He started playing the tin whistle at age four, making his first T.V. appearance three years later. At the age of ten years old Frankie began to play fiddle and at the age of seventeen he placed first in the All Ireland Fiddle Competition and in the All Ireland Flute Competition, both on the same day.

Mainly learning by ear, he was strongly influenced by the 78 recordings of Michael Coleman and James Morrison. Sessions in the Cellar Bar, Galway and later in Hughes’ pub in Spiddal led to the formation of De Dannan in 1973.

His Currandulla connection came in useful when De Danann were looking for a singer, and it was he who came up with Dolores Keane from nearby Cahirlistrane. When De Danann brought out their first album, her singing of The Rambling Irishman gained a lot of airplay for the group. Although De Danann has had many highpoints over a quarter of a century, particularly with the singing of Dolores Keane and Maura O'Connell and the box playing of Mairtin O'Connor, Frankie’s powerful virtuoso fiddle playing has always been at the core of the De Dannan sound.

He has recorded 16 albums with De Dannan as well as a number of solo albums, and three collaborations: one a tribute to Joe Cooley entitled ‘Omos do Joe Cooley’ with Paul Brock; a fine collaboration with fellow De Dannan member Alec Finn; and one with Stephane Grapelli exploring the languages of jazz and traditional music. He has also guested with The Rolling Stones on their ‘Voodoo Lounge’ album, with Keith Richards on ‘Wingless Angels’ and with Earl Scruggs the great banjo man.

Exposure to American audiences began in 1976 when he played with De Danann at the American bicentennial celebrations in Washington DC, with artists such as Junior Crehan and Micho Russell. Frankie has also been invited to play for numerous State officials including President John F. Kennedy on historic visit to Ireland in 1962, French president Francois Mitterand and England's Prince Charles. Of a special event in America, United States Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith is reported to have commented that "The best all 'round performance of the entire week at Kennedy Center was by DeDannan."

Sean & Frankie Gavin

"Innovation may be the buzz-word in Traditional music, but Frankie Gavin's digressions are not in the common areas of tempo and superficial style-impressions. His contemporary borrowings of art-deco and music-hall Irishness are re-jigged in original avenues of exploration. His dextrous treatment of troublesome tunes might get even the Pope out on the floor, his orchestration could break hearts. A superbly uncompromising player, he makes refreshment of the old by picking out and polishing every detail and setting it off in a steady, listenable pace. Gavin edgy and brilliant on both fiddle and flute, with always the most meticulous attention given to tone and variation. Live, his tune sets are perfectionism that drive and are driven by an audience spontaneity that spurs Gavin to push fiddle from shriek to rasping bass. Tears and cheers erupt spontaneously, the goodwill of his mixed-age audiences has always been great sauce. Like herding the mythic creac, Frankie Gavin here whoops a great retrospective before him into the Ogham of Celtic Valhalla."

Fintan Vallely, Sunday Tribune

Frankie Gavin - The Tolboth Theatre, Stirling, Scotland October 14th 2003
"Because he's known as 'The prince of Irish fiddlers', and produces what's ben called 'Irish fiddling as good as it gets', there was high anticipation at Stirling's Tolbooth theatre for the Frankie Gavin show. The crowd wasn't disappointed, for with his accompanist Brian McGrath on keyboards he gave a glittering performance over nearly two hours.
Yet it was all so laid back. He sat, almost reclining as if in an armchair, the while creating the most spectacular sound from a bow which mostly seemed to be moving within barely four-inch compass. The amazingly tricksy fingers seemed equally effortless. They weren't, of course, as when he played 'Carolan's Concerto', using roughly twice the number of notes that even oul' Turlough had planned for... (During this, there was metaphorically the sound of fiddlers in the audience snapping their fiddles over their knees, and vowing to never touch the instrument again!).
True to his philosophy, epitomised by the album 'Fierce Traditional' (TARACD4011) of going back to his roots of Irish fiddling, he began with a piece from one of his heroes Jimmy Morrison, then did some numbers by the Flannigan Brothers (other heroes of his) like 'The Belle of Athenry'. explaining his affection for his almost Vaudeville / Music Hall style from Irish immigrants in Twenties America. He told me later "We need to return to that straightforward style of playing, away from all this over-produced 'Celtic' mush. What does 'Celtic' mean for God's sake? Fortunately, there's a backlash against this screwing around with the music. Like with Harry Bradley the flute player, and Micheál Ó Rahilly, a young Rathcarn concertina player, they don't mess around".
Well, there was certainly no 'messing' from Frankie either, in the way he did the fine reel 'The Dunmore Lassies' or the song 'The Snowy Breasted Pearl' as an air, or the jig 'The Green Fields of Woodford'.
After the interval, Frankie started with the jig 'The Frost is all Over', then did the simply lovely (Coleman?) reel 'Lucy Campbell' then the aptly named 'Wonder Hornpipe' and finally 'The Foxhunter Reel' which seemed to include every known form of ornamentation! He next accompanied Brian on the banjo with some marches. These were a little disappointing, perhaps because the banjo mike kept cutting out. Later Brian genuinely showed his prowess with a set of (unnamed) reels. Frankie then played the mighty songs 'Róisín Dubh' and Sliabh na mBan' as slow airs, dedicating the latter to his dad JJ.
The evening finally closed with Frankie thanking various people and organisations for the tour, then going straight into that amazing Carolan rendition... It had been a great evening, enhanced by frankie's rare charm and wit, and had proved to be exactly as the sage had said: 'Irish fiddling as good as it gets'..."
Steve McGrail - Living Tradition