His friend Karen Ryan sends this:-

It is with a heavy heart that I share the very sad news that Brendan McGlinchey (my fiddling hero and long time friend) passed away on Saturday, surrounded by his family - he had not been well for some time. ?????? I first met Brendan in the mid 90s - before our paths ever crossed, I was depping for him at gigs he couldn't make, with his great friends Paul Brennan and Kevin Boyle (he was already living near Chichester at this stage, and just coming in to London every now and then) - a year or so later I was delighted to meet him in Monkstown when I was doing the CCÉ Teastas course. During one of the nightly sessions, Brendan sat in - some of the others started playing his compositions, I felt slightly uncomfortable at the idea, but then felt it would be rude not to join in (as if I didn't know them) - everyone who was there, played Splendid Isolation and only a couple of us were left going into 'Mrs Lawrie's' - Brendan stared at my fingerwork throughout the entire tune, I had never felt under more close scrutiny in my life! Thankfully it was the start of a long and warm friendship. I was very fortunate to play a good deal of music with Brendan after that first meeting and learn a heck of a lot in the process. He kindly took over teaching my fiddle classes in London during my PGCE teacher training year when I found the workload too stressful to balance both for a time - he used to stay with us in Holloway each week and it was always a treat to chat and play tunes when he was finished teaching. One of my proudest musical moments was when Kevin Boyle asked us to play a fiddle duet on his album 'Bon Cabbage' as part of the 'Movies Céilí Band' - and another, when Brendan generously wrote a beautiful reel for me :-) I was delighted to arrange various gigs for Brendan, including during the early years of RtCT Festival - his fiddle playing was always so impressive and so moving. Brendan always put a great deal of thought into his playing and his composing while in his own space, with his fiddle hanging up by a ribbon on the wall to grab whenever the mood took him - this care and attention to detail always came across in his stunning tone, gorgeous phrasing and beautiful variations. It is so sad that the elusive 2nd solo album never came to fruition, although it came extremely close a couple of times ... he was a perfectionist! The fiddle and trips to London got less attention as years progressed, but I know he absolutely relished his more recent role of grandfatherhood :-) Sending deepest sympathy, love and strength to Margaret, the girls and their families. Brendan may you rest in peace ?? Kx

He came to play at our folk club at the Royal Oak in Lewes a few times sharing the evening with Oliver Mulligan.