Bio

Pat Hargan is a singer and guitarist based in the Dordogne department of southwest France. Before moving to France in 2021, he lived in Galway in the west of Ireland, where he performed with a wide variety of musicians and bands, in styles ranging from traditional and folk music to rock and country. His professional experience includes gigs and festivals, weddings and funerals, musicals and stage shows, recording sessions and international tours.

Pat’s musical adventure began in childhood, when, as a chorister, he took part in concert tours to several European countries. He took lessons on the recorder and violin before falling under the spell of the guitar. After reading Classics at Oxford, Pat spent a few years in London before moving to Ireland in 2001. He spent a year studying music technology at the University of Limerick.

Pat’s song repertoire is based on the classic folk and rock songs of the 1960s and 1970s, but also includes his own original compositions, traditional songs, country and blues, and the odd French song. Although he performs principally as a singer and guitarist (with harmonica), he also plays tenor banjo as part of the Irish trad band Banish Misfortune.

Pat has a DipABRSM in guitar teaching and teaches guitar privately and online with Athenry Music School in Ireland. He has also taught traditional banjo with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí na hÉireann.

PAST PROJECTS

Moonfish Theatre

Pat was sound designer on Moonfish’s production Star of the Sea, including two tours of Ireland and one in the USA. He co-produced the CD featuring music from the show, on which he also performed and did musical arrangements.

In 2019 he performed at the Galway International Arts Festival and at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, in the follow-up show Redemption Falls, which he took part in devising with the rest of the ensemble.

Branar

Pat was a cast member and musician on an Irish tour of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and played guitar on Irish and Welsh tours of Clann Lir.

Tradiohead

Pat was a member of this well-loved trad-prog crossover band, which reimagined the songs of Radiohead through the lens of Irish traditional music. The band gigged regularly in Galway and Dublin, and made two appearances at the Electric Picnic festival.

Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola

Pat played on the 2002 album An Raicín Álainn by the sean-nós singer Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, alongside such celebrated Irish musicians as Máire Breatnach and Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonagh.