Dan is well regarded and respected within Irish traditional music circles. He is especially recognized for his dedication to old-school regional styles and rare instruments.

He plays the single-row melodeon and the two-row button accordion, favoring an old-fashioned, "push-and-draw" technique — producing a rhythmic, choppy, staccato style. His repertoire reflects his love for the traditional music of County Clare and County Galway. Reviewers often note that his playing focuses on steady, danceable tempos rather than modern, frantic speed.

He has recorded with some legendary figures in the genre, including master fiddlers Kevin Burke and Séamus McGuire, and banjo player Brian McGrath.

His five studio albums — such as The Last Pint and An Teachín Gorm (The Blue Cottage) — have received positive reviews from leading folk publications like The Living Tradition, The Irish Times and Irish Music Magazine. Tracks from his albums have been broadcast on prominent Irish radio programs, such as The Rolling Wave on RTÉ Radio 1 and on the much loved but now defunct Thistle & Shamrock. He has toured across the US, Canada, Ireland, and Europe.