This is what I do. I sing songs, accompanied by an acoustic guitar or mandolin, and I blow into the old harmonica. I usually sing my own songs and throw in a cover for good measure, but it has to be a song that I am connected with on an emotional level. … Continue readingTougher than the rest
“It’s ok, I’m still laughing!” new album released.
It’s been a long time coming and I’m delighted to announce the arrival of the long delayed album “It’s ok, I’m still laughing!” on the 5th of April. The album will be released digitally on Bandcamp with streaming services to follow at a later date… … Continue reading“It’s ok, I’m still laughing!” new album released.
43 years… and counting!
My first gig. 16th May 1981.
I’ve been doing this for almost 43 years now, so you could say I’ve come a long way.
But let’s be honest:
In recent times I’ve found it increasingly difficult to cope with all the tasks … Continue reading43 years… and counting!
Summer Is Gone – a folk song
I hadn’t planned on releasing brand new music, but then things took a different turn. I spilled “brain to paper” what had been piling up in my head and let the momentum take over. … Continue readingSummer Is Gone – a folk song
August – new single muses on the change of seasons
My new single “August” releases on Sept. 1st!
It muses on the change of season that probably makes us the most sentimental: the transition from the abundant bloom of summer with its long, glorious evenings full of light, to different colours, darker hours and colder weather. … Continue readingAugust – new single muses on the change of seasons
Hole In The Wall Kilkenny – 13th August
I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be playing a show at Hole In The Wall, Kilkenny on the 13th of August as part of the Alternative Kilkenny Arts Festival.
Hole In The Wall is a bar & music venue situated in the heart of Kilkenny City. It is housed in the oldest surviving townhouse in Ireland – … Continue readingHole In The Wall Kilkenny – 13th August
Coughlan’s Live! – 17th August
I am delighted to make my debut in one of Cork’s finest and most iconic live venues in August – Coughlan’s Live!
According to their website, “Coughlans Live has hosted some of the finest local, national and international musicians and comedians. Songwriters like Glen Hansard, Mick Flannery, Lisa Hannigan, Sarah Jarosz, Chris Smither, Anais Mitchell and Ryley Walker. … Continue readingCoughlan’s Live! – 17th August
White Lines – a video from The Rua Room
It has been a long time coming and I am happy to tell you that there is finally a video of me in The Rua Room.
Daithi Rua has quite a few stakes in the way I sound these days. He was the man who first introduced me to partial capos and was kind enough to send me the last batch of the legendary Kyser Capos with the lever.
I cherish these like the holy grail as they don’t make them like this anymore. … Continue readingWhite Lines – a video from The Rua Room
People, take heart…
It was a humble yet sublime moment in Vicar Street last night when Glen Hansard asked the crowd to sit down for ‘Take Heart’, a song he wrote with Markéta Irglová to express his feelings about the war in Ukraine. … Continue readingPeople, take heart…
Nur Mut! – Be Brave!
Nur Mut! – Be Brave!
The postcard in the picture above has been lying on the dashboard of my car ever since I left my hometown and hit the road in the spring of 2018, determined to live the life of a travelling troubadour without a permanent base of my own.
This wasn’t a rash decision or something I did on a whim.
It was a plan I’d had since the autumn of 2012, since I couldn’t resist the urge to write and sing my own material again
… Continue readingNur Mut! – Be Brave!