Bursting out of the heart of Cork City, BABYRAT has the future of music looking Pretty in Punk with their abrasive bitch-pop sound. Sonically landing somewhere between The Strokes and Olivia Rodrigo, BABYRAT’s sing-along melodies are intertwined with unapologetic lyrics that are thrust forward by the electrifying future-nostalgia sound that the band have created. BABYRAT delivers an infectious energy with a confidence and chemistry that is unmatched.
Rock like Hendrix, roll like a céilí band
Eoin ‘Stan’ O’Sullivan & Shane Murphy bring their ‘Bog Jazz’ duo to Clonakilty International Guitar Festival
Eoin ‘Stan’ O’Sullivan (The Ceili Allstars, Stanley Super 800) and Shane Murphy (The Guilteens, The Shaker Hymn) have teamed up as a genre-bending duo exploring the wild edges of Sliabh Luachra fiddle music—armed with electric guitar and drums.
Irish musicians have long worn their traditional roots with pride, even as they’ve pushed into contemporary sounds—but this is something else. This isn’t the polished innovation of Moving Hearts or the Celtic-glam of Horslips. Stan and Shane sound like they’ve come from a parallel timeline—one where the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 was never passed, and traditional music naturally rode the same electric wave as rock ’n’ roll, psych, and punk.
The result is raw, rooted, and defiantly off-road—traditional music reimagined on dirty guitar and big drums. There’s a surprising likeness to the Desert Blues of artists like Tinariwen or Mdou Moctar—something the duo leans into proudly. As Stan puts it:
“If Ali Farka Touré played accordion, we might say he sounded like Joe Cooley. I think the resemblance shows the kinship of all folk music—and those parallels become obvious when the tunes are sung in the same language: electric guitar.”
Few surviving songer-songwriters from the counterculture of the 60s have kept their reputations intact. Of the generation of troubadours who came of age in the London folk clubs of that era, some have passed away, while others have surrendered to the regurgitation of the blandest form of acoustic folk music. But among the survivors, there is one figure whose body of work, comprising 23 studio LPs and almost as many live and compilation releases, has come to stand for a particularly single-minded form of integrity. That man is Roy Harper.
Now officially ‘retired’, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. It is rumoured that Joanna Newsom insisted she’d only play her recent UK shows if he would support her. The likes of Fleet Foxes and Jim O’Rourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements and tributes from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and many more.
A former participant in the skiffle revolution in the mid-50s, around 1964 Harper found himself joining the stream of bohemian rambler-buskers hitching and singing their way around Europe and North Africa. On his return to Britain he pitched in to the London coffee-house folk scene and secured a residence at legendary folk club Les Cousins, where he was spotted by the obscure Strike label.
Beginning with 1966’s Sophisticated Beggar, Harper’s music has consistently rattled the cage of received ideas. His versatile, poetic sensibility was employed in a wide range of song styles from romantic love songs to late-night mantras to blackly comedic throwaway numbers. A brilliant, percussive guitar stylist in his own right, he extended the form of folk music over the next few years, allowing himself the space to stretch out in long, lyrically dense and mantrically repetitive odysseys of poetic thought. “I was writing long poems in the 50s,” says Harper, “none of which unfortunately made it past the first few moves of living quarters. My first inspiration was John Keats’s Endymion.”
The first inklings of his expansive approach on record came on the ten minute “Circle” on 1967’s Come Out Fighting Genghis Smith – produced by Shel Talmy – and was vastly ramped up on the following year’s Folkjokeopus, which contained an 18 minute “McGoohan’s Blues”, named after the lead actor of TV’s The Prisoner and whose enigmatic verses were laced with anti-establishment rants.
By this time Harper was a favourite at the outdoor Hyde Park Festivals, where he was exposed to the wider attention of the underground scene. Now produced and managed by Peter Jenner, and signed to EMI’s progressive label Harvest, his 1969 LP Flat Baroque And Berserk reflected his reputation as a bloodyminded, truculent troubadour, reflecting turbulent times with anger, wrath and sardonic humour, singing – like the mistle thrush after which his next opus would be named – into the eye of the storm.
Stormcock (1971) is generally regarded as a masterpiece: a sprawling but focused suite of four lengthy tracks which explored the inner space of Abbey Road Studio to rhapsodic effect. Like Astral Weeks refracted through the pages of OZ magazine, the songs span an enormous spectrum of experience, from the frontline of social unrest to the secluded, birdsong-infested lanes of the English countryside. Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page added guitar, disguised as ‘S Flavius Mercurius’, highlighting a relationship with the group that had begun at the 1970 Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. “Hats Off To (Roy) Harper”, an incoherent, gutsy blues workout on Led Zeppelin III, paid tribute to the singer’s status as a beacon of integrity for the underground scene.
Harper enjoyed a special relationship with Led Zeppelin, and his subsequent albums began to move into harder rock territory with the addition of various key collaborators including, as well as Page, orchestral arranger/keyboardist David Bedford, David Gilmour, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford and John Paul Jones. Lifemask (1972) contained several songs written for the film Made, directed by John Mackenzie, which starred Harper as an edgy, high-maintenance rock star. Valentine (1974) was launched with a gig featuring Page and Bedford plus Ronnie Lane and Keith Moon. He was invited to sing lead on the single “Have A Cigar” from Pink Floyd’s classic album Wish You Were Here (1975). In the same year Harper released HQ, a rock based album notable for the closing track, “When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease”, an elegiac hymn to unchanging ways and mortality which BBC DJ John Peel insisted should be played in the event of his death.
With the dawn of the 1980s Harper took part in a musical exchange with Kate Bush, who guested on The Unknown Soldier (1980), while Harper returned the favour by appearing on Bush’s hit single “Breathing”. Harper rode the unsteady waves of the music industry during the early 1980s but kept up a productive output that saw his music taking on a prophetic role, expressing more explicit concerns with environmental disaster, religious fundamentalism, urban poverty and the first Gulf War, on releases like Once (1990), The Dream Society (1998) and The Green Man (2000). In 1994, exhibiting typical desire for autonomy and self-sufficiency, he set up his own record label, Science Friction, to curate and rerelease his entire back catalogue, along with a clutch of CDs of live and unreleased material covering his entire career. In his book, The Passions Of Great Fortune (2003), he published his complete lyrics together with photos, annotations and re-evaluations of every one of his songs. In 2005 Harper was awarded the Mojo Hero Award by the staff of Mojo magazine. The award itself was presented by long time collaborator and friend, Jimmy Page.
2011 saw Roy Harper’s incredible, visionary catalogue of work enter the digital domain in time for his music to take on a new, urgent and timely appeal, in an age in which the hypocrisies and injustices he railed against are more present than ever before. Roy featured heavily in all of the major music magazines, UK broadsheets, on radio and made appearances on prime time television including the BBC Breakfast show and Later with Jools Holland. To end the rush he performed a special show at the Royal Festival Hall in celebration of his 70th, joined on stage by his son Nick Harper, Joanna Newsom, Jonathan Wilson and a surprise appearance by Jimmy Page. It was an amazing show, selling out in just a few days. The response was extraordinary.
It’s been a damned good innings and he’s still not out. In January 2013 Harper received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. In September 2013 Roy Harper: Man & Myth – The Documentary, directed by George Scott, was broadcast on Sky Arts and his first album in thirteen years, ‘Man & Myth’, was released on Bella Union followed by three special concerts. The album received rave reviews.
Traditional Singing from Dublin, the debut album by Macdara Yeates, marks a new arrival on the Irish folkscape. Named in MOJO’s Top 10 Folk Albums of the Year and nominated for two RTÉ Folk Awards, the ten-track effort features a rich store of old and weathered folk songs, ranging from the comic and surreal to the mournful and disconsolate. Siobhán Long of The Irish Times writes: “Raucous, bawdy, reflective and wistful in turn, Traditional Singing from Dublin is a candid, clear-eyed snapshot from a singer who is finally stepping into the spotlight.”
Macdara Yeates is an Irish folk singer. Born and raised in Dublin, Yeates is one of a crop of artists associated with the recent resurgence of young folk talent in the Irish capital, alongside acts such as Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and Landless. In 2012, Macdara became a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, a monthly Dublin folk gathering, counting such luminaries as Lisa O’Neill, Ian Lynch and Radie Peat (Lankum) among its earliest attendees. Then, from 2013 to 2017, Yeates served as a member of seven-piece trad ensemble Skipper’s Alley, recording and touring across the UK, Europe, India, Canada, and the USA. Following the release of Traditional
Singing from Dublin, Macdara was nominated for two RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards, including a nomination for ‘Best Folk Singer’ alongside Ríognach Connolly, Cathy Joran and Christy Moore.
With a stentorian voice described as “a bracing, baleful, baritone that sounds as if it’s been dug from the deepest, most fragrant turf” (Songlines), Macdara Yeates is ploughing his furrow as a solo performer, garnering wide critical praise and performing on some of the most coveted stages in folk music, from An Góilín Traditional Singers’ Circle to the Sidmouth Folk Festival.
“Macdara Yeates is a mighty chanter.” – Christy Moore
“A heart aching classic. Essential Listening” ★★★★★ – Songlines
“In a golden age for traditional singing in Ireland, Yeates’s debut comes as a further welcome affirmation that the torch is being passed to a generation who truly understand and value its worth, while unafraid to inhabit it with their own particular voice.” – The Irish Times
18-year-old blues sensation Muireann Bradley, a remarkable talent hailing from the small town of Ballybofey in County Donegal, Ireland, signs with Decca Records/Verve Forecast to re-release her acclaimed debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, on 28th February 2025.
Bradley’s journey from playing in her bedroom to performing on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny this year has captivated audiences, establishing her as one of Ireland’s brightest emerging stars. Now she is poised for a global breakout.
Her newly remastered album will also feature previously unheard track ‘When The Levee Breaks’, which Muireann performed on The Late Late Show and wowed her fellow guests, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott (see the performance and interview here). Speaking about the track, Muireann says, “Originally recorded in 1929 by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, ‘When The Levee Breaks’ is probably my favourite tune to perform live. Memphis Minnie is one of my biggest heroes, and I love her guitar picking on that record. My arrangement is a tribute to another one of my heroes, the great Philadelphia pre-war blues revivalist and teacher Ari Eisinger, who has been one of the biggest influences on my playing.”
Muireann’s signing with Decca Records solidifies her place as a torch-bearer for the new generation of blues, paying homage to the genre’s history while bringing her own fresh perspective to the stage.
Born in Ennis, County Clare, along Ireland’s music-rich west coast, Gerry O’Beirne is a renowned singer, songwriter, record producer and guitarist (6 and 12 string guitar, tiple, and ukulele, slide guitar among others). He grew up in Ireland and in Ghana in West Africa, and has since lived in England, California, and Mexico. He lives now near Dingle in Co Kerry. His own compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song.
Gerry’s much loved first solo album Half Moon Bay features The Holy Ground, Half Moon Bay, Western Highway and The Shades Of Gloria which have been sung by Maura O’Connell, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Mary Black and many other great singers. His second album The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar was named CD of the Month on the American radio show Echoes, and one of its essential albums of the year. “Yesterday I Saw The Earth Beautiful”, a duet album with fiddler Rosie Shipley featured his own songs, settings of poems by Paddy Kavanagh and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill along with traditional tunes from Ireland and Cape Breton. On his new album Swimming The Horses Gerry performs a new collection of songs and guitar pieces written in Dingle in West Kerry.
Gerry has toured the world as a solo artist and with the Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, and the Waterboys. He has performed at the White House, opened for the Grateful Dead, played electric guitar with Marianne Faithfull and thought nothing of playing with a Romanian orchestra and choir in a cemetery in Transylvania at night. He has written music for film and theatre and appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Recently he has been working with New York composer Peter Gordon on a recording of the music of the legendary Arthur Russell, and recorded recently with Peter Gordon and Tim Burgess of the Charlatans.
His songs were celebrated in a special concert at Sligo’s Fleadh Cheoil in August 2015 and his song All Down The Day was nominated for song of the year at the Fok Awards 2019.
In 2022 He performed a concert of solo guitar improvisations at Féile na Bealtaine in Dingle.
He has produced albums including Promenade by Kevin Burke and Michael O’Dhomhnaill (winner of the Grand Prix Du Disque at Montreux), Irish Times by Patrick Street, Man in the Moon and Donegal Rain by Andy M. Stewart, The Connaughtman’s Rambles by Martin O’Conner, Up Close by Kevin Burke, Silver Hook Tango by Australian singer-songwriter Kavisha Mazella, albums by Sarah McQuaid, and Lumina by Irish piper, low whistle player, and composer Eoin Duignan. His latest production is So Ends This Day by the great West Kerry singer Éilís Kennedy.
“Beautiful… Exuberant and lyrical sound… an album so full of melodic warmth that it can barely be contained… one of the most perfect acoustic albums I’ve heard in a while …. a career defining album” — John Diliberto of Echoes about “The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar”
“ “O’Beirne’s 2000 LP Half Moon Bay is beloved for good reason, and i’d highly recommend giving a listen to his latest effort, Swimming The Horses, which was self-released in May 2019. Even for listeners largely uninterested in Irish folk music, “The Last King Of Feothanach” and the alluring title track are beautifully haunting ballads, and O’Beirne has managed to write perhaps the canonical musical setting of James Joyce in “Golden Hair”.” – Colorado Springs Independent. ” — Colorado Springs Independent
“An intimate amphitheatre where the gracefulness of O’Beirne’s composition finds full expression.” — Irish Times
“The instrumentals are out of this world. A self taught master of the 6 and 12 string guitar, the playing of O’Beirne is superlative and subtle beyond words.” — The Sunday Times
“His works are simple, elegiac and exquisitely worded pen pictures of life’s experiences.” — Rock ‘N’ Reel
“Material comes from Paul Brady, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin and Lennon & McCartney, but the highlight is Gerry O’Beirne’s beautiful ‘Half Moon Bay” — Q Magazine (of Maura O’Connell’s ‘Stories’)
“He should be compulsory listening for any aspiring ambitious guitarist. It’s not just his technical dexterity and brilliance that catches the imagination, it’s the inventive use of arrangements, lyrics and melody.” — The Word
“Intelligent, articulate, insightful musicianship from a real craftsman. Not a wasted word nor an untrue note”— Pay The Reckoning
“A sublime talent….opens new creative vistas for acoustic guitar music” – fRoots
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Dónal O’Connor, Gerry O’Beirne –
Following on from multiple 5 star reviews of her album “Róisín ReImagined” with The Irish Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Singer of the Year 2022 Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh is embarking on an Irish tour accompanied by celebrated musicians Gerry O’Beirne (guitar, vocals) and Dónal O’Connor (fiddle, keyboards, vocals). This concert is an an engaging and varied programme of songs in Irish and English along with lively instrumental pieces, and the trio are well known for their warm rapport with their audiences
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh:
A renowned artist with a proven record of performance, recording and innovation, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh is a multi-award winning traditional singer and musician from Corca Dhuibhne, West Kerry. Muireann is a leading exponent of the sean nós style, and loves to engage with audiences to share her love of the Irish song tradition. Her childhood in West Kerry saw her immersed in a rich cultural environment and vital living tradition. This was to be hugely influential on the foundation of her distinctive vocal and instrumental sound.
Muireann has enjoyed a successful career as a touring artist, with over thirteen years experience as lead singer and flute player with the Irish traditional supergroup Danú, as well as a many years performing as a solo artist. She holds an MA in Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick. In 2022 Muireann was awarded “Best Folk Singer” at the RTÉ Radio Folk Awards, and amongst many other awards, was Amhránaí na Bliana at the TG4 Gradaim Ceoil in 2011.
Muireann is also a popular television and radio presenter, having hosted a range of programmes for Irish and Scottish TV over the past 15 years, and currently presents her own music programme “Folk on One” on RTÉ Radio 1. Always keen to explore new ground, she has collaborated with many musicians in genres ranging from traditional to classical, world music to electronica. Most recently Muireann recorded “Róisín ReImagined” an album of sean nós songs arranged by contemporary Irish arrangers with the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
Is amhránaí agus ceoltóir traidisiúnta as Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Chiarraí í Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Tá cáil uirthi mar amhránaí an sean-nós agus cannan sí amhráin ó réimse leathan eile chomh maith. Tá mórán gradam bainte amach aici, ina measc Amhránaí na Bliana ag Gradam Ceoil T4 2011 agus Amhránaí na Bliana ag na RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards i 2022.
Le linn a hóige in Iarthar Chiarraí tomadh Muireann i dtimpeallacht shaibhir chultúrtha agus i dtraidisiún maireachtála ríthábhachtach, a raibh tionchar an-mhór aige ar bhunús a fuaime sainiúil gutha agus uirlise. Tar éis di máistreacht a fháil i dtaibhsiú an ceoil traidisiúnta, do chaith sí breis agus trí bliana déag mar phríomh-amhránaí agus seinnteoir fliúite leis an ngrúpa mór le rá traidisiúnta Danú.
Is láithreoir teilifíse agus raidió í Muireann do leithéidí RTÉ 1, TG4, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ Raidió na Gaelatchta agus BBC Alba chomh maith agus cuireann sí a clár féin “Folk on One” i láthair ar RTÉ Radio 1. Bíonn sí ag comhoibriú le go leor ealaíontóirí as seánraí eile agus traidisiúin amhránaíochta domhanda a bhfuil spéis mhór aici ann. Le déanaí d’eisigh sí an t-albam d’amhrán sean-nóis “Róisín ReImagined” – comhoibriú le Ceolfhoireann Earagail Aireagail na hÉireann agus cumadóirí comhaimsirthe Éireannacha a bhfuair ard-mholadh.
RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Singer of the Year 2022
“One of the earthiest and most distinctive voices, not just in traditional circles, but anywhere” – The Irish Times
“One of today’s great singers” – Irish Echo
“Mysterious Perfection”– Dónal Lunny
Dónal O’Connor:
Dónal O’Connor is one of Ireland’s leading traditional musicians, he is also a much sought-after and highly regarded producer. He comes from a long and distinguished line of Irish fiddlers and singers and his collaborations have variously included membership of Ulaid, At First Light, Lá Lugh and RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh’s touring ensemble. Described by the Irish Times as a ‘fearless musical adventurer’ and ‘a renaissance man’ he has brought his native Oriel music to all four corners of the globe, and he is a founder and Artistic Director of Belfast Tradfest.
His fiddle style is heavily influenced by his father Gerry O’Connor, the Oriel tradition, and the great northern fiddle masters such as Seán Maguire, Brendan McGlinchey, Bríd Harper & Tommy Peoples. He has composed music for theatre, television and film and has presented music shows for BBC ALBA, BBC NI, TG4, BBC Radio Ulster and Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Dónal is also the producer of the recent collaboration between Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and The Irish Chamber Orchestra “Róisín ReImagined”.
“O’Connor’s winning blend of pace and lyricism transmits his enthusiasm for the music directly to the listener with irresistible impact” – Herald Scotland
Gerry O’Beirne:
A native of the west of Ireland and reared there and in west Africa, Gerry O’Beirne is a self taught master of the six and twelve string, slide guitar and ukulele and other stringed instruments. Many of his songs have been recorded by well known artists on the Irish music scene including Mary Black, Maura O’Connell and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. His own albums have received much acclaim around the world, and he produced and arranged music for many others including Patrick Street, Kevin Burke and Micheál O’Domhnaill.
His writing is a hybrid of the passion found in traditional music and the freshness of contemporary song. Gerry has toured the globe as a solo artist and with the Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, and the Waterboys. He has performed at the White House, opened for the Grateful Dead, and played electric guitar with Marianne Faithfull. He lives near Dingle in West Kerry.
“A sublime talent….opens new creative vistas for acoustic guitar music” – fRoots
Hussy Hicks is an Australian duo known for their genre-blending sound, merging blues, folk, rock, and roots music with a focus on authenticity and powerful live performances. Leesa Gentz’s soaring vocals and Julz Parker’s insane guitar work are at the heart of their electrifying sound, combining to create a dynamic musical experience.
Since their formation in 2006, Hussy Hicks have built a loyal fanbase, with their latest album, Swimming in Uncertainty, reaching #1 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Chart and topping the AIR Independent Album Chart. The album’s raw energy and emotionally charged songwriting have cemented their place in the independent music scene.
Known for their killer live shows, Hussy Hicks captivate audiences with their infectious energy, tight harmonies, and musical versatility, creating an unforgettable performance that leaves fans wanting more every time.
“Hussy Hicks is one part soulful, tent-filling vocal prowess (courtesy of the dazzlingly dynamic Leesa Gentz) and one part bold, bewitching guitar that gets heads turning faster than a siren on a city street (courtesy of the virtuosic Julz Parker, championed by Phil Emmanuel as “Australia’s top female guitar player”).” – Ellie Robinson
— Australian Guitar Magazine
“Some artists need to be seen to be believed, and Hussy Hicks fit that category” – Sarah Howells
John Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet and dreamer. Rooted in people, place and story, his music transports the listener and his live performances captivate audiences around the world.
As an artist his music appeals to listeners across many genres and generations. His vocal style has a unique almost sean-nós like quality and his performances shimmer with the magic realism that permeates many of his songs as he effortlessly flits between beautiful poetry tinged with melancholy to roguish, irreverent humour. John has the ability to charm, mesmerise and entertain in equal measure.
A native of Cork, the County he lovingly describes as “the centre of the universe” and a source of huge creative influence throughout his career. John’s music is inspired by and encapsulates Irish traditional music in its contemporary form – a reflection of Ireland today.
A two-time Meteor Award winner for Best Folk/Trad act John is one of the most accomplished songwriters in Ireland. With an extensive back catalogue beginning with the 1997 album The Wells of the World, his songs have been covered by Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Sean Keaneand many others. Twelve albums later in April 2021, John released his first independent album in 20 years, 100 Snow White Horses.
John Spillane shared his most artistically ambitious work to date: Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough, on Friday 13th September 2024. The concept album, released on double CD and digital, features John alongside a stellar cast of collaborators: Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, and more and has gone on to be named as ‘Album of The Year’ at the RTE Folk Awards.
Martin Leahy is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter who has worked with some of Ireland’s greatest musicians, including Christy Moore, Declan Sinnott and John Spillane. In recent years, he’s gained national and international attention for his songwriting and activism, particularly his song “Everyone Should Have A Home”, which has become a rallying cry for housing justice. Martin has had the honour of Christy Moore covering his song “Snowflakes” on Christy’s latest album called “A Terrible Beauty”
He released his song, “Everyone Should Have A Home”, in April 2022. He has been travelling from Cork to Dublin every week to protest outside Dáil Éireann by singing his song since May 2022. He has performed at all the major Cost Of Living Crisis protests in Dublin and in Cork including the recent Raise The Roof Protest in Dublin. His song and protest has been featured on RTE News, Al Jazeera News, American public radio npr, Dutch, German and French TV national broadcasters, The Guardian, The World.Org, The Irish Times (front cover) The Irish Examiner, Irish Independent, Hot Press, Echo, Joe.ie, Virgin Media TV, TG4 etc.. “Everyone Should Have A Home” has also been covered multiple times by different artists as a means to raise awareness of the Irish housing crisis. The song is also mentioned in the latest edition of Rory Hearne’s book on the housing crisis called ‘Gaffs”.
The guy who gave the crisis a soundtrack – The Guardian
Martin has had the honour recently of Christy Moore covering “Snowflakes” on his album and at his live gigs. The song is related to Martin’s own experience of social media trolling. Martin joined Christy at Vicar Street and The Cork Opera House recently where they both performed “Everyone Should Have A Home” and “Snowflakes”.
He also has written a number of songs in solidarity with the people of Palestine and performs weekly at the Cork City protests and has also performed at the national march in Dublin. His song “Palestine” has been shared multiple times including Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye and also by the activist and musician Lowkey.
Martin has been playing as a session musician on the Irish music scene for about 25 years. Along with his recent successes as a singer/songwriter he has worked with songwriters and musicians including John Spillane, Christy Moore (on his No.1 selling album ‘Listen’) Jimmy McCarthy, Seamus Begley and Jim Murray, Declan Sinnott among many others. He has toured the world with the traditional band North Cregg. An accomplished multi instrumentalist, he has produced many albums including Leah Sohotra, Cormac O Caoimh, and the recent single by John Spillane called Palestine Sunbird.