Growing up in County Durham in the northeast of England, Ged (pronounced 'Jed') absorbed the area's rich tradition of folk song and dance music. It was there that he learned to play mandolin and Northumbrian Smallpipes (the bellows-blown bagpipe native to that part of England) and began to develop his extraordinary guitar style. At first he teamed up with singer-songwriter Jez Lowe and toured the British Folk scene. Then came several years with Scotland's Battlefield Band, touring with them throughout Europe and North America. Returning home to England, he co-founded The House Band with Chris Parkinson, a dazzling trio (later, quartet) doing Pan-Celtic music that produced a number of acclaimed recordings and toured all over the globe.

Alongside his House Band duties, in 1994 Ged was asked to take over the guitarist's role in Irish "supergroup" Patrick Street with Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine and Jackie Daly. In 2001 he began working with The Celtic Fiddle Festival (Kevin Burke, Johnny Cunningham and Christian LeMaitre). From 2002-2004, Ged served as Artistic Director of the Catskills Irish Arts Week based in E. Durham NY, a teaching festival of Irish traditional music, dance and arts.

Apart from his guitar playing, Ged is also a "strong unaffected singer" with "a strong social consciousness" (The Washington Post). His choice of songs is often unorthodox but always successful. "Foley's vocal gets it just right" (Folk Roots).

When time allows, Ged also plays fiddle in the Midwest based Ceili band Tessera, teaches (Augusta Festival, Swannanoa and Catskills Irish Arts Week etc.), and produces records. He is also in demand as a session musician. He has played and/or recorded with Kevin Burke, John Carty, Tommy Peoples, Paddy O'Brien, Mary Bergin, Liz Carroll, Paddy Keenan, Kieran O'Hare & Liz Knowles, Andrew McNamara & Patrick Ourceau, Larry Nugent, Mark Roberts, John Skelton, Paul Smyth and Michael Cooney. Since 1989 Ged has lived in Athens Ohio, and has been recognized twice by The Ohio Arts Council, receiving awards under their Master Artists Program.