WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) today congratulated Seamus Connolly of North Yarmouth for receiving a prestigious 2013 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship. Mr. Connolly earned the fellowship for his accomplishments and excellence in traditional Irish fiddle music. He will travel to Washington, D.C. with this year’s eight other fellows in late September for an awards ceremony at the Library of Congress and will perform in concert at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium.

“NEA fellowships are the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and Seamus’s accomplishments as an Irish fiddler demonstrate a deep and sincere passion for sharing music in celebration of the rich Irish cultural heritage it represents. Maine is lucky to have him as a member of our diverse and talented artisan community,” Senator King said.  

Mr. Connolly was born in Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1976 to the Boston area where he taught a variety of regional styles of Irish fiddling. Prior to being named a 2013 NEA National Heritage fellow, he was a ten-time winner of the Irish National Fiddle Championship, the 2002 Tradition Musician of the Year by The Irish Echo, and was awards the 2013 Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his outstanding contributions American culture and society.

More information about the NEA National Heritage Fellowship and this year’s recipients can be found here.

###