Jimmy Monaghan (Irish: Seamus Ó Muíneacháin) is an Irish musician from

Belmullet Belmullet (, IPA: �bʲeːlənˠˈwʊɾˠhəd̪ˠ is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of 1,019 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony (Ireland), barony of Erris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the commercial and cul ...

, Ireland. He has released music as a solo artist, and as a member of the

anti-folk Anti-folk (sometimes spelled antifolk) is a music genre that emerged in the 1980s in New York City, founded by the musician, author and comedian Lach, as a reaction to the commercialization of folk music. It is characterized by its DIY ethos, ...

band Music for Dead Birds.

Music

In 2007, he formed Music for Dead Birds with drummer Dónal Walsh in

Galway city Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

. One of the band's first gigs was a live performance on Anocht FM from the Roisin Dubh in August 2007. Their debut album, '' And then it rained for seven days'', was released in 2009 by the Irish record label Rusted Rail. This was followed by the independently released '' The Pope's Sister'', a concept album about the influence of the

Catholic church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in Ireland, in 2011, ''

Vitamins Vitamins are organic molecules (or a set of closely related molecules called vitamers) that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism in suff ...

'' in 2014, and ''Pagan Blessings'' in 2018. He began releasing

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

instrumental music in 2011, with ''

The Connacht Tribune The ''Connacht Tribune'' (''An Curadh Connachtach'') is a newspaper circulating chiefly in County Galway, Ireland. Published as a regional newspaper for County Galway, the Tribune Group prints two titles every week - the ''Connacht Tribune'' on ...

'' writing in 2022 that; "Through five albums he has approached ambient, instrumental soundscapes with piano melodies, gentle guitar, percussion and field recordings – using his music to reflect the calm and space of the areas that inspire it." In July 2012, Psychonavigation Records released his debut solo album Seamus O'Muineachain. ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'' reviewed the album positively, calling it a "tremulous if tranquil success." To promote the album he performed at The Electric Picnic festival and

Whelan's Whelan's is a pub and music venue in Dublin, Ireland. Profile Numerous international artists have played at the venue, including Jeff Buckley, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kate Nash, Townes Van Zandt, Damien Rice and Allen Toussaint. The pub was ...

, Dublin. In 2013, his song ''Alone In Nature (Without Technology)'' was featured on an An Taobh Tuathail compilation released by

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

. In 2017 he produced and released his second solo album ''

Cloves Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, ...

''. In 2019, he released the album '' City of Lakes'' while living in

Hanoi, Vietnam Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

. In March 2020,

KEXP KEXP-FM (90.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a non-commercial Radio broadcasting, radio station in Seattle, Seattle, Washington, United States, specializing in indie music programmed by its disc jockeys. KEXP's studios are located at the Seattle Cent ...

premiered a track from his fourth solo album ''

Blue Moon Set ''Blue Moon Set'' is the fourth solo album by Irish ambient musician Seamus Ó Muíneacháin. The album was broadcast on several major radio stations, including BBC Radio 6, RTÉ, KEXP, and WFMU, and received a positive critical reception. Bac ...

''. The album received a positive review in ''

Rockerilla ''Rockerilla'' is a monthly Italy-based music and cinema magazine founded in 1978. It has collaborated with, among others, Richard Bertoncelli and Guido Chiesa. According to Federico Guglielmi, ''Rockerilla'' was followed by those most passionat ...

'' magazine, and was featured on

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It primarily plays a wide range of alternative music, from established and emerging artists and bands. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station t ...

. Several music videos were created for the album, including a video for ''Slow Closing Day'' by Irish experimental film-maker

Maximilian Le Cain Maximilian Le Cain (born 1978) is an Irish filmmaker, cinephile and film critic living in Cork City, Ireland. His always-personal, formally experimental work has included narrative, documentary, and video art installation, although it mostly wa ...

. In 2022, he released the albums '' Different Time Zones'' and ''

Isthmus An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...

''. In 2012, he released an album with Aisling Walsh under the name Christian Bookshop. ''

Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a monthly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who cont ...

'' wrote that the project was "an acoustic folk duo in the classic mode, with a decidedly lo-fi approach." Also during 2012, he played the drums for the

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

-based folk band Yawning Chasm. From 2013-2014, he released a trilogy of lo-fi punk albums under the name ''The Crytearions''. Irish website ''Thumped'' called the project "Uncompromising, entirely unpolished and, in places, not entirely pleasant." Monaghan has stated that his early musical influences were

Irish traditional music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

and

nu-metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guita ...

Writing

In 2011, his

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the liste ...

''Thumb'' was shortlisted for the

PJ O'Connor Award. In 2022, he began writing under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Jay Honeycomb. Working primarily in music journalism, he contributed to the webzine ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'', interviewing musicians including Mike Scott and

Eiko Ishibashi is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She has frequently worked with Jim O'Rourke (musician), Jim O'Rourke, with O'Rourke producing several of her albums and Ishibashi playing on his album Simple Songs (Jim O'Rourke album), Simple Song ...

. In June 2022, he self-published the novella ''Post-Bliss''. The Midwest Book Review called the novella "an evocative creation that challenges heart and mind on many different levels: psychologically, socially, ecologically, and ethically."

Self-Publishing Review ''SPR'' is an online pay-to-play book review magazine for indie authors founded in 2008 by American author Henry Baum (born June 29, 1972) is an American writer, blogger, and musician. He is considered an integral part of the Rebel Inc. writing ...

reviewed the book positively, writing; "A raw and savagely contemporary novella, Post-Bliss by Jay Honeycomb taps into the fears and existential angst of today through tangential, subtle, and compelling storytelling."

Personal life

Monaghan was born in

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest ...

, and moved to Ireland at the age of six. He is of Irish and Italian descent. As a teenager, he was an amateur

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, winning four Irish national titles. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Four Nations tournament boxing for Ireland and received the

Western People The ''Western People'' is a weekly local newspaper published in Ballina, County Mayo in Ireland. It was first published in 1883. The newspaper was part of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings group. Thomas Crosbie Holdings went into receivership in Ma ...

Sports Star of the year award the same year. During his time representing Ireland internationally he fought against the German amateur boxer Gottlieb Weiss. In 2015, he appeared in a Maltese stage production of ''

Butterflies Are Free ''Butterflies Are Free'' is a 1972 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Milton Katselas from a screenplay by Leonard Gershe, based on Gershe's 1969 play. The film stars Goldie Hawn, Eileen Heckart, and Edward Albert. It follows ...

'', which ran at

Saint James Cavalier Saint James Cavalier () is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta, Malta, which was built by the Order of St John. It overlooks St James' Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front. St James was one of nine plan ...

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

. In 2016, an image of him cycling on the

Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( ; , ) or The Arans ( ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony (Ireland), barony of Aran in ...

was used on an Irish

post stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...

promoting the

Wild Atlantic Way The Wild Atlantic Way () is a Scenic route, tourism trail on the west coast, and on parts of the north and south coasts, of Ireland. The 2,500 km (1,553 mile) driving route passes through nine Counties of Ireland, counties and three Provinces ...

. He is an amateur

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

player.

Discography

As Seamus O'Muineachain ''Albums'' * '' Seamus O'Muineachain'', 2012 * ''

'', 2017 * '' City of Lakes'', 2019 * ''

'', 2020 * '' Different Time Zones'', 2022 * ''

'', 2022 * ''

Liminality In anthropology, liminality () is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they ...

'', 2024 ''EPs'' * ''Stamford, CT. Circa 1941'', 2014 * ''Blood Apple'', 2015 * ''Unnamed Cafe, Hoang Hoa Tham, 2018 * ''Sycamore EP'', 2021 With Music for Dead Birds ''Albums'' * '' And then it rained for seven days'', 2009, Rusted Rail * '' The Pope's Sister'', 2011 * ''

'', 2014 * ''Pagan Blessings'', 2018 ''EPs'' * ''Black Tides Falling'', 2010 * ''Your Brand New Life'', 2015 * ''Nail & Tooth EP'', 2017 ''Singles'' * ''English Weed/What A Waste'', 2015. * ''Summer in Suburbia/Untied'', 2020. As The Crytearions ''Albums'' * ''The Crytearions'', 2013, Dramacore * ''I See What It Is And I Am Scared'', 2013 * ''These Songs Hate You'', 2015 ''Compilations'' *''The Crytearions: Selected Recordings from the Album Trilogy'', 2016 Other * '' Christian Bookshop'', Owl & Hat Records, 2012 * ''Spain'', 2019

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monaghan, Jimmy 1988 births Living people Musicians from County Mayo Irish male singer-songwriters Irish singer-songwriters 21st-century Irish male singers Irish people of Italian descent People from Belmullet