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Sharon Shannon In ConcertRiverbank Arts Centre Newbridge Widely regarded as one of the most gifted musicians of her generation, Sharon Shannon was born in the Village of Ruan in Co Clare. Her parents IJ and Mary were set dancers and the four children all play music: At 14, she became a member of the group Disert Tola, and soon was travelling over to Doolin, at that time an out-of-the-way watering hole and playing with musicians such as John Williams, Davy Spillane, and Owen O'Neill. A short spell at University College, Cork, failed to capture her interest and instead she used her time to teach herself the fiddle. She cites fiddle playing as a major influence on her own accordeon style. Success was beckoning. In 1989 Johnny Ringo McDonagh formed the Galway-based Arcady which included Sharon Shannon, Frances Black, Sean Keane and Cathal Hayden. It was while playing with Arcady that Mike Scott of The Waterboys was captivated by Sharon's playing. The Waterboys asked her to join them on their upcoming tour which gave her first-hand experience of huge audiences. Her first album was released in 1991 and is still regarded as a landmark album in traditional music. In 1992 she joined up with Eleanor McEvoy, Dolores Keane, Maura O'Connell and Mary and Frances Black to record the hugely successful album A Woman's Heart, which became the biggest selling Irish album ever. To crown a remarkable year, towards the end of 1992 Ireland's most popular TV host Gay Byrne dedicated an entire Late Late Show to her. Over the next few years she released a number of albums, including With Out the Gap in 1994 and Each Little Thing in 1997. Off stage she likes to play around in pub sessions in Galway and Clare. He home in Galway is also a domestic base. "In my spare time I also like making my own clothes and I've made curtains for the house. I love cooking and trying out different dishes. When I'm at home you'll also find me pottering around in the garden because that's one of my favourite hobbies. I do a good bit of swimming in the sea. But playing music tops everything that I love."
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