Thaddeus Ó Buachalla is an Irish language singer, poet and novelist. His performances are a mixture of traditional sean-nós, original songs and spoken word pieces which are accompanied by his own unique style on both guitar and oud (Arabic lute). It is an eclectic mix of old and new but is united by a common thread of Irish language art forms.

He was a member of the Dublin based world music group Mandalla for many years and is a current member of the eclectic West Cork group the Pied Wagtail Collective where he plays an array of instruments from the strings of oud, guitar and bouzouki to the brass of tuba and trumpet.

He brings a different experience to the Clonakilty International Guitar festival however with this one-man show. It weaves between sean-nós and spoken word pieces in Irish, often involving the Eastern tones and melodies of the oud, and creates a unique form of Irish language expression.

He has toured with his show Immram an Phréacháin, a long epic poem depicting a journey through Cork City at night, and accompanied by live music played on harp, saxophone, bass and guitar.

He has also collaborated with other artists, most recently working on John Spillane’s new album Fíoruisce: The Legend of the Lough.

As an Irish language novelist, his work has been widely recognised, with his most recent novel EL receiving awards at both the Oireachtas and the An Post Irish Book awards.