Patrick "Paahto" Cummins

I'm a tenor banjo, mandolin and guitar player from Dublin specialising in the areas of Irish traditional music and bluegrass. After graduating from University of Limerick's Irish World Academy of Music & Dance in 2013, I co-founded the traditional group Skipper's Alley and went on to record two critically acclaimed albums. In 2018 I joined Dublin-based bluegrass outfit Mules & Men and released two albums with them until we disbanded in 2023. Then I joined the feral-folk band Ispíní na hÉireann in March 2025 and am currently working towards recording their third album. In collaboration with John Francis Flynn, we will be releasing our debut album in 2026 as Paahto & The Bull on the Claddagh Records label.

Outside of bands, I released my debut solo album "Irish Traditional Music from South-West Drimnagh" in 2024 and followed that up one year later with a duet record titled "Traditional Irish Music Played on the 5-string and Benor Banjos" featuring Luke Coffey.

As a session musician I have recorded with a wide array of artists including Antoni O'Breskey, Dubh Lee, Stephen Leeson, The Lines, The Blue Light Smugglers, Mary Grace A. Lee and Trad Nua.

As well as performing and recording, I have a long teaching pedigree with includes affiliations with music schools, private lessons and online courses through The Online Academy of Irish Music. My extensive knowledge and passion for traditional music and music history sees me work regularly on projects involving ITMA (Irish Traditional Music Archive), RTÉ and my own podcast, At the Crossroads.