Pat Ahern (Siamsa Tíre)

Pat Ahern
Pat Ahern in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Pat Ahern
Origin	Moyvane, North Kerry, Ireland
Occupation(s)	Artistic Director

Pat Ahern is an Irish Roman Catholic priest, traditional musician, composer, the founder of Siamsa Tíre, the Irish National Folk Theatre and from 1974–1997 its artistic director and producer of shows throughout Ireland and on three continents.

He was born in 1932 in Leitrim Middle, Moyvane (formerly Newtownsandes), north Kerry into a family immersed in Irish traditional music. His mother played traditional fiddle, as did his cousin Barney Enright of Moyvane. Pat’s brother Seán is a singer and plays the uilleann pipes. Pat learnt the fiddle from his mother, and Irish step-dancing from the famous Kerry dance master Jeremiah Molyneaux. Pat attended primary school in Moyvane (1938–1944), subsequently enrolling at St Michael’s College, Listowel (1944–1948). He studied for the Catholic priesthood at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth National Seminary (1950–1957); while there he studied piano and organ under Charles O'Callaghan. He was ordained in 1957, and that year appointed curate in St. John's Parish Tralee, County Kerry, with special responsibility for liturgical music. There he founded St. John's Gregorian Choir. In 1959 he studied for the B.Mus. degree at University College, Cork under Aloys Fleischmann, with Tilly Fleischmann as his piano teacher. He graduated in 1962. In 1967 he was sent to the Catholic Communications Centre, Booterstown, Dublin, to study Radio and Television production and to set up and direct a Radio Production and Training Unit for clergy and religious. He produced a weekly religious radio programme for RTÉ radio, entitled ‘Network’. Recalled to Kerry in 1973, he was released from parish work by his bishop to devote himself to his work on folk theatre. In 1965 he had founded the group Siamsóirí na Ríochta [Entertainers of the Kingdom] out of which in 1972 developed Siamsa Tíre [Entertainment of the Land], the Folk Theatre of Ireland. Ahern was artistic director until he retired in 1997. He brought the company all over Ireland and travelled the world with it, enchanting audiences wherever they went. He retired in 1997, but continues to organise concerts and stage productions.