An Irish life, lived a long way from Ireland

I'm an Irish-born singer, painter and storyteller, living and working in Northern New South Wales.

I learned the music at home, by ear and in company, which is the only way it really goes in. When I came out here I brought it with me, and it turned out there were plenty of people who wanted to hear it and a good few who wanted to play it.

The painting came out of the music rather than alongside it. A tune would arrive with a shape and a colour attached to it, and after a while it seemed daft to leave that part in the air. That is what The Art of the Songs is — not an illustration of a song, but the same thing recorded twice.

I play solo, as a duo with Christian Rizzalli, with MunsterBucks, and as part of Finding Magic. I also run sessions and put musicians into rooms, which is a different skill and one I enjoy just as much.