Nicholas Carolan comes from Drogheda, Co. Louth. Founding Director of ITMA and following his retirement in 2015 is now Director Emeritus. His distinguished career includes work as a broadcaster, publisher, researcher and writer, most notably as presenter of RTE programme ‘Come West Along the Road’. From 1977 to 1992 he was secretary of the Folk Music Society of Ireland, and lectured on Traditional Irish Music in Trinity college for a period of time. Although retired Nicholas continues to publish and carry out research on various topics of interest in Irish Traditional Music.