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The road less traveled has been the favourite stomping ground for Seán Tyrrell and this journey with ‘The Walker of the Snow’ which has been more than five years in the making takes us on another extraordinary musical journey. In the words of Eamonn MC Cann “No other writer or singer in Ireland would have apprehended the shadow much less made substance of this cycle of songs. This is an album to be listened to gently for the enjoyment of its gusto. It deserves the widest possible audience”.
Its title track is based on a poem by the 19th century Dublin poet Charles Dawson Shanley a mesmerising, ghostly tale set in the Yukon presented in a sparse acoustic style, as are the other songs on this new CD, including Seán’s version of the Tom Paxton classic ‘Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound’ and a hair raising rendition of ‘She Moves Through The Fair’. It was the imagery of Batt O’Connor’s ‘Seal Tamall Ar Strae’ and Seán’s love of the Irish language and his ongoing desire to improve his command of it that has brought this song to the album. He has brought a new lease of life to another old gem ‘You Are My Sunshine’ which will have you dancing around the kitchen.
 FANORE SONGNIGHTS are proud to announce the preview launch of Seán’s new CD ‘The Walker of the Snow’ at Vasco Restaurant, Fanore on Friday, 18 May.The event will start at 8.30pm; after the introduction by Fanore Songnights’ Fear an Tí Michael Clerkin, Seán will perform songs from his new album.
‘The Walker of the Snow’ has been more than five years in the making. Its title track is based on a poem by the Dublin-born poet Charles Dawson Shanly and was first published in 1859. Seán originally recorded it in 1990 for Davy Spillane’s album ‘Shadow Hunter’, but it is presented here in a sparser acoustic style, as are the other songs on this new CD, including Seán’s version of the Tom Paxton classic ‘Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound’. Seán has performed most of the songs on the new album in concert over the years, but they have never been collected on CD until now. ‘The Walker of the Snow’ is Seán’s sixth solo album, and copies will be available on the night.
Admission is € 15. In addition, Vasco Restaurant offers a combination ticket: dinner (between 6.30pm and 8pm) + concert for € 25.
We look forward to meeting you on 18 May! Early booking is essential, as the seating capacity for this small-scale, intimate performance is strictly limited. For bookings, please phone Karen at (065) 7076020.
‘… one of the supreme singers not just of the Burren, Clare or the west of Ireland, but of the whole country. Seán Tyrrell is the Real McCoy.’ (Paul Clements, Burren Country. The Collins Press, 2011)
Other dates on Seán’s touring schedule:
Fri, 25 May: The Crane Bar, Galway (official launch)
Sat, 26 May: Markethouse Theatre, Miltown Malbay
 It is a long time in the coming but at last it is about to be released a new Cd in May on Cló Iar -Chonnachta ‘So The Story Goes’ with my two good friends and longtime time collaborators Kevin Glackin and Ronan Browne. It was well worth being involved if only for the first selection of tunes a pair of the sweetest hornpipes you are likey to hear. But there is a lot more than that as you would expect when you are in the company of such great musicians.
Close friends for many decades, Seán, Kevin and Ronan have toured and played socially since the early 1980s. Years of pressure from fans and friends have at last led to them making this recording of songs and tunes.Unsurprisingly, this CD is true to their concert performances – a comfortable balance of gentle and wild pieces, never suffering from that immobilising modern ailment, over-production; just warm, friendly music and song. The tracks are rounded out beautifully by the delicately responsive accompaniment of three fine musicians, Fergus Feely on mandola, Jimmy Fitzgerald on guitar and Paul O’Driscoll on double bass.
 Having spent a most amazing month on Inis Oírr as the artist in residence I am back in Ireland again and about to set off on some gigs in the near future these are the ones in so far. While out on the island I was working on and putting some of the finishing touches to Who Killed James Joyce which I am launching at Cuirt in Galway in April.
In this my new show, ‘Who Killed James Joyce’ I have once again returned to the brimming well of Irish poetry and summoned a meitheal of poets, from both living and the dead, to bring home a bountiful literary harvest. Most of these poems have not been previously set to music and from the moment I clapped eyes on them they sung to me.
The poems included are:
Patrick Kavanagh, Who Killed James Joyce.
James Joyce, Gas From a Burner.
WB Yeats, Host of The air, The Stolen Child.
Mairtin Ó Direáin, Fís An Daill.
Louise Mc Neice, ‘Prognosis’ and Bagpipe Music.
Michael Hartnett, Ballad of The State of The Nation and I Can Read You Like A Book.
Oscar Wilde’s, Reading Gaol, Requiescat.
Padhraig Pearse, Bean tShleibhe ag Caoineadh a Mic.
Seamus Heaney, ‘Poem’
Rita Ann Higgins, Ode to Rahoon.
Mary O’Malley, Hormones
Connie O Halloran, Hung Out to Dry.
Paul Durcan, Making Love Outside Áras an Uachtaráin.
Phil Gaston, The World is Turning.
Seán Ó Ríordáin Cúl An Tí.
Oliver St John Gogarty, Ringsend. St
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“If you’re lucky you come across a voice like Seán’s once in a lifetime”,