Barry Kerr

Biography

Barry Kerr is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and visual artist from Lough Neagh in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, now based in Dublin. Steeped in the traditions of the island, he recorded his first solo album at seventeen and went on to tour the world as both a solo performer and collaborative artist. His work spans traditional Irish music, original songwriting, and visual art — a rare combination that positions him as one of Ireland's most distinctive creative voices.

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Kerr served as Artist in Residence at Belfast's Duncairn Centre for Culture and Arts, playing a central role in shaping that city's cultural revival. He has shared stages with artists including Cara Dillon, Steve Cooney, Julie Fowlis, Dervish, and Pauline Scanlon. His compositions have been taken up by acclaimed folk acts including Karan Casey, Flook, Beoga, Brian Finnegan, Damian O'Kane, and Kate Rusby — a testament to the reach and quality of his writing. He was traditional musician in residence at University College Cork (UCC) in 2023.

In 2020, Kerr received the inaugural Liam O'Flynn Award from the National Concert Hall and the Arts Council of Ireland, the country's premier recognition for individual creativity in traditional music. That award led directly to his album Cairn (2020), shaped in part by research into Liam O'Flynn's archive at the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA). His discography also includes Castor Bay (2018), a duet album of traditional song, flute, uilleann pipes, and fiddle with his sister Laura Kerr and guitarist Donogh Hennessy, and Boy in a Boat (2015), a collection of original songs. His interdisciplinary film Fuascail aired on TG4 in December 2022, exploring the relationship between visual art and musical performance.

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Fun Facts

• Received the inaugural Liam O'Flynn Award from Ireland's National Concert Hall in 2020 — the first musician ever to hold it.
• His compositions are performed by major folk acts (Beoga, Flook, Kate Rusby) who include them in their own touring sets — meaning his music tours the world without him.
• His film Fuascail, exploring the intersection of visual art and music, was broadcast on Irish-language TV channel TG4 in December 2022.
• He served as Artist in Residence at the Duncairn Centre in Belfast — a venue credited with helping revitalize Belfast's cultural scene — for several years.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Liam O'Flynn - Inspirational figure; Kerr researched O'Flynn's archive at ITMA after receiving the award named in his honor, shaping the Cairn album

Key Collaborators

• Laura Kerr - Sister; co-performed on Castor Bay (2018) — traditional song, flute, uilleann pipes, and fiddle (Castor Bay (2018))
• Donogh Hennessy - Guitarist on Castor Bay (2018) (Castor Bay (2018))
• Cara Dillon - Touring collaborator [2000s–2010s]
• Steve Cooney - Stage collaborator [2000s–2010s]
• Pauline Scanlon - Traditional singing project collaborator [2010s]
• Julie Fowlis - Stage collaborator [2010s]

Artists Influenced

• Karan Casey - Performs Kerr compositions in touring repertoire
• Brian Finnegan - Performs Kerr compositions in touring repertoire
• Damian O'Kane - Performs Kerr compositions in touring repertoire

External Links

• Spotify