This dissertation examines the piano music of Irish composer and pianist Philip Martin (b. 1947). Three works in particular are studied, which are evenly spread over his compositional career to date: Oiche Ceoil (1971), The Rainbow Comes and Goes (1986) and Soundings (1995). Using set analysis, elements of his style are uncovered, such as his use of octatonic scales and motivic variation. Additionally, Martin's life and work as an Irish composer based in England are shown to follow a time-honored tradition in Southern Irish art music history, following the example of such luminaries as John Field and Charles Villiers Stanford.