Biography.guide
Home › People › Musician › Seán Potts
Portrait of Seán Potts

Seán Potts

1930 – 2014

Irish musician

Musician FlautistUilleann piper
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Seán Potts

Lived 1930 – 2014 (aged 83). Seán Potts was an Irish musician, flautist and uilleann piper.

Seán Desmond Potts (5 October 1930 – 11 February 2014) was an Irish musician. He was best known for his tin whistle playing and his long history with The Chieftains (from 1962 to 1979).

Early life Potts was born in The Liberties, Dublin, on 5 October 1930. He was a nephew of the fiddle player Tommie Potts.

With The Chieftains Potts was a founding member of The Chieftains. He was great friends with fellow band member and whistle player Paddy Moloney, and they often went around Dublin playing in sessions and gigging during the 1950s. In November 1962, Potts helped form The Chieftains. He briefly left the group in 1968 for a contract with Gael-Linn Records but returned to play for the band soon after. He was primarily a whistle player, although he also played the bodhrán and bones. He played with the band until 1979, when the pressures of the music scene (and touring) prompted him to leave the band for an easier life.

Other bands Before The Chieftains, Potts was an original member of Seán Ó Riada's group "Ceoltoirí Chualann".

Personal life Seán and his wife Bernadett had four children.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
Seán Desmond Potts, Sean Potts, Sean Desmond Potts

People in Seán Potts's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Seán Potts's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Seán Potts?

Irish musician (1930-2014)

When was Seán Potts born?

Seán Potts was born on 5 October 1930 in Dublin.

When did Seán Potts die?

Seán Potts died on 11 February 2014.

What was Seán Potts's occupation?

Seán Potts was a musician, flautist and uilleann piper.

What nationality was Seán Potts?

Seán Potts was Irish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Seán Potts

· Wikidata: Q1295430

· DBpedia: Seán Potts

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Seán Potts. https://biography.guide/sean-potts/

MLA: "Seán Potts." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sean-potts/.

Chicago: "Seán Potts." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sean-potts/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:21 UTC