Renowned Flute Player
Peter Horan

                                                                          
                                                                      Grand Master of the South Sligo Style
Renowned Sligo flute & fiddle player, Peter Horan, lived, worked, and played around County Sligo for most of his adult life. For over 30 years he played alongside his best friend and fellow Killavil man, fiddle player, Fred Finn. They recorded numerous LPs together and Peter appeared on many TV & radio shows, as well as recordings with numerous other traditional players.
Peter Horan toured America many times and was sought after as a teacher of his unique style, at major festivals around the world, as well as county & national Fleadh Cheoils, at home in Ireland. In 2002, he was bestowed with the ‘Irish Music’ - Hall of Fame Award. In 2009, St. Angela’s College Sligo and NUI Galway, recognised and honoured Peter Horan with an Honorary Master of Music.
Peter was passionate about his music, ever since he began playing at the age of 12. He just loved to play and rarely turned down an invitation to play. anytime. He was a man of endless energy, who could function on 2 hours sleep, and then do a full day’s work at the local creamery. On one occasion, Peter and Fred were playing a session in the local village pub, which as per usual, went on rather late. At the end of the session, they were invited to play at a family reunion party in a local house. The duo, without hesitation, agreed, and off they went. As Peter described it, “There was lots of whiskey and poteen (Irish moonshine) and as much food as any man could eat. But the best part of all – the music was mighty”. Hours later as they were heading for home, with the sun well up, Fred turns to Peter and said, “Well you know Peter, isn’t there a great stretch in the evenings”. This just illustrates how simple things were in the West of Ireland in those days.
With his natural style of playing, firmly rooted in the local Sligo tradition, Peter Horan is regarded the last exponent of the unique ‘South Sligo Style’ following closely in the footsteps of the great international fiddle players. They would be Michael Coleman and James Morrison, both from Killavil, just 3 miles outside the famous music village of Gorteen, near Ballymote in County Sligo.
I spent a good few sessions playing some tunes with Peter. And apart from not knowing what day I’d eventually get home, I always found him to be an absolute gentleman, oozing with kindness, helpfulness and above all gentleness. It really didn’t matter how far away he was playing the previous night, how little (if any) sleep he had, he was always at the Killavil Village Hall every Sunday morning after mass, to teach throngs of youngsters both concert flute & fiddle. A true Grand Master musician, who influenced the music of thousands of other traditional musicians around the Globe. County Sligo, Ireland and the world has lost one of its true treasures.

                                                                                                                                                                   O'Doule - Jan. 2022