Career
She lived in Ballydineen, Knockalough, near Kilmihil. Nell Galvin learned to play when she was young. She was taught by Garret Barry, a blind uilleann pipes player from Inagh.
Because Galvin could not decide what was her favourite instrument, he taught her to play on both the fiddle and the concertina.
In 1905 Galvin took part again, this time playing the concertina and the fiddle. In 1937, Nell Galvin was granted an audition for Radio Éireann in Dublin.
This made it possible to broadcast traditional music over 2RN a number of times. Galvin used the effect of droning strings, dissonance and intricate ornamentation in her playing style.
In the mid-1950s, some recordings were made of her music
These recordings are now part of the Raidió Teilifís Éireann-collection at the ITMA in Dublin. The importance of Nell Galvins music is mainly found in history and continuity. She forms a link between the pre-Famine musicians and mentors on one side and the modern day musicians on the other side of the timescale.
Galvin played with most famous Clare traditional musicians, like Mistress
Crotty (concertina), John Kelly (fiddle), Sean Reid, Doctor Bill Loughnane and Willie Clancy (uilleann pipes). They played an unnamed reel, that promptly was baptized "Mrs Galvin"s" by the Band.
Nell Galvin is the namesake of the Nell Galvin Traditional Music Weekend in Moyasta. Nell Galvin, born as Ellen McCarthy, married Moyasta-man Patrick Galvin.
They had two girls and three boys.
