President leads the tributes to late fiddler Peoples (70)
RENOWNED fiddle player and composer Tommy Peoples has died aged 70.
Peoples was a talented solo performer and had played with high-profile traditional groups such as The Bothy Band.
He was born in Co Donegal in 1948. His cousin Joe Cassidy taught him how to play the fiddle.
Peoples moved to Dublin in 1965 and became a garda but his involvement in music saw him joining a number of groups.
He eventually moved to Co Clare where he married Mary Linnane, and lived there for more than three decades.
He was named the first TG4 traditional musician of the year in 1998 and in 2013 he won the composer of the year award.
“Tommy Peoples has passed away, on 3rd August 2018,” a note on his website said.
“The most influential fiddler of his generation, and an inspiration to countless musicians worldwide, his compositions were, like his playing style, unique, very personal, and have become part of the tradition.”
Friends and fans have been paying tribute to Peoples on social media, while President Michael D Higgins led the tributes.
“I have learned with great sadness of the death of Tommy Peoples, the renowned Donegal fiddle player and composer,” he said.
“Regarded as a master of his craft, Tommy enchanted audiences at home and abroad with his unique style of music, playing with the Kilfenora Céilí Band, the Bothy Band and many other legendary figures in the world of traditional Irish music.
“Sabina and I send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all those who knew him.”