A look at some upcoming Irish/Celtic music-related events in Greater Boston and nearby

•No mathematicians were consulted in the writing of this column, but here’s a confluence of events that would seem to defy the odds: a father and a son, both Scottish fiddlers who live thousands of miles away from one another, just happen to have gigs with their respective duos in the Boston area around mid-October.

Yes, it’s true: Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas will play at The Burren Brian O’Donovan Legacy Series on October 16 and the Groton Hill Music Center on October 19, while San Miguel Fraser – Alasdair’s son Galen and Galen’s wife Maria San Miguel – are at Club Passim in Harvard Square on October 17. It’s worth noting that San Miguel Fraser is based in Spain, and given the complexity in arranging international tours, happening to land a date when and where they did is a nice twist of fate.

“It’s a wee bit of a coincidence right enough,” said Alasdair by email, “but we couldn’t resist making it official”: The duos will pair up, though not locally – they’ll both be at Next Stage Arts in Putney, Vt., on Oct. 20. Still, he adds, “who knows what else might transpire during that October period.” 

Alasdair is one of the leading Scottish fiddlers of the past few decades, and Haas has been a foundational figure in the use of cello in various forms of traditional music. In their duets, the two exchange riffs, trade off melody versus rhythm, and otherwise converse in various tones of emotion and intensity, drawing on Scottish and other Celtic traditions, as well as elements of Scandinavian, Breton, American, classical, jazz, and other music forms. In 2020, they marked their 20th anniversary with the release of their sixth album, “Syzygy,” consisting of original compositions.

San Miguel Fraser brings together Galen’s modern, multi-influenced Celtic fiddling (he also plays cittern) – which he’s showcased as part of Soulsha and the Atlantic Folk Trio (Fraser and San Miguel with guitarist Jesus Enrique Cuadrado) – and San Miguel’s store of ebullient Spanish fiddle traditions, notably those of Galicia, Castilla, the Basque country, Cantabria and flamenco from the south. Their 2023 debut album, “Dots of Light,” presents these elements, as well as their own compositions, with a chamber music-like vibe.

•Also at Club Passim will be Casey Murray and Molly Tucker on Oct. 10. Tucker, a fiddler from California, and Rochester, NY, native Murray – a cellist who also plays guitar and banjo – bring together Celtic, New England, and old-time elements in a way that is as danceable as it is listenable (they’ve played in both kinds of settings), with a quiet yet potent energy and an unmistakable groove. The duo, frequent performers at BCMFest and Passim as well as stalwarts of the contra dance circuit, have recorded an album, “After the Sky Weeps.”

•One of the most popular and wonderfully ubiquitous Irish musicians of his generation, John Carty, will be at Boston College’s Gaelic Roots Series on October 17 and the O’Donovan Legacy Series in the Burren on October 23. A former TG4 “Traditional Musician of the Year,” Carty – who is masterful on fiddle, banjo, tenor guitar and mandolin – has played with so many notable musicians: Arty McGlynn, Andy Irvine, Kevin Burke, Alec Finn, Matt Molloy, The Chieftains, De Dannan, to name a few. He has an equally impressive recording portfolio that includes solo releases as well as an assortment of collaborations (such as the irresistible At the Racket) of varied sounds and settings. He was even on the soundtrack for the 2015 Saoirse Ronan film “Brooklyn.” His 2023 release with Michael McGoldrick, “At Our Leisure,” includes classic session favorites (“Plains of Boyle,” “Star of Munster,” “Gold Ring”) as well as less widely familiar ones and a fascinating rendition of the old-timey tune “Gypsy Princess.” Carty will be accompanied by guitar and bouzouki player Alan Murray, who was a denizen of Boston’s Celtic music scene for several years.

•Greater Boston’s resident uilleann pipes virtuoso Joey Abarta will give a concert at the Canadian American Club in Watertown on Oct. 5 . Abarta’s skill on the pipes, honed through his relationships with master pipers, has been recognized with the top prize at the 2014 An tOireachtas – the first such achievement for an American-born piper in more than four decades – and a traditional arts apprenticeship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He’s recorded two solo albums, last year’s “King of the Blind” and “Swimming Against the Falls,” and with Nathan Gourley as the duo Copley Street. 

•Local fiddler Jenna Moynihan has joined up with acclaimed Scottish band Breabach on its current US tour, which will include a stop at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville on Oct. 7 . Moynihan took interest in Scottish fiddle as a child, and has since broadened her horizons to include Irish and American music, playing solo and with artists such as Hanneke Cassel and harpist Mairi Chaimbeul. Breabach mine their material from Scots tradition – including Gaelic language songs – as well as contemporary sources, like Dick Gaughan, and their own pens. They’ve undertaken fascinating collaborations, such as with Quebecois band Le Vent Du Nord, Cape Breton quartet Beòlach, indigenous Australasian artists Moana & The Tribe, video game composer Big Giant Circles and even award-winning animator Cat Bruce on the soundtrack for her short film, “Dùsgadh.” In 2022, they released their seventh album “Fàs” and were selected as “Folk Band of the Year” by the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.

•The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston in Canton will host a return appearance by singer-songwriter duo Trevor Sexton and Ger O’Donnell on October 8. They play traditional and original material, with compelling vocals and multi-instrumental accompaniment. Sexton counts Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Pete Seeger among his influences, and leans on a storyteller’s style in creating his songs. A music educator, arranger and composer, O’Donnell started out on classical flute and fife before finding his calling as a crafter of songs – his singles “Turquoise Ink” and “Talk About Heroes” both reached number 1 in the Irish charts. Sexton and O’Donnell were featured by TG4 in its broadcast of last year’s Fleadh Cheoil and have appeared in concert with Cherish the Ladies.

•It might be a little spare in furnishings, but the Gore Place Carriage Barn in Waltham is an awfully cozy, homey sort of place to sit and listen to music, especially of the Irish/Celtic variety, and there are two opportunities to do so this month. On October 9, fiddler Laurel Martin and Friends make what has now become an annual October visit to the Carriage Barn. In addition to performing, Martin – who plays a lyrical, almost meditative style, influenced by the Clare, Galway and Sligo traditions – has also been an invaluable teacher and mentor to young fiddle players; last year, she received her third Massachusetts Cultural Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant, which supports intergenerational learning.  At Gore Place, she’ll be supported by guitarist Jim Prendergast, multi-instrumentalist Mark Roberts and dancer Kieran Jordan. All four are individually accomplished and heralded performers in traditional Irish music and have often joined forces in various configurations or as part of other collaborations. Martin, Roberts and Jordan, for example, often appeared with the fiddle ensemble Childsplay, while Prendergast has played alongside Martin and Roberts at BCMFest.

On October 30, there’s the New England Irish Harp Orchestra , a multi-generational group of harpists who play Irish traditional tunes, slow airs, and songs in various combinations as well as a full ensemble – including with fiddlers, flutists, and singers. Last year, members of NEIHO toured Ireland, giving concerts in Stradbally, Killarney, Tralee, Salthill and Doolin. The group has released four albums.

•A couple of participatory-type gatherings of note also take place this month. The Canadian American Club in Watertown will be the place for a Fall Family Ceilidh on Oct. 12, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. It’s an all-ages, no-experience-necessary affair, and all dances will be taught. There’ll be live music, led by local fiddler Josie Coyne, and co-hosts are Lisa Chaplin McAllister, Rebecca McGowan and Jackie O’Riley. For more information, contact O’Riley.

Country Dance Society of Boston and Great Meadows Morris and Sword will present an Irish ceilidh and concert on Oct. 25 from 7-10 p.m. at the Concord Scout House, featuring an appearance by the Tigh Na Coille Music Troupe from County Clare. The group is comprised of young musicians under the direction of fiddler Denis Liddy and his wife, accordionist Elvie Miller, a New Hampshire native who grew up in the New England music tradition. Jackie O’Riley will call the dances.