwaukee Irish Fest, and The National Folk Festival, the Five members of the band at the time – Liz Carroll, Jack Coen, Michael Flatley, Donny Golden and Mick Moloney – have all received National Heritage Awards. Radio Telefís Éireann, Ireland’s national broadcaster, commemorated the twentieth-anniversary of the group on St. Patrick's Day, 1999.
A nationally televised documentary on their history and cultural contributions was presented. Among the musicians joining Mick Moloney for the performance at Re-Imagining Ireland, were singer-songwriter Robbie O'Connell, Jerry O'Sullivan, and the dancers Donny Golden and Sinead Lawlor. Old-time fiddler, guitarist, banjoist, and singer Bruce Molsky and singer-composer Tommy Sands were also guest appearances.
The current membership in the group consists of Moloney, O'Connell, long-time associate Billy McComiskey, Athena Tergis, Liz Hanley, Brendan Dolan and Niall O'Leary.

Recordings

The musicians who have been members of the Green Fields of America include: Tim Britton, Denis Cahill, Liz Carroll, Karan Casey, Fr. Charlie Coen, Jack Coen, Brendan Dolan, John Doyle, Jimmy Eagan, Seamus Egan, Siobhan Egan, Frank Harte, Ivan Goff, Winifred Horan, Eileen Ivers, James Keane, Jimmy Keane, Tina Lech, Donna Long, Dana Lyn, Joanie Madden, Billy McComiskey, Sean McGlynn, Zan McLeod, Mick Moloney, Michelle Mulcahy, Brendan Mulvihill, Andy O’Brien, Robbie O’Connell, Eugene O’Donnell, Kieran O’Hare, Eamon O’Leary, Jerry O’Sullivan, Bill Ochs, Al Purcell, Mike Rafferty, Tommy Sands, Liz Hanley, Brenda Castles and Athena Tergis. The latest and youngest member of the Green Fields is fifteen-year-old fiddler Haley Richardson.
The dancers who have appeared with the band include: Kieran Barrett, Kevin Broesler, Jean Butler, Cara Butler, Melanie Deegan, Darrah Carr, Heather Donovan, Joe and Katherine Dwyer, Michael Flatley, Steve Gallagher, Donny Golden, Eileen Golden, Deirdre Goulding, Ciara Greene, Katie Grennan, Liam Harney, Deirdre Harten, John Jennings, Kieran Jordan, Sinead Lawler, Tara McHugh, Sheila McGrory, Chloe Mullarkey, Tim O’Hare, Niall O'Leary,,Joe and Catherine Dwyer, Mairead Powell, Pat Roche, Sheila Ryan, Michael Smith, John Timm, Regan Wick, and Linnane Wick.