Na Fianna
Encyclopedia
Na Fianna are an Irish
ballad group, comprising John Walsh, Lee Campion, Ross Hennessy and Damian Walsh. They were the runners-up of second series
of RTÉ
reality
talent show
The All Ireland Talent Show
in 2009–2010, coming second to Chloe Coyle.
They have toured in The UK, France
, Holland and Belgium
. They are now under the management of Darren Farrell and have recently signed a recording contract with Dolphin Music Group. They have further tours planned of Germany
and The USA in the summer of 2011.
They have toured in The UK, France
, Holland and Belgium
. They are now under the management of Darren Farrell and have recently signed a recording contract with Dolphin Music Group. They have further tours planned of Germany
and The USA in the summer of 2011.
In 2009, Na Fianna entered the All Ireland Talent Show
to rapturous applause. With an average viewing audience of 700,000 people and four live performances on National Television, Na Fianna finished in 2nd Place out of over 6,000 competitors.
This catapulted them onto both a national and international platform, further increasing their ambition for continued achievement.
Na Fianna are full-time musicians and hope to extend their global audience via a major recording contract with Dolphin music Group and a US Tour in the Autumn of 2011.
he amazed his family with his instrumental ability and was astounding audiences playing solo by the age of sixteen. In tandem with his musical prowess, his passion for sport
has brought success after success. After captaining the all-Ireland 2004 Winners St Kieran’s College in hurling
, John has since been the recipient of the 2007 Fitzgibbon All-Star Award and has had the great honour of leading his local team as captain throughout 2008 and 2009. He recently ceased playing for the Laois Senior Hurling team to focus on his musical accomplishments with Na Fianna.
At thirteen, Lee experimented musically with other genres forming a rock band and developing his talent on bass guitar, however his love for traditional music
continued.
An enthusiast for sports, Lee is involved in soccer, hurling
and Gaelic football
having played soccer with Kilkenny City and represented Laois in Gaelic football. His cites his greatest sporting achievement though, as winning his local egg and spoon race!
His love of sport opened the doors for Na Fianna as it was through this he met the band and joined the line up in 2007 where he has risen to success ever since.
, Ross began singing at an early age and was a leading figure in many school productions. A fluent Irish speaker, he attended Colaiste Pobaile Osrai and maintains his love for the language to this very day. He took to the mandolin and banjo at the age of fourteen and participated with friends in the many music sessions held in Kilkenny. Like the others, Ross is driven by his love for sport and as well as being a Leinster Handball Champion he has won numerous hurling medals with his local Club, James Stephens of which he credits his Uncle, All Ireland Kilkenny Winner Joe Hennessy , as being a major influence. Ross is credited himself as being a founding member of Na Fianna and his contributions to the band ensure its continuing success.
. He established himself on the music circuit as a founding member of the popular ballad group Uisce Beatha, who he played with for two years, before embarking on a solo career which saw him playing at noted venues across Ireland.
An avid sports player, Damian has a keen interest in rugby
and Gaelic games, winning a Leinster Senior Hurling Medal with St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny and a Leinster Minor Football Medal with Laois. He is also proud to have represented Laois at Senior County level in hurling.
Damian recently left his teaching post to concentrate fully on his role within Na Fianna and is enjoying his pursuance of a full time music career.
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...
ballad group, comprising John Walsh, Lee Campion, Ross Hennessy and Damian Walsh. They were the runners-up of second series
The All Ireland Talent Show (series 2)
The second series of The All Ireland Talent Show was announced on 10 August 2008. The winner was Chloe Coyle, The North.The second season is an extended one with more shows, seventeen in total....
of RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
reality
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show was an RTÉ television series billed as Ireland's biggest-ever talent contest. It was first announced in November 2008 and the first series commenced broadcasting on 4 January 2009, completing on 15 March 2009. Modelled on Britain's Got Talent, it is produced by Tyrone...
in 2009–2010, coming second to Chloe Coyle.
They have toured in The UK, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. They are now under the management of Darren Farrell and have recently signed a recording contract with Dolphin Music Group. They have further tours planned of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and The USA in the summer of 2011.
The All Ireland Talent Show
Na Fianna have been playing together since March 2007 and are continuously building on their reputation as great entertaining balladeers. The lads are all highly skilled musicians and powerful singers too. Over the past four years they have travelled and played in many noted venues all over Ireland as they embrace the songs and stories of the past whilst succeeding in making each one their own.They have toured in The UK, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. They are now under the management of Darren Farrell and have recently signed a recording contract with Dolphin Music Group. They have further tours planned of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and The USA in the summer of 2011.
In 2009, Na Fianna entered the All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show
The All Ireland Talent Show was an RTÉ television series billed as Ireland's biggest-ever talent contest. It was first announced in November 2008 and the first series commenced broadcasting on 4 January 2009, completing on 15 March 2009. Modelled on Britain's Got Talent, it is produced by Tyrone...
to rapturous applause. With an average viewing audience of 700,000 people and four live performances on National Television, Na Fianna finished in 2nd Place out of over 6,000 competitors.
This catapulted them onto both a national and international platform, further increasing their ambition for continued achievement.
Since then...
They recorded a live Album and live DVD which will be available online from their website in March 2011. They signed to a new record company Dolphin music group in January 2011 and in February 2011 they released their Debut single "Last One" which is available on itunes.Na Fianna are full-time musicians and hope to extend their global audience via a major recording contract with Dolphin music Group and a US Tour in the Autumn of 2011.
John Walsh
John was raised, along with brother Damian, on the songs and stories of their local heritage and when, at the age of fourteen, Damian bought John his first 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...
he amazed his family with his instrumental ability and was astounding audiences playing solo by the age of sixteen. In tandem with his musical prowess, his passion for sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
has brought success after success. After captaining the all-Ireland 2004 Winners St Kieran’s College in hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, John has since been the recipient of the 2007 Fitzgibbon All-Star Award and has had the great honour of leading his local team as captain throughout 2008 and 2009. He recently ceased playing for the Laois Senior Hurling team to focus on his musical accomplishments with Na Fianna.
Lee Campion
The youngest of the Na Fianna four, Lee began playing music at the age of six and as a member of the Camross Ceoltas he won many County, Provincial and National titles for his proficiency on the piano accordion whilst touring both at home and abroad. He also played locally with his family band, ’The Celts’.At thirteen, Lee experimented musically with other genres forming a rock band and developing his talent on bass guitar, however his love for traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
continued.
An enthusiast for sports, Lee is involved in soccer, hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
having played soccer with Kilkenny City and represented Laois in Gaelic football. His cites his greatest sporting achievement though, as winning his local egg and spoon race!
His love of sport opened the doors for Na Fianna as it was through this he met the band and joined the line up in 2007 where he has risen to success ever since.
Ross Hennessy
The only band member from the medieval city of KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ross began singing at an early age and was a leading figure in many school productions. A fluent Irish speaker, he attended Colaiste Pobaile Osrai and maintains his love for the language to this very day. He took to the mandolin and banjo at the age of fourteen and participated with friends in the many music sessions held in Kilkenny. Like the others, Ross is driven by his love for sport and as well as being a Leinster Handball Champion he has won numerous hurling medals with his local Club, James Stephens of which he credits his Uncle, All Ireland Kilkenny Winner Joe Hennessy , as being a major influence. Ross is credited himself as being a founding member of Na Fianna and his contributions to the band ensure its continuing success.
Damian Walsh
The eldest of the Walsh brothers, Damian hails from Ballinakill in County LaoisCounty Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
. He established himself on the music circuit as a founding member of the popular ballad group Uisce Beatha, who he played with for two years, before embarking on a solo career which saw him playing at noted venues across Ireland.
An avid sports player, Damian has a keen interest in rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and Gaelic games, winning a Leinster Senior Hurling Medal with St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny and a Leinster Minor Football Medal with Laois. He is also proud to have represented Laois at Senior County level in hurling.
Damian recently left his teaching post to concentrate fully on his role within Na Fianna and is enjoying his pursuance of a full time music career.
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart position | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
|||
| 2010 | "Last One" | - | - | |