Susan Motherway is a performer of both Irish traditional and classical music. She was awarded the Donal 'Doc' Gleeson Award by UCC and the Bank of Ireland Endeavour Award for performance. Her instruments include concertina and concert flute.

 

Having been taught by Kerry's best traditional musicians, Michelle O'Sullivan and Anne McAuliffe, Susan became a performer with Siamsa Tire The National Folk Theatre of Ireland based in Tralee. In time, like her teachers, she became immersed in both the North Kerry and Sliabh Luachra music repertoires which are on her doorstep. She has since added many radio and television appearances to her credit including TG4's traditional music programme Geantraí. 

 

Susan's classical flute training has made her a favoured performer at weddings and formal events in the county (see the programme below). She also enjoys performing in orchestral and choral ensembles. Indeed, she has accompanied the Kerry Choral Union on many occasions, including their recording for RTÉ Drivetime. 

 

Susan also likes to mix it up! This has led to her performance of crossover classical and traditional music including Mícheál Ó Suilleabháin's 'Between Worlds Suite' performed in the National Concert Hall and RTÉ, Bill Whelan's Seville Suite when it premiered in Siamsa Tíre, Tralee and Budapest, and John Cage's Scottish Circus (with Irish musicians) at the Barbican Centre, London. This bi-musicality is also evident in her approach to music education. 

 

She has recently undertaken creative director roles. These projects included "Their Memory Will Endure", a production staged at Siamsa Tíre on February 25th  2023 to commemorate the Civil War in Kerry, "Into Light" a production celebrating the arts in MTU at the Island of Geese Tralee on September 22nd, 2023, and a programme of events to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of Teach Siamsa Finuge, July 6-7th, 2024.

 

She will perform at the Sheahan Cottage in Finuge, North Kerry with Sheila Garry and Matt Griffin on October 12th, 2024 as part of the Architecture Kerry Festival.