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Clareen hand built Irish Banjos at Eagle Music

The Clareen Banjos Story

Where The Passion Comes From
Tom Cussen plays tenor banjo in one of Irelands leading traditional ceilí band Shaskeen which was formed in London in 1970. Irish Traditional Music was at it’s peakin London at this time. Shaskeen restarted in Galway, Ireland in 1972 and in the next 10 years or so often played up to 6 nights a week with one night off to recover, if they were lucky.

Tom, a native of County Limerick, moved to Galway in 1967 when he was offered a job in the university as a trainee engineer. Shaskeen was reformed and they went on to record several albums in the 70s and 80s.

Opening Clareen Banjos
Tom looked after his own banjo repairs and wanted to manufacture Irish Handcrafted Banjos, so he opened Clareen Banjos in the early 80s. It was and is still based in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway. Tom’s passion for the banjo and his electro mechanical background has helped him to develop a range of banjos that uniquely compliment every level of playing skill.

The Family Business
Tom’s son Fintan has worked in Clareen Banjos for the past 10 years. Together they have established Clareen Banjos as the leading manufacturer of banjos in Ireland. They are continuously working to bring new and innovative elements to their banjo to improve it’s quality and tone/playability.