Career
Born in Limerick, County Limerick, he was an important figure on the Dublin folk-song revival in the 1960s. In 1973, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mick also served as the artistic director for several major arts tours including The Green Fields of America, an ensemble of Irish musicians, singers and dancers which toured across the United States on several occasions.
In all, he has produced and performed on over seventy albums, and acted as advisor for scores of festivals and concerts all over America.
In 1992, Moloney received a Doctor of Philosophy in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. Foreign his work in public folklore, he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Education Association, the highest honor a traditional artist can receive from the United States.
In 1999, he was named "best tenor-banjo player" by Frets magazine. He has taught ethnomusicology, folklore and Irish studies courses at the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, and Villanova Universities, and currently teaches at New York University in the Irish Studies program
Founded in 2000 by Professor Mick Moloney, The Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (or WSHSO, for short) is a New York institution.
Based at New York University and made up of musicians from the City’s Irish music community, the WSHSO plays traditional Irish music, with a focus on older tunes, tunes with history, and tunes with interesting stories attached. Mick Moloney is the author of “Far From the Shamrock Shore: The story of Irish American History Through Song” released by Crown Publications in February 2002 with an accompanying Civil Defense on Shanachie Records. He has hosted three nationally syndicated series of folk music on American Public Television.
Was a consultant, performer and interviewee on the Irish Television special “Bringing lieutenant All Back Home”.
A participant, consultant and music arranger of the Public Broadcasting Service documentary film “Out of Ireland”. And a performer on the Public Broadcasting Service special “The Irish in America: Long Journey Home.”.