About This Show
Leahy, the eight-member brother and sister act from Canada, presents a whirlwind triple threat of fiddle-driven music, dance, and vocals in a co-presentation with the Irish American Cultural Institute. The raven-haired Leahy Clan grew up in Lakefield, Ontario. Ancestor Michael Leahy settled there in 1825 from Ireland and brought with him a deep family musical tradition. Each of the Leahy children learned to play fiddle from their father, while their mother, a champion step-dancer born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, taught them to sing, dance and play piano. As teenagers on break from school or farm work, the siblings gained popularity touring as the “Leahy Family,” traveling across Canada to play at fairs and festivals.
Their recognition increased with the release of a student documentary about the family entitled Leahy: Music Most of All. The film won an Academy Award in 1985 for Best Foreign Student Film.