Damaris Woods



Born in Luton into a family with strong Irish links, sister and brother Damaris Woods and Jim Woods are part of a ‘golden generation' of young musicians playing Irish traditional music in England. Both have enjoyed success in the highly-competitive Fleadh Cheoil competitions and are regarded as being in the top flight of Irish instrumental musicians.

 

Damaris is a leading banjo player who featured in the ‘banjo extravaganza' on RTE television's renowned ‘Late Late Show' along with the likes of Barney McKenna of the Dubliners and Gerry O'Connor.

 

Now living in County Meath, Damaris is also well-known as a teacher she teaches over 140 students on a viriety of different instruments and has put together what's thought to be the world's biggest banjo band, ‘The Damaris Woods Banjo Minstrels', featuring twenty young banjo players and ten other musicians, all of them her students. They've got rave receptions at two major Irish banjo festivals in Cavan and Longford in 2007.

Damaris, Jim and guitarist and singer Gerry Tully have also toured internationally as the band Coisir. Their debut album ‘On the Right Track' was regarded as one of the outstanding releases of 2004.