Skara Brae (band)
Encyclopedia
Skara Brae were an Irish traditional music
group from Kells
, County Meath
with origins in Ranafast
(Rann na Feirste), County Donegal
. The group consisted of three siblings, Micheal O Domhnaill
, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
, and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill
, with Dáithí Sproule
from Derry
. Though brought up in County Meath
, the O Domhnaill siblings had their roots in Ranafast
(Rann na Feirste), where their father's family originated. Mícheál, Maighread, and Tríona came together with Dáithí during Irish language summer schools held in Rannafast during the late 1960s and subsequently formed the band Skara Brae while Triona and Maighread were still attending school. Mícheál and Dáithí were attending University College Dublin
and performed in the city over the next year.
In 1971, Skara Brae released a self-titled album of "beautifully performed Gaelic songs" on Gael-Linn Records
. It is considered one of the most important albums in its genre, notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonization in Irish language
songs.
The group disbanded in 1972. Dáithi Sproule went on to perform in the band Altan Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
later co-founded the highly influential Bothy Band
in 1974, with flute player Matt Molloy
, a succession of renowned fiddlers Paddy Glackin, Tommy Peoples, and Kevin Burke, piper Paddy Keenan
, and Dónal Lunny
.
Skara Brae reunited in 1997 and 2005 for concerts in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal
.
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
group from Kells
Kells, County Meath
Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
with origins in Ranafast
Ranafast
Rann na Feirste is a village and townland in Na Rosa region of northwest County Donegal, Ireland....
(Rann na Feirste), County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The group consisted of three siblings, Micheal O Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was an Irish singer, guitarist, and composer, who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century...
, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer, pianist, and composer, considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. She is famed for her work with traditional Irish groups such as Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Touchstone, and Nightnoise.-...
, and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer from Kells, County Meath. Known for her work with the short-lived, but very highly regarded Skara Brae and her collaborations with sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, as well as other traditional musicians...
, with Dáithí Sproule
Dáithí Sproule
Dáithí Sproule is a guitarist and singer of traditional Irish music from Derry, Northern Ireland. His niece is the singer songwriter Claire Sproule.-Biography:...
from Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. Though brought up in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the O Domhnaill siblings had their roots in Ranafast
Ranafast
Rann na Feirste is a village and townland in Na Rosa region of northwest County Donegal, Ireland....
(Rann na Feirste), where their father's family originated. Mícheál, Maighread, and Tríona came together with Dáithí during Irish language summer schools held in Rannafast during the late 1960s and subsequently formed the band Skara Brae while Triona and Maighread were still attending school. Mícheál and Dáithí were attending University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and performed in the city over the next year.
In 1971, Skara Brae released a self-titled album of "beautifully performed Gaelic songs" on Gael-Linn Records
Gael-Linn Records
Gael Linn Records is an Irish record label, run by the Irish language promotion organisation Gael Linn.Gael Linn released records by many of the world's most renowned Gaelic and Irish Traditional musicians known today...
. It is considered one of the most important albums in its genre, notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonization in Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
songs.
The group disbanded in 1972. Dáithi Sproule went on to perform in the band Altan Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was an Irish singer, guitarist, and composer, who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century...
and Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer, pianist, and composer, considered one of the most influential female vocalists in the history of Irish music. She is famed for her work with traditional Irish groups such as Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Touchstone, and Nightnoise.-...
later co-founded the highly influential Bothy Band
Bothy band
A bothy band is a musical group which comes from the farming culture of nineteenth century Scotland. At that time agriculture was relatively labour-intensive. As a result large farms often had a small community associated with them, the farm toun. This was made up of married couples who lived in...
in 1974, with flute player Matt Molloy
Matt Molloy
Matt Molloy is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at only seventeen years old...
, a succession of renowned fiddlers Paddy Glackin, Tommy Peoples, and Kevin Burke, piper Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborative recordings, and continues to tour both as a soloist, and with...
, and Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
.
Skara Brae reunited in 1997 and 2005 for concerts in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
See also
- Skara BraeSkara BraeSkara Brae is a large stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It consists of ten clustered houses, and was occupied from roughly 3180 BCE–2500 BCE...
, an archeology site featuring the most complete neolithic village in Europe