This July 18th & 19th, Champion fiddlers Seán Heely and Owen Kennedy will be offering a special program of Celtic Fiddle & Song, featuring haunting slow airs, lively Gaelic songs, mighty pipe marches, and wild twin fiddling at the Maine Celtic Celebration in Belfast, Maine. Over the course of the weekend, there will be entertainment, sporting and kilt contests, terrific music, and more!
More details about workshops and sessions soon!
Seán Heely and Owen Kennedy met at the 2019 Acadia Traditional School of Music & Arts in Bar Harbor, Maine. Inspired by Seán’s workshops and performances at Acadia Trad and Fiddle Hell, Owen was motivated to dive into the Scottish fiddling tradition. With Seán’s mentorship, Owen went on to compete and win both the 2021 Junior US National Scottish Fiddle Championship and the 2022 New England Regional Open Scottish Fiddle Competition. Since then, Owen & Seán have been performing in venues and events across Maine featuring beautiful bouzouki & fiddle duets, haunting slow airs, lively Gaelic songs, mighty pipe marches, and wild twin fiddling. To listen, check out this YouTube playlist.
Most recently, in 2025, Owen and Seán entertained Maine audiences with All-Ireland champion singer & multi-instrumentalist Kevin Elam, including at the Sawyer Memorial Concert Series in Greene and the Vienna Union Hall Concert series along with a stop at the Old White Church Concert Series in Center Tuftonboro, NH. Seán and Owen played a few shows in Maine in May 2023, at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland, for the May Faire in Monmouth, and for an album release event for "Oh When: Now" at the Winthrop United Methodist Church. Here's an article & videos from the 207 show about this tour!
In May 2022, Owen joined Seán and Beth Patterson to perform in Maine at The Hayloft at Dragonfly Barn, with Belfast Flying Shoes at Mermaid Plaza, at Irish Night at Blue in Portland, as part of the Old South Church Concert Series in Farmington, and in their final stop on the May Tour, Bangor Celtic Crossroads. In August, Owen was a guest performer with the Seán Heely Band at the Maine Highland Games and at The Dance Hall in Kittery.
Seán and Owen's first Maine events in 2021 included the Boothbay Railway Festival, tunes at Doolin's Pub, and a show at Searsport Shores.
"We had been looking forward to Celtic Colours this year . . . What a treat to hear Owen and Seán play together! They were as good as anything we've heard at Celtic Colours."
~ audience member from the Boothbay Fall Foliage Festival
