Tír na nÓg (band)
Encyclopedia
Tír na nÓg are an Irish
folk
band formed in Dublin, Ireland
, in 1969 by Leo O'Kelly
and Sonny Condell
. They are often considered as one of the first progressive folk
bands with other artists like Nick Drake
or group like Pentangle
. Their music mainly consists of their own compositions, based on strong Celtic
roots and typically featuring intricate acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. In their early years, they toured the folk clubs of the United Kingdom or internationally as a support act for several rock bands. Today, they regularly give concerts, especially in Ireland.
From 1971 to 1973, Tír na nÓg made three studio albums which were highly acclaimed by critics but didn't receive a big commercial success. No recording of live performances had been officially released until 2000, with the publication of Hibernian
. A compilation of some of their live tracks recorded between 1972 and 1973 for the John Peel's radio show
, was also published one year later.
, a remote place in the Wicklow
Hills. His early musical influences were mainly classical music. Before Tír na nÓg were formed, he played with cousin John Roberts as Tramcarr 88. They recorded one single before the breakup of the band.
Leo O'Kelly came from Carlow
. He was influenced by heavy rock, including Jimi Hendrix
, The Velvet Underground
and The Doors
. Before the formation of Tír na nÓg he played in several bands starting with local Carlow beat group The Word before joining The Tropical Showband and Emmet Spiceland
, with whom he toured.
O'Kelly and Condell met in Dublin in 1969 and discovered a shared ambition to be singer/songwriters. They started playing together, taking the name Tír na nÓg
from Celtic mythology
, and writing a song of the same name, which recounts the legend of Tír na nÓg. They travelled to London and began touring the folk clubs, and rapidly secured a recording deal with Chrysalis Records
.
and was produced by Bill Leader
. It achieved Melody Maker
Album of The Month on its release on May 1971. It featured mainly their own songs, strongly rooted in the Celtic tradition, but also influenced by eastern music. Condell and O'Kelly played acoustic guitars and occasional bongos
and other percussion instruments. Their guitar work was intricate and complex, leading to their being compared to bands such as The Incredible String Band and Pentangle
. However, their style was quite distinctive. Often, they would use different open tunings for their two guitars.
Their second album A Tear and a Smile
was released in 1972 and produced by Tony Cox. This featured similar material to the first album. However, with their third album Strong in the Sun
(released in 1973), produced by Procol Harum
organist Matthew Fisher
who also played keyboards on the album, they introduced more electric instruments and drums. From Alan Robinson's 2004 liner notes to BGO's reissue of this and the previous album on one CD: "..Certainly, of the three original Tír na nÓg albums, Strong in the Sun is by far the most conventional, most mainstream, although that's not to say that Fisher had ironed out all of the band's entertainingly whimsical rough edges. Fisher gave a bit of a more clearly-defined shape and a greater depth to their sound, neatly framing the duo's contrasting vocal styles." Robinson also remarked that this high quality album didn't "reverse the duo's sales fortunes" and that it opened with "that rarest of things", a Nick Drake
cover, "Free Ride".
As well as the folk club circuit, Tír na nÓg also toured internationally, as a support act for various rock bands, including Jethro Tull
, Procol Harum
, The Who
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
. In July 1974, the British
music magazine, NME
, reported that the band was to play their final concert
, in Dublin on 27 July that year.
The radio presenter, John Peel
, promoted their music and they performed a number of live sessions for the BBC.
in 1977 and went on to form the band Scullion
with Philip King, Greg Boland and Jimmy O'Brien Moran. O'Kelly pursued a career as a producer and has also released solo albums.
Tír na nÓg reformed in 1985, releasing the single "Love Is Like a Violin
", and have toured sporadically since then. Three more albums have been produced: Hibernian
in 2000, a 1995 live performance in Birmingham, and Spotlight in 2001, from the original John Peel BBC radio sessions in 1972/1973.
In 2010, they launched a new live album, Live at Sirius
, recorded at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, Co. Cork.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band formed in Dublin, 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...
, in 1969 by Leo O'Kelly
Leo O'Kelly
Leo O'Kelly is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He is mainly known as a member of the Irish folk duet Tír na nÓg....
and Sonny Condell
Sonny Condell
Sonny Condell is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and graphic artist. He is mainly known as a member of the Irish bands Tír na nÓg and Scullion. He released some hits in Ireland as a solo artist like "Down in the city" in 1977 that he covered later with the Belgian singer Micha...
. They are often considered as one of the first progressive folk
Progressive folk music
Progressive folk or prog folk was originally a type of American folk music that pursued a progressive political agenda, but in the United Kingdom the term became attached to a sub-genre that rejects or de-emphasizes the conventions of traditional folk music and encourages stylistic or thematic...
bands with other artists like Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
or group like Pentangle
Pentangle (band)
Pentangle are a British folk rock band with some folk jazz influences. The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s and a later version has been active since the early 1980s...
. Their music mainly consists of their own compositions, based on strong Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
roots and typically featuring intricate acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. In their early years, they toured the folk clubs of the United Kingdom or internationally as a support act for several rock bands. Today, they regularly give concerts, especially in Ireland.
From 1971 to 1973, Tír na nÓg made three studio albums which were highly acclaimed by critics but didn't receive a big commercial success. No recording of live performances had been officially released until 2000, with the publication of Hibernian
Hibernian (album)
-Personnel:Tír na nÓg*Sonny Condell – vocals, guitar, Moroccan pottery drums*Leo O'Kelly – vocals, guitar, violinProduction* Alan Hadwin – recording, sleeve notes & layout* Laura Hadwin – front and back cover artworks, sleeve design...
. A compilation of some of their live tracks recorded between 1972 and 1973 for the John Peel's radio show
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, was also published one year later.
Formation of the band
Sonny Condell came from NewtownmountkennedyNewtownmountkennedy
Newtownmountkennedy is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It developed within the historic townland of Ballygarny . It is just off the N11 road to Wexford, just south of Kilpedder and south-west of Greystones. It is about north of Wicklow Town approximately from Dublin.The R772 regional road...
, a remote place in the Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
Hills. His early musical influences were mainly classical music. Before Tír na nÓg were formed, he played with cousin John Roberts as Tramcarr 88. They recorded one single before the breakup of the band.
Leo O'Kelly came from Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
. He was influenced by heavy rock, including Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
and The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. Before the formation of Tír na nÓg he played in several bands starting with local Carlow beat group The Word before joining The Tropical Showband and Emmet Spiceland
Emmet Spiceland
Emmet Spiceland was a band formed when brothers Brian and Michael Byrne of The Spiceland Folk Group joined forces with Donal Lunny, Brian Bolger and Mick Moloney's Emmet Folk Group around 1968, after Mick left the group, forming a quartet....
, with whom he toured.
O'Kelly and Condell met in Dublin in 1969 and discovered a shared ambition to be singer/songwriters. They started playing together, taking the name Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
from Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
, and writing a song of the same name, which recounts the legend of Tír na nÓg. They travelled to London and began touring the folk clubs, and rapidly secured a recording deal with Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
.
1971–1974: performing and recording
Tír na nÓg made three studio albums between 1971 and 1973. The first was called Tír na nÓgTír na nÓg (Tír na nÓg album)
Tír na nÓg is the first album by Irish band Tír na nÓg. It was released on May 1971 in the United Kingdom by Chrysalis Records and distributed by Island Records but was not published in the United States because Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell refused to record a cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm"...
and was produced by Bill Leader
Bill Leader
Bill Leader is an English recording engineer and record producer. He is particularly associated with the British folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s, producing records by Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Frank Harte and others....
. It achieved Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
Album of The Month on its release on May 1971. It featured mainly their own songs, strongly rooted in the Celtic tradition, but also influenced by eastern music. Condell and O'Kelly played acoustic guitars and occasional bongos
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
and other percussion instruments. Their guitar work was intricate and complex, leading to their being compared to bands such as The Incredible String Band and Pentangle
Pentangle (band)
Pentangle are a British folk rock band with some folk jazz influences. The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s and a later version has been active since the early 1980s...
. However, their style was quite distinctive. Often, they would use different open tunings for their two guitars.
Their second album A Tear and a Smile
A Tear and a Smile
A Tear and a Smile is the second album by Irish band Tír na nÓg. It was released in the United Kingdom on 7 April 1972 by Chrysalis Records and was the first Tír na nÓg album to be released in the United States, in October 1972. The tracklist is different between the US and the UK releases...
was released in 1972 and produced by Tony Cox. This featured similar material to the first album. However, with their third album Strong in the Sun
Strong in the Sun
-Personnel:*Sonny Condell - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pottery drums, jaw harp*Leo O'Kelly - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric lead guitar, dulcimer, violin*Matthew Fisher - keyboards, production*Geoff Emerick - engineering-Additional personnel:...
(released in 1973), produced by Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
organist Matthew Fisher
Matthew Fisher
Matthew Fisher is an English organist and singer-songwriter, and was responsible for the organ sound on the 1967 single, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum.-Biography:...
who also played keyboards on the album, they introduced more electric instruments and drums. From Alan Robinson's 2004 liner notes to BGO's reissue of this and the previous album on one CD: "..Certainly, of the three original Tír na nÓg albums, Strong in the Sun is by far the most conventional, most mainstream, although that's not to say that Fisher had ironed out all of the band's entertainingly whimsical rough edges. Fisher gave a bit of a more clearly-defined shape and a greater depth to their sound, neatly framing the duo's contrasting vocal styles." Robinson also remarked that this high quality album didn't "reverse the duo's sales fortunes" and that it opened with "that rarest of things", a Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
cover, "Free Ride".
As well as the folk club circuit, Tír na nÓg also toured internationally, as a support act for various rock bands, including Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
. In July 1974, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music magazine, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, reported that the band was to play their final concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, in Dublin on 27 July that year.
The radio presenter, John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, promoted their music and they performed a number of live sessions for the BBC.
Later years
After the breakup of Tír na nÓg in 1974, they both returned to Ireland to pursue solo careers. Condell recorded a solo album called CamouflageCamouflage (Sonny Condell album)
Camouflage is the debut solo album by Irish musician Sonny Condell. It was released in 1977 in Ireland by Mulligan Music.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Sonny Condell – acoustic guitar, vocals, saxophone, percussion* Jolyon Jackson – keyboards, cello...
in 1977 and went on to form the band Scullion
Scullion (group)
Scullion is an Irish folk rock band that came into being in the mid 1970s. They were quite popular in Ireland, and released several LPs, but only two CDs have been released to date - the compilation Ghosts And Heroes on the Kitten label in 1992 and another compilation Eyelids into Snow - A...
with Philip King, Greg Boland and Jimmy O'Brien Moran. O'Kelly pursued a career as a producer and has also released solo albums.
Tír na nÓg reformed in 1985, releasing the single "Love Is Like a Violin
Love Is Like a Violin
"Love Is Like a Violin" is a song by Irish band Tír na nÓg. It was released in early April 1985 as a single, with a new version of "Daisy Lady" as its B-side to coincide with a 14-date Irish tour after the reunification of the band...
", and have toured sporadically since then. Three more albums have been produced: Hibernian
Hibernian (album)
-Personnel:Tír na nÓg*Sonny Condell – vocals, guitar, Moroccan pottery drums*Leo O'Kelly – vocals, guitar, violinProduction* Alan Hadwin – recording, sleeve notes & layout* Laura Hadwin – front and back cover artworks, sleeve design...
in 2000, a 1995 live performance in Birmingham, and Spotlight in 2001, from the original John Peel BBC radio sessions in 1972/1973.
In 2010, they launched a new live album, Live at Sirius
Live at Sirius
-Personnel:*Sonny Condell – vocal, guitar, jews harp, Moroccan pottery drums*Leo O'Kelly – vocal, guitar, violin, drum programmingProduction* Louise McCormick – recording, mixing at Manor Studio, Cobh* John Crone – recording* David O'Toole – cover design...
, recorded at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, Co. Cork.
Discography
- Tír na nÓgTír na nÓg (Tír na nÓg album)Tír na nÓg is the first album by Irish band Tír na nÓg. It was released on May 1971 in the United Kingdom by Chrysalis Records and distributed by Island Records but was not published in the United States because Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell refused to record a cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm"...
(1971) - A Tear and a SmileA Tear and a SmileA Tear and a Smile is the second album by Irish band Tír na nÓg. It was released in the United Kingdom on 7 April 1972 by Chrysalis Records and was the first Tír na nÓg album to be released in the United States, in October 1972. The tracklist is different between the US and the UK releases...
(1972) - Strong in the SunStrong in the Sun-Personnel:*Sonny Condell - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pottery drums, jaw harp*Leo O'Kelly - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric lead guitar, dulcimer, violin*Matthew Fisher - keyboards, production*Geoff Emerick - engineering-Additional personnel:...
(1973) - In the Morning (1999)
- HibernianHibernian (album)-Personnel:Tír na nÓg*Sonny Condell – vocals, guitar, Moroccan pottery drums*Leo O'Kelly – vocals, guitar, violinProduction* Alan Hadwin – recording, sleeve notes & layout* Laura Hadwin – front and back cover artworks, sleeve design...
(2000) - Spotlight (2001)
- Live at SiriusLive at Sirius-Personnel:*Sonny Condell – vocal, guitar, jews harp, Moroccan pottery drums*Leo O'Kelly – vocal, guitar, violin, drum programmingProduction* Louise McCormick – recording, mixing at Manor Studio, Cobh* John Crone – recording* David O'Toole – cover design...
(2010)