John Kennedy

John, an accordion player, was born in Inwood at the northern tip of Manhattan and raised in Dumont, New Jersey by his father Gerry from Inagh, County Clare and his mother Margaret from Claremorris in Mayo. With his cousin Eileen Clune, John made the long journey from northern New Jersey to Brooklyn regularly to study Irish music with Maureen Glynn and play in youth ceili bands. John’s musical specialty for over two decades has been playing for set dances in New Jersey and New York, and he has also taught the button accordion. He was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Comhaltas Hall of Fame in 2022.