Q & A with the Irish singer-songwriter While selling her tapes door to door in her hometown of Dundalk, County Louth at the age of 12, Cathy Maguire could not have imagined that one day she would perform for multiple U.S. Presidents, including at an inauguration, and collaborating with multi-platinum artists Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Now splitting her time between … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Cathy Maguire
Irish Musician
The Chief of Irish Music
Paddy Moloney, founder of The Chieftains, who has done more than anyone else to launch Irish music onto the world stage, talks to Lauren Byrne. In the expensive gloom of Boston's Copley Plaza Hotel, Paddy Moloney orders a pot of Earl Grey tea and shifts out of the draft from an over efficient air-conditioner. At 65, his hair is dappled gray, but Moloney's bantam figure is as … [Read more...] about The Chief of Irish Music
The Rice Man Cometh
Damien Rice: o If you have lost faith in the possibility for a new singer-songwriter to emerge with a graceful album of dirges and lullabies, it's time to believe again. Dublin-born Damien Rice's debut album, o, has been released in the U.S. by Vector Recordings (see also www. damienrice.com) after being praised ceaselessly overseas for the past year. With literary references … [Read more...] about The Rice Man Cometh
Paddy Clancy Scholarships
A number of scholarships in honor of musician and folk singer Paddy Clancy are available to students with an interest in pursuing studies in folk song, sean nós and the traditional ballad. American students may apply the scholarship toward study at the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick. Paddy Clancy and his brothers had a huge influence on folk music on … [Read more...] about Paddy Clancy Scholarships
America’s Favorite Irish Tenor
Siobhan Tracey talks to Ronan Tynan about life, love and what keeps him sane. As my knowledge of opera is almost solely limited to the trivia fact that "Un bel di" from Madame Butterfly is playing as Glenn Close wreaks her havoc in Fatal Attraction, I did wonder fleetingly whether I needed to brush up on a few key operatic terms before meeting Ronan Tynan, the renowned Irish … [Read more...] about America’s Favorite Irish Tenor