Dan is well regarded and respected within Irish traditional music circles. He is especially recognized for his dedication to old-school regional styles.
He plays the single-row melodeon and the two-row button accordion, favoring an old-fashioned, “push-and-draw” technique — producing a rhythmic, choppy, staccato style well suited for ceili dancers. His repertoire reflects his love for the traditional music of Counties Kerry, Clare, and Galway. Reviewers often note that his playing focuses on steady, danceable tempos rather than modern, frantic speed.
He has recorded with some legendary figures in the genre, including master fiddlers Kevin Burke and Séamus McGuire, and banjo player Brian McGrath.
His five studio albums — including The Last Pint and An Teachín Gorm (The Blue Cottage) — have received positive reviews from leading folk publications like Scotland’s The Living Tradition, The Irish Times and Irish Music Magazine. Tracks from his albums have been played on prominent radio programs, such as Ireland’s The Rolling Wave on RTÉ Radio 1 and on the much loved but now defunct Thistle & Shamrock here in the U.S. He has toured with various groups in the US, Canada, Ireland, and Germany.
Listen to some of his music here on his website.