Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

Eithne Ní Uallacháin Eithne Ní Uallacháin (1 January 1957 – 19 May 1999) was an Irish singer, songwriter, and former teacher from County Louth, Ireland. Early life Eithne was born in an Irish-speaking household to Pádraig Ó hUallacháin (1912-1974) and Eit ...

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer, songwriter, and academic writer from Ireland.Len Graham.

Career

1996–2005: Lá Lugh to festivals

O'Connor's first recorded fiddle work appeared on ''Brighid's Kiss'' in 1996, an album by Lá Lugh, his parents' group. That year, the album was voted ''Album of the Year'' by Irish Music Magazine readers. In 2001, O'Connor was invited to join Mike McGoldrick, John McSherry and Paul McSherry to launch 'At First Light' VERTCD061 on a tour of Ireland and subsequently at Helsinki Folk Festival, Open House Festival, Return to Camden Town, Copenhagen Irish Festival and Dranouter Folk Festival in Belgium. That year, he produced Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin's ''Laoi Faoi'', which was nominated for the

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, ...

/Réalt Song Contest. In 2003, O'Connor featured on '' New Irish Hymns'' (released as ''In Christ Alone'' in the United States) by

Moya Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

, Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg with compositions by

Keith Getty Julian Keith Getty (born 16 December 1974) is a Northern Irish businessman, Christian singer and songwriter, best known for writing the song " In Christ Alone" in 2001 with veteran songwriter and worship leader Stuart Townend. Getty and his ...

and in the summer of that year presented the

BBC Radio Ulster BBC Radio Ulster is a Northern Ireland, Northern Irish national radio station owned and operated by BBC Northern Ireland, a division of the BBC. It was established on New Year's Day 1975, replacing what had been an opt-out of BBC Radio 4. Acc ...

programme ''Cualán''. O'Connor acted as music teaching consultant on the 2003 film, '' The Boys and Girl from County Clare'', directed by

John Irvin John Irvin (born 7 May 1940) is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (miniseries), ada ...

and starring

Andrea Corr Andrea Jane Corr (born 17 May 1974) is an Irish musician and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon and Jim. Aside from singi ...

,

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor. Known for his performances across screen and stage, he has received seven nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning twice for 2001's '' How Harry Became a Tree'', and ...

and

Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (17 December 1944 – 5 May 2024) was an English actor. He was known for his versatile roles in both television and film, and his career spanned over fifty years. Hill first gained prominence as the troubled hard man Yosser Hughes ...

. O'Connor performed with

Neil Martin Neil Martin (born 20 October 1940) is a Scottish former association football, football player, who scored 100 league goals in both Scotland and England and won three full international caps for Scotland in the 1960s and 1970s. Known for his str ...

's The West Ocean String Quartet on RTÉ's ''The Raw Bar'' in 2004 and with Gerry O'Connor on

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

's ''Ceol i gCuideachta'' and on TG4's '' Geantraí''. He again in 2004 featured on Irish-language television station TG4's broadcast of ''Sé Mo Laoch'', that year focussing on the life and work of his paternal grandmother Rose O'Connor. O'Connor appeared on Brian Kennedy's 2004 album ''On Song'' and on Gerry O'Connor's ''Journeyman'', which he also co-produced.

2006–2010: Tripswitch and Six Days in Down

In April 2006, O'Connor released '' Tripswitch'', a collaboration with uilleann piper and

Lúnasa Lughnasadh, Lughnasa or Lúnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Traditionally, it is held on 1 August, or about hal ...

co-founder

John McSherry John Patrick McSherry (September 11, 1944April 1, 1996) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1971 until his death. McSherry wore uniform number 9 when he entered the National League, then wore n ...

. Compositions by the duo and collaborators feature Irish, Celtic and Celtiberian musical influences. ''Tripswitch'' was well received by critics, with positive reviews in

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 ...

, The Living Tradition,

The Irish Echo ''The Irish Echo'' is a weekly Irish-American newspaper based in Manhattan in the United States. In 2007, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Irish businessman and publisher of the '' Andersonstown News'', purchased the paper. Founded in 1928, it bills i ...

and

Songlines A songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) within the animist belief systems of the Aboriginal cultures of Australia. They mark the route followed by localised "creator-beings" in the Dr ...

. O'Connor and McSherry chose the name At First Light for their touring band, performing on TG4's '' Geantraí'' (and featuring on the CD/DVD recording of the 2006 series),

RTÉ Radio 1 RTÉ Radio 1 () is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926. The total budget for the station in 2010 w ...

's ''The Late Session'', BBC Radio Ulster's ''Blas'' and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta to promote the album. In Spring 2006, O'Connor presented

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

's 10-part music series, ''An Stuif Ceart'' and in 2007 appeared on ''Blas Ceoil'' (BBC Two) and BBC Radio Ulster's ''Arts Extra''. In 2008, O'Connor was commissioned to compose

idents Station identification (ident, network ID, channel ID or bumper (broadcasting), bumper) is the practice of radio and television stations and broadcast network, networks identifying themselves on-air, typically by means of a call sign or brand na ...

for BBC Radio Ulster's Irish language department whilst also touring extensively, including performances at

Temple Bar TradFest TradFest is an annual music and culture festival that takes place at the end of January in Dublin, Ireland. The festival, which celebrates Irish traditional and folk music and cultural offerings, was founded by the Temple Bar Company, a not-for ...

, Return to Camden Town and William Kennedy International Piping Festival. 2009 saw O'Connor return with at First Light to Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival and World Folk Cultures Festival in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, also performing in Ireland and Paris. In 2010, he released '' Six Days in Down'' with John McSherry and American guitarist

Bob Brozman Bob Brozman (March 8, 1954 – April 23, 2013) was an American guitarist and ethnomusicologist. Biography Brozman was born to a Jewish family in Long Island, New York, and began playing the guitar when he was six. He was an adjunct professor ...

. The trio appeared on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

's

Late Junction ''Late Junction'' is a music programme broadcast weekly on Friday nights by BBC Radio 3. Billed as "Journeys in music, ancient to future. The home for adventurous listeners.", the programme has a wide musical scope. It is not uncommon to hear me ...

among others to discuss the album. The group performed in the UK an Ireland to promote the album. ''Six Days in Down'' was co-produced by O'Connor and featured traditional singer Stephanie Makem, niece of

Tommy Makem Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an Irish folk music, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, tin whistle, l ...

. In 2009 O'Connor also performed with at First Light at The Irish Festival of Oulu, Finland.

2011–present

In 2011, O'Connor was commissioned by

Louth County Council Louth County Council () is the local authority of County Louth, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning an ...

to compose and record a suite of music. '' Gort na Glaise'' was performed as part of the Drogheda Traditional Music weekend alongside Neil Martin and Michael McCague in an event also featuring writer and climber Dermot Somers. O'Connor was also commissioned that year by The Armagh Pipers Club to arrange and orchestrate a number of traditional tunes to be performed by an Uilleann pipe orchestra of 45 players. The

orchestrations Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

were performed at the 18th William Kennedy Piping Festival and was recorded by the Irish Traditional Music Archive. O'Connor received a second such commission in 2012. O'Connor produced, arranged and played on

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

singer Gráinne Holland's debut album, ''Teanga na nGael'', released in August 2011. In Autumn 2011, he released ''

Idir Idir may refer to: People * Ali Idir (born 1966), Algerian judoka * Idir (singer) (1949–2020), Algerian singer-songwriter and musician * Idir Khourta (born 1986), French-born Algerian table tennis player * Idir Ouali (born 1988), French-Algerian ...

'', his band's debut album and first release since at First Light took their name to promote O'Connor and McSherry's ''Tripswitch''. The group toured extensively throughout Europe to promote the album, making their third appearance at the Celtic Connections festival. ''Idir'' was released in the United States by

Compass Records Compass Records is an American independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown that specializes in folk, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, and acoustic music. In 2006, Compass purchased the Green Linnet and Xenophil ...

in 2012. In August 2012, O'Connor produced Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin's album '' LET THE FAIRIES IN'', released on

Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

night 2012. He was commissioned to compose the

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

for ''Shalom – Belfast'', a feature film produced which will be broadcast on Israel's Channel 8 in 2012, and will appear at major film festivals. O'Connor and John McSherry are annual performers at

The Soma Festival The Soma Festival (, or ''sóma'', meaning ''drink of the Gods'', see Soma (drink); ) is an annual music, arts, and cultural festival. The festival includes concerts, musical performances, well-being activities, art exhibitions, food and drink st ...

in

Castlewellan Castlewellan () is a small town in County Down, in the south-east of Northern Ireland close to the Irish Sea. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve ...

,

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...

. In 2015 O'Connor joined longtime collaborator John McSherry and '' Beoga''s Sean Óg Graham to record ''

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

''. A hefty touring schedule ensued and the trio have since collaborated with Mary Dillon of '' Deanta'', Liam Ó Maonlaí

Hothouse Flowers Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock band that combine traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock. Formed in 1985 in Dublin, they started as street performers. Their first album, ''People'' (1988), was the most successf ...

, Ríoghnach Connolly, and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh formerly of Danú. In 2017 Ulaid & Belfast songster

Duke Special Duke Special (born Peter Wilson; 4 January 1971) is an Irish songwriter and performer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A piano-based songwriter with a romantic style and a warm, distinctly accented voice, he was previously known for his di ...

joined forces to record a live record 'A Note Let Go'. Charting the story of Belfast through song they occasionally come together to perform live. O'Connor continues to produce records from his Redbox recording Studios in Belfast and also acts as producer and music supervisor on traditional music programmes for broadcasters in Ireland and the UK such as RTE, TG4, BBC NI and BBC Alba.

Discography

;Albums *2017 – A Note Let Go (Ulaid & Duke Special) *2015 –

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

– (John McSherry, Dónal O'Connor & Seán Óg Graham) *2012 –

Idir Idir may refer to: People * Ali Idir (born 1966), Algerian judoka * Idir (singer) (1949–2020), Algerian singer-songwriter and musician * Idir Khourta (born 1986), French-born Algerian table tennis player * Idir Ouali (born 1988), French-Algerian ...

(At First Light) *2011 – Gort na Glaise Dónal O'Connor *2008 – Six Days in Down (with

Bob Brozman Bob Brozman (March 8, 1954 – April 23, 2013) was an American guitarist and ethnomusicologist. Biography Brozman was born to a Jewish family in Long Island, New York, and began playing the guitar when he was six. He was an adjunct professor ...

and John McSherry) *2006 – Tripswitch (John McSherry & Dónal O'Connor)

Further credits

;(Co-)Producer *2004 – Journeyman (Gerry O'Connor) *2010 – Beo: Live at Maddens (Various artists) *2010 – About Time (Stevie Dunne) *2012 – Teanga na nGael (Gráinne Holland) *2012 – Let the Faries in (Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin) *2013 – The sun, the moon, the stars... and other moving objects (David Dee Moore) *2013 – Celtic Psalms (Kiran Young Wimberly) *2014 – Bilingua (

Eithne Ní Uallacháin Eithne Ní Uallacháin (1 January 1957 – 19 May 1999) was an Irish singer, songwriter, and former teacher from County Louth, Ireland. Early life Eithne was born in an Irish-speaking household to Pádraig Ó hUallacháin (1912-1974) and Eit ...

) *2015 – Skorsa : The Riddle of the Earth – (Susan Grace Bates) *2015 – Boy in a Boat – (Barry Kerr) *2015 – Súile – (Clann Mhic Ruairí) *2015 – Crossroads – (Marco Fabri) *2015 – The Northern Concertina – (Jason O'Rourke) *2015 – Gaelré – (Gráinne Holland) *2015 – Good Morning to Your Nightcap – (Paul Maguire, Ruadhraí O'Kane, Desy Adams & Ryan O'Donnell) *2015 – Ulaid – (John McSherry, Dónal O'Connor & Seán Óg Graham) *2016 – Clear Skies – (Réalta) *2016 – Tús Nua – (Gatehouse) *2017 – The Fox's Lament – (Martin Meehan) *2017 – A Note Let Go – (Ulaid & Duke Special) *2018 – Autumn Winds – (Niall Hanna) *2018 – Last Night's Joy – (Gerry O'Connor) *2018 – Up She Flew – (Steph Geremia) *2019 – Heather Down the Moor – (Gatehouse) *2019 – A Snapshot in Time – (Paula & Melanie Houton) *2024 –

Seven Daughters of the Sea ''Seven Daughters of the Sea - Seacht nIníon na Mara'' (or ''Seven Daughters of the Sea'') is the tenth studio album from Irish singer Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin. Released January 2024. Track listing Personnel Musicians *Pádraigín Ní Ual ...

(

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer, songwriter, and academic writer from Ireland.New Irish Hymns (

Moya Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...

, Joanne Hogg, Margaret Becker) *2004 – On Song ( Brian Kennedy) *2005 – Bye a While (Pádraig Rynne) *2010 – Soma (

John McSherry John Patrick McSherry (September 11, 1944April 1, 1996) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1971 until his death. McSherry wore uniform number 9 when he entered the National League, then wore n ...

) *2017 – Gossamer (Pauline Scanlon) *2018 – Foxglove & Fuscia (Muireann NicAmhlaoibh) *2019 – Swimming the Horses (Gerry O'Beirne) *2020 – Thar Toinn (Muireann NicAmhlaoibh) *2021 – Neadú (Muireann NicAmhlaoibh) *2024 –

Seven Daughters of the Sea ''Seven Daughters of the Sea - Seacht nIníon na Mara'' (or ''Seven Daughters of the Sea'') is the tenth studio album from Irish singer Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin. Released January 2024. Track listing Personnel Musicians *Pádraigín Ní Ual ...

(

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin is an Irish singer, songwriter, and academic writer from Ireland.
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atfirstlight.net Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Donal Year of birth missing (living people) Folk fiddlers Irish male fiddlers Irish record producers Living people Musicians from County Louth People from Dundalk Irish television presenters 21st-century Irish fiddlers Vertical Records artists Broadcasters from County Louth 20th-century Irish fiddlers 20th-century Irish male musicians 21st-century Irish male musicians 20th-century Irish folk musicians 21st-century Irish folk musicians