Is as Iorras i gContae Mhaigh Eo do Liam, ceantar atá ar maos le ceol an bhosca ceoil. Is sa bhaile agus é sé bliana d’aois a thosaigh sé ag baint a chéad chúpla port as an mbosca, faoi stiúradh a shin-sheanmháthar. Lean sé air á sheinm ar scoil nó go ndeachaigh sé chuig ranganna leis an sár-cheoltóir David Munnelly. Bhí seanuncail dó (a bhí pósta ar bhean de mhuintir Mhurchú, “The Waivers”, as Sliabh Luachra) ina chónaí i Nua-Eabhrac, agus chuireadh seisean taifid abhaile ar an bpost, The Star Above the Garter ina measc.

Sna déaga dó, casadh air ceoltóirí áitiúla ar nós Joe Carey agus Chlann Uí Mhongáin. An córas B/C a chleachtaíodh sé ag an am, ach d’athraigh sé go C#/D go gairid ina dhiaidh sin. Ag an am sin is ea a chuala sé taifid Joe Cooley agus Tony MacMahon den chéad uair. Tá an-suim ag Liam sa cheol a taifeadadh sna Stáit Aontaithe idir 1910-1950; go mórmhór ceol mileoidin na tréimhse sin.

Liam is from Erris in County Mayo, an area steeped in accordion music. He started to play at age six under his great-grandmother’s guidance. He continued to play at school and later took lessons with accordionist David Munnelly. Liam’s granduncle (who was married to one of the Murphy family from Sliabh Luachra, known as “The Waivers”) lived in New York and would send home CDs in the post, The Star Above the Garter, among others.

In his teenage years he met local musicians Joe Carey and the Ó Mongáin family. He had been playing the B/C system up until that time but switched to the C#/D accordion thereafter. It was also at this age that he heard the music of Joe Cooley and Tony MacMahon for the first time. Liam is very interested in Irish music recorded in America between 1910-1950; especially the melodeon music of that era.