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Kevin and Ron speak with Caoimhín Mac
Aoidh and Glenn Hendrix, co‑authors of Islands of Fiddlers, a book documenting the musical and historical ties between Donegal and Beaver
Island. The conversation explores how the Donegal fiddle tradition crossed the Atlantic, how it endured through players like Patrick Bonner, and how two scholars — one from Ireland, one from Michigan — came together to preserve that story.

Throughout the episode, both guests share
tunes that illustrate the tradition they’ve spent years studying. The show
concludes with a short bonus segment following the credits.

Link for Book: donegalfiddlemusic.ie

Caoimhín Mac Aoidh is a fiddle player and uilleann piper with a strong focus on the Donegal fiddle tradition. He was fortunate enough to meet, play with and collect from many of the older generation of master Donegal fiddlers. He is a founding member of Cairdeas na bhFidléirí, the award winning organisation which has been promoting Donegal fiddle music for nearly half a century. Caoimhín has written eight books on Irish fiddle music, again mainly focussed on the Donegal tradition. He has toured, lectured, taught and broadcast widely. He was a regular columnist with Fiddler Magazine. In his studies of the Donegal fiddle tradition he came to be aware of the playing and history of Patrick Bonner of Beaver Island and Patrick's important Donegal connections. Arising from that he had the pleasure of working with Glenn Hendrix on publishing Islands of Fiddlers.

Glenn Hendrix is a fiddler interested in Michigan’s rich fiddle traditions. He has played for square and contra dances all over Michigan and for dances at Holy Cross Hall on Beaver Island. Glenn has collected many Michigan fiddle tunes and co-wrote Michigan Jamboree, a book of these tunes. He also wrote Songs of Beaver Island, an article with background stories and transcriptions of over twenty songs composed on or about Beaver Island.