Research & Interests

Publications include contributions to The Companion to Irish Traditional Music (ed. Vallely, 2012), Ancestral Imprints (Ed. Smith, 2012), The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland (ed. White and Boydell, 2013), Spacing Ireland (Crowley and Linehan, 2013), New Crops Old Fields (ed. Caldwell and Byers, 2016) and How Popular Culture Travels (ed. Mikowski and Philippe, 2019). Daithí has also contributed to the Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland, Ethnomusicology Ireland, Sonas, Musicology Review, The Yearbook for Traditional Music, Popular Music, Estudios Irlandeses, Journal of Music, Technology & Education, Musicology Research and the International Encyclopedia of Human Geography.

Selected Outputs
Selected PublicationsKearney, D. and Commins, A. 2023. Much More Than ‘Danny Boy’: Bringing Irish Traditional Music to the USA. Ethnomusicology Forum. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411912.2023.2236135
Kearney, D. 2022. Music in Ireland as Religious and Social Practice: The Experience of Pat Ahern. Musicultures 49, 187-212.
Kearney, D. 2022. ‘“They must know me”: Embodied Intertextuality and the Reworking of Local Irish Dance Traditions by Siamsa Tíre’. International Journal for Traditional Arts 3, 1-20.
Köküer, M., Ali-MacLachlan, I., Kearney, D., and Jančovič, P. 2022. Curating And Annotating A Collection Of Traditional Irish Flute Recordings To Facilitate Stylistic Analysis. Advances in Intangible Cultural Heritage. Scientific Research.Kearney, D. 2022. ‘No Longer Second Fiddle: Josephine Keegan’ in Irish Musical Studies 13. Editors: Jennifer O’Connor Madson, Laura Watson and Ita Beausang. Boydell and Brewer.Kearney, D. 2022. ‘Tourism, Touring and Staged Folklore’ in Staged Folklore, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland 1968-1998. Editors: Susan Motherway and John O’Connell. Cork: Cork University Press, pp. 27-45.Kearney, D. and Burns, K. 2022. ‘Come Enjoy the Craic: Locating an Irish Traditional Music Festival in Drogheda’ in Festivals and the City: The Contested Geographies of Urban Events. Editors: Andrew Smith, Guy Osborn and Bernadette Quinn. London: University of Westminster Press, pp. 231-248.Kearney, D. 2021. ‘Performing Local Music: Engaging with Regional Musical Identities Through Higher Education and Research’ in Musical Spaces: Place, Performance, and Power. Editors: James Williams and Samuel Horlor. Jenny Stanford Publishing, pp. 85-113.Kearney, D. 2021. ‘Forging The Dance: The Expression of Regionality in Irish Folk Theatre’, Timbres of Identity: Ethnomusicological Approaches to Music-Dance and Identity. Turkey: Association of Ethnomusicology, pp. 39-57.
Kearney, D. 2021. Port na bPucaí: Representations of solitude, isolation and otherworldly encounters in Irish poetry and folk theatre. Confluente, pp. 89-105.Kearney, D., Commins, A. and McGuinness, P., 2021. Virtual Musicking During COVID-19: Maintaining a Music Ensemble Community. Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing, 11. Kearney, D., 2021. Creative Arts, Discovery and Empathy: Sharing Creativity and Exploration in Education. ETBI Journal of Education, 3(1), pp.27-32.Kearney, D., & Commins, A., 2021. ‘The World is our Oyster: The Benefits of International Experiences in Higher Education’. All Ireland Journal of Higher Education, 13(1). Kearney, D., 2020. Soundscapes. In: Kobayashi, A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2nd edition. vol. 12, Elsevier, pp. 297–304. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102295-5.10867-4
Kearney, D. 2020. ‘More than Buzzing Bluebottles: New Contexts for Céilí Bands in Ireland’ in Liz Doherty and Fintan Vallely (Eds) Ó Cos go Cluas: From Dancing to Listening; Proceedings of the 2012 North Atlantic Fiddle Convention Aberdeen: Elphinstone Institute, pp. 126-135.
Kearney, D. 2019. ‘Studio Trad: Facilitating traditional music experiences for music production students’ with Adèle Commins, Journal of Music, Technology & Education 11(3), pp. 301-318.
Kearney, D. 2019. 'From Tralee to Times Square: Siamsa Tíre on Broadway', How Popular Culture Travels: Cultural Exchanges between Ireland and the United States. Eds. Sylvie Mikowski and Yann Philippe. Reims: EPURE. Pp. 60-92.Kearney, D. 2019. ‘Curating and annotating a collection of traditional Irish flute recordings to facilitate stylistic analysis’ with Münevver Köküer, Islah Ali-MacLachlan, and Peter Jančovič, International Journal on Digital Libraries, 20(1), 107-121.
Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Listening for Tradition: Contributing to a Regional Musical Identity Through Higher Education and Research’ Musicology Research Series 4(2) 'Geography, Music, Space': 387-424.
Kearney, D. 2017. ‘Reliving Island Life: Staging Stories of the Blasket Islands’ Estudios Irlandeses 12(2), pp.73-90.
Kearney, D. 2017. ‘Capturing the Moment and Replaying the Tape: Developing Technology-Enhanced Strategies for Student Learning and Engagement in Music Performance at Third Level’ in Teachers as learners: exploring the impact of accredited professional development on learning and assessment in Irish Higher Education. Ed.  Maguire, M., Harding, N., Noonan, G. & O’Connor, T. Dublin: AISHE, pp.48-57.Kearney, D. 2016. ‘Revisiting Samhain: Two Directions on a Theme’ in New Crops, Old Fields: (Re)imagining Irish Folklore ed. Conor Caldwell and Eamon Byers. Peter Lang, pp. 99-124.Köküer M, Kearney D, Ali-MacLachlan I, Jančovič P, Athwal C.  2014. Towards the creation of digital library content to study aspects of style in Irish traditional music. 1st International Workshop on Digital Libraries for Musicology. 1:1-3.
Kearney, D. 2013. ‘The evolution of Irish folk theatre’ In: R. Amoêda, S. Lira and C. Pinheiro (Eds) Sharing Cultures 2013: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Intangible Heritage (Lisbon: Greenlines Institute, 2013), pp. 117-128.
Kearney, D. 2013. ‘‘Traditional Irish music here tonight’: Exploring the session space’ in Spacing Ireland: place, culture and society ed. Caroline Crowley and Denis Linehan. Manchester University Press, pp. 171-182.Kearney, D. 2013. ‘Regions, regionality and regionalization in Irish traditional music: the role of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’. Ethnomusicology Ireland 2/3. pp. 72-94.
Kearney, D. 2012. ‘Beyond location: The relevance of regional identities in Irish traditional music’ in Sonas pp. 1-20.Kearney, D. 2012. ‘Radio and regions in Irish traditional music’ in Ancestral Imprints: Histories of Irish Traditional Music and Dance ed. Therese Smith. Cork University Press, pp. 128-140.Kearney, D. 2011. ‘Reconstructing regional identities in Irish traditional music: Festivals’ In: R. Amoêda, S. Lira and C. Pinheiro (Eds) Sharing Cultures 2011: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Intangible Heritage Lisbon: Greenlines Institute, p. 435-442.

Review ArticlesKearney, D. 2023. ‘Review: Celtic Music and Dance In Cornwall by Lea Hagmann’, Anthropological Journal of European Cultures.Kearney, D. 2023. ‘Handbook of Niche Tourism by Novelli, Marina, Cheer, Joseph M., Dolezal, Claudia, Jones, Adam, & Milano, Claudio’ International Journal of Tourism Policy. Kearney, D. and Bellew, S. ‘Review: The Rose in the Gap’, Journal of the County Louth Archaeological and Historical Society 2019.Kearney, D. 2017. ‘Review: The Irish Dancing: Cultural Politics and Identities, 1900–2000. By Barbara O'Connor’. Popular Music, 36(2), 334-335. Kearney, D. 2016. ‘Review: Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690–1840: The Music.’ Yearbook for Traditional Music 48: 231-232.
Selected Compositions·        Brigid’s Cloak. 2019. 3’36’’. Song and Instrumental. For the Choir of St Brigid’s Church, Dunleer. Recorded in 2021 with funding from Creative Ireland and Louth County Council.·        The Oriel March. 2019. 10’31’’. Orchestral Arrangement. Commission for the Oriel Traditional Orchestra funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Selected Recordings·        Oidhreacht Eochaille with Ceolta Sí (2020). Banjo, vocals, composer, arranger.·        A Louth Lilt with Adèle Commins (2017). Own Label. Banjo, mandolin, mandola, keys.·        Midleton Rare with John Cronin (2012) Own Label, Banjo.
Selected Conference Presentations and Guest LecturesKearney, D. and Malone, L. 2023. Sounding out the Story: Animated Myth and Music in Cartoon Saloon’s Irish Folklore Trilogy. Society for Musicology in Ireland Annual Plenary, Technological University Dublin, 9 June 2023.Malone, L. and Kearney, D. 2023. Reworking Sound and Story: Animated Myth and Music in Cartoon Saloon’s Irish Folklore Trilogy. Irish Screen Studies Seminar, Trinity College Dublin, 12 May. Kearney, D. 2023. Balancing Time: Seeing the past, present, future and other time in the productions of Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, Irish Society for Theatre Research, University of Galway, 5-6 May. Kearney, D. 2023. Idir Eatarthu, Idir Dhá Linn: Understanding time in the productions of Siamsa Tíre, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, University of Galway, 24 February.Kearney, D. 2022. Virtual bothántaíocht: Siamsa Tíre’s ‘Sounds Like Folk’ Podcast Series. ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, DkIT, 26 February.Kearney, D. 2021. A Need for Pied-Pipers?: Making Connections in Community Arts. Society for Music Education in Ireland Conference. 6 November.Kearney, D. 2021. Constructing Sliabh Luachra Through Music, Monuments and Memory. Music, Monuments, and Memory Symposium, The Centre for Death and Life Studies, Durham University, 13 November. Kearney, D. 2021. My Brigadoon Moment: Distinguishing Between Heritage and Tradition in Fochabers [Conference Presentation]. NAFCo 25 June.Kearney, D. 2021. Transatlantic Trad: Performing Ireland in 1970s America. With Adèle Commins. American Conference for Irish Studies Ulster University 2-5 June.Kearney, D. 2021. A Blackbird in Seville: Reworking Steps from the North Kerry Tradition. SMI and ICTM Ireland Joint Annual Conference. Trinity College Dublin, 30 May.Kearney, D. 2020.Representing Endings: The raison d'etre of folk theatre? Annual Conference Anthropological Association of Ireland, Dublin City University, 27 November.Kearney, D. 2020. Forging the Dance: The Expression of Regionality in Irish Folk Theatre’ Symposium: Music/Dance and Identity: Timbres of the Danube, Association of Ethnomusicology Turkey, Bursa, Turkey, 4 October.Kearney, D. 2020. ‘Come Enjoy the Craic: Locating an Irish traditional music festival in Drogheda’, Symposium: Festivals and the city: the festivalisation of public space, University of Westminster RGS-IBG Symposium sponsored by the Geographies of Leisure & Tourism Research Group. 1st September.Kearney, D.  2020. ‘They must know me’: Reflecting on Siamsa Tíre’s representation of Irish culture for international audiences, ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, UCC, 21 February.Kearney, D. 2020. ‘Gone in Jig Time: A Critical Study of the DkIT Traditional Music Ensemble’ with Adèle Commins, Society for Music Education in Ireland Annual Conference, DCU, 24 January.Kearney, D.  2020. ‘New Notes: Sharing Research and Practice with the Oriel Traditional Orchestra and Ceolta Sí’, with Adèle Commins, Society for Music Education in Ireland Annual Conference, DCU, 24 January.Kearney, D.  2019. ‘Songs Across the Atlantic: Gaining International Perspectives Through TEL’ with Mahlon Grass, EdTech, Dundalk Institute of Technology, 30 May.Kearney, D.  2019. ‘Sharing STEAM through TEL’ with Adèle Commins, Ronan Lynch and Conor Walsh, EdTech, Dundalk Institute of Technology, 30 May.Kearney, D.  2019. ‘Understanding our world through Opera: Increasing children’s engagement with climate change through cross-cultural collaboration’, with Janne Robberstad, 7th EUGEO Congress in conjunction with the 51st Conference of Irish Geographers, NUI Galway, 15 May.Kearney, D.  2019. ‘Researching and performing the Oriel Region’ with Adèle Commins, ICTM Ireland Annual Conference, UCD, 22 February.Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Folklore on Stage: Fifty Years of Summer Productions by Siamsa Tíre’, Béaloideas Na hÉireann / Irish Folklore Seimineáir Iarchéime / Graduate Seminars 2018-2019, University College Dublin, 20 November.Kearney, D.  2018. ‘The Changing Geography of Irish Traditional Music’, FUAIM Lecture Series, University College Cork, 8 November.Kearney, D.  2018. ‘To Stay or Leave: Revisiting Creative Outputs Through a Feminist Lens’, Sounding the Feminists Symposium: Women in Popular & Traditional Music in Ireland, 23 November.Kearney, D.  2018. ‘Scottish Overtones: the influence of Scottish musical traditions on Irish fiddle player Josephine Keegan’ North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, University of Aberdeen, July.Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Grappling with ‘Celtic’: William Marshall’s 21st Century Struggles’. Society for Musicology in Ireland Annual Plenary, CIT Cork School of Music, 16 June.Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Entertainment of the Land: Community and Regionality in Irish Folk Theatre’. ISTR Annual Conference: Regions, Ruins and Regeneration, University of Lincoln, 5 June.Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Tourism, Touring and Staged Folklore: Constructing an Identity for Consumers’ Staged Folklore - The National Folk Theatre of Ireland 1968 - 1998. Siamsa Tíre / Institute of Technology Tralee, 11 May.Kearney, D. 2018. ‘Sounding Louth: Listening for Identity in the Traditional Music of Louth’. The Conference of Irish Geographers, Maynooth University, 10 May.Kearney, D.  2018. ‘The relevance of regional identities in traditional music today and implications for teaching’ Pedagogies, Practices And The Future Of Folk Music In Higher Education Conference, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, 18 - Saturday 20 January.