Bairbre McCarthy Biography

Bairbre grew up in a large family in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland. In 1980, she came to the United States for a summer visit, fell in love, and stayed! She has been happily married to Hank Willems since 1981 and they are the proud parents of Mary and Patrick, who sometimes join their mother in performing. Mary is a fine singer and Irish dancer and Patrick is an accomplished bodhran player.

Bairbre trained as a teacher and is a NYS certified teacher of English, French and Gifted students. 
She has been collecting and writing Irish legends for many years. She performs her stories and presents storytelling classes and workshops throughout the U.S. Her programs have received grants from the NYS Foundation for the Arts and the NYS Council on the Arts.
Since 1991, Bairbre has performed with multi-instrumentalist, Frank Orsini, whose background fiddle and harp tunes enhance her storytelling. 

For more than 20 years, Bairbre has taught Irish Language, first at Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls, NY and currently at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, NY.
 
For the past twelve years, she has taught Irish language and storytelling at the Catskills Irish Arts Week, held each July in East Durham, NY.

In 1987, Bairbre produced an instructional Irish Language booklet and tape, in response to difficulties students encountered with other methods of learning Irish. This is now available on CD with booklet enclosed.
1n 1997, her first book of Irish legends was published by Mercier Press, in Ireland. This dual-language book, with Irish and English on facing pages, is a great introduction to to Irish myths and a bonus for those learning the Irish language. Bairbre has also produced a CD of the stories from this book. Musical accompaniment is provided by Frank Orsini.

In 1998, Mercier Press published Bairbre’s book, “Irish Leprechaun Stories.” 1n 2001, Albatros Publishing House, in Prague in the Czech Republic, published a Czech translation of this book with beautiful illustrations. Czech radio broadcast readings of these stories and organized a children’s art contest, inspired by the readings.

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