Harry O'Donoghue
Encyclopedia
Childhood
Harry was born in 1954 in the town of DroghedaDrogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
on the banks of the river Boyne
Boyne
Several terms incorporating the word "Boyne" include:* Boann, the Irish goddess after whom the river is named* Boyne River * Boyne Falls, Michigan,* Boyne Resorts, a ski resort company in Michigan...
on the East coast of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Early career
At age twenty, Harry began playing guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and bodhran
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
and was soon performing with local folk groups. In 1979, Harry founded the group Terra Nova and later that summer they won a prestigious award for Best Folk group at the Dublin International Music Festival. Within a year, the group was touring in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and secured a recording contract with Polydor Records in 1985.
Solo
After Terra Nova performed their last concert in Augusta Georgia in 1987, Harry embarked on what was to become a very successful solo career. During the next few years he concentrated on songwriting and released several critically acclaimed albums throughout the nineties.Harry has performed, by invitation, with the Savannah Symphony and has shared the bill with such international recording artists as Mary Black
Mary Black
Mary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
, Andy M. Stewart, Cathie Ryan, The Fureys, Natalie Mac Master, Danny Doyle, The Wolfe Tones, The Shannon Castle Singers, Tommy Makem and others.
He performs throughout the U.S and Ireland in a variety of settings from concerts to festivals, clubs, private events, conventions and singer/songwriter showcases. Harry also hosts singing workshops, passing along folksongs in the oral tradition and customizes and guides tour groups to Ireland each year.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
has been Harry's home for many years now and it's from there he co-produces and hosts the Green Island Radio Show, a popular weekly Georgia Public Broadcasting program highlighting Celtic music in its many forms; traditional, folk and contemporary.
He sits on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Irish Studies at Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
and has been voted best Folk Artist by the readers of Connect Savannah magazine every year since 2000.
Discography
- Live and Well (1989)
- Diamonds (1995)
- O'Donoghue - Folksinger (1996)
- It'll Be Alright on the Night (1998)
- Best Foot Forward (1999)
- A Christmas Postcard (2000)
- How's It Goin'? (2002)
- Sincerely (2005)
- Live From the'Boro (2006)
- Nollaig (2007)