
Rónán Ó Snodaigh (born 1 January 1970 in Dublin, Ireland) is a songwriter, composer, musician,
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
and founding member and lead vocalist in the musical group
Kíla
Kíla is an Irish folk music group formed in 1987 in Coláiste Eoin, an Irish language secondary school in County Dublin.
History
Early formation
The original lineup of the band included Rossa Ó Snodaigh (whistle and Bones (instrument), bon ...
. He has revolutionised the playing of the bodhrán and written many songs in Irish and English. He has written and released seven solo albums.
Amongst the many percussion instruments Ó Snodaigh plays are
bodhrán
The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A Goatskin (material), goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or ot ...
,
djembe
A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa.
According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...
,
congas
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...
, and
bongos
Bongos (Spanish language, Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cubans, Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' ...
. As regards stringed instruments he plays the guitar and to a lesser extent the
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
.
He is the second youngest of six boys born to historian and publisher
Pádraig Ó Snodaigh
Pádraig Ó Snodaigh (born Oliver Snoddy; 18 May 1935 – 2 January 2025) was an Irish language activist, poet, writer, and publisher. He worked for the Irish Electricity Supply Board, and later in the National Museum of Ireland. He was a pre ...
and sculptor Cliodhna Cussen. He is a brother of politician
Aengus Ó Snodaigh and of course his bandmates Colm and Rossa Ó Snodaigh. He has four children and a stepson and currently lives in Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Rónán has toured with
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are a British-Australian band founded in Melbourne in 1981 by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, before relocating to London the following year. The Australian music historian Ian McFarlane described Dead Can Dance's style as "const ...
and
Lisa Gerard. He composed music for nature documentaries ''Wild Journeys'' and ''The Eagles Return'' and played and recorded with a myriad of performers one of whom is the late
Mic Christopher on his album ''Skylarking''.
Early life and career
Rónán was born on 1 January 1970 and grew up as the second youngest of six boys in an Irish-speaking family in Sandymount, Dublin. He attended
Scoil Lorcáin in Monkstown and at the age of 12 got his first bodhrán as a present from his mother, who thought that this might help him join the rest of his brothers who were excelling in singing and whistle playing. He then went on to attend
Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin is a Catholic voluntary Gaelcholáiste (Irish language scondary school) for boys, under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It has hurling and Gaelic football teams, traditio ...
where he got bodhrán lessons from an ex-pupil who was doing his H-dip. In third year he joined his younger brother Rossa's band as the bodhrán player. Around this time he began writing poetry and self-published a variety of collections that he sold to his counterparts in school. Since his 20s he has produced three collections of lyrics and poems and since his 30s he has released seven solo CDs.
From the age of 16 he immersed himself in the street music scene in Dublin in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and has been a member of the band Kíla since they formed in 1987. He was in the
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are a British-Australian band founded in Melbourne in 1981 by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, before relocating to London the following year. The Australian music historian Ian McFarlane described Dead Can Dance's style as "const ...
lineup for the "
Toward the Within
Toward () is a village near Dunoon, west of Scotland, in the south of the Cowal Peninsula.
During World War II, the Toward area was a training centre called HMS ''Brontosaurus'' also known as the No 2 Combined Training Centre (CTC), based at ...
" Tour and toured with Lisa Gerard on her debut solo tour. Rónán released his first solo album ''Tip Toe'' with Simon O Reily and a host of other musicians in 2001, and has gone on to record another six with his most recent being a solo album in both English and Irish.
During the pandemic Rónán teamed up with Myles O Reilly recording the song Tá'n tádh Liom (Luck is With Me) which Myles created ambient electronic backing to. Following the surprise success of the single they went on to record an album Tá Go Maith in Shell Cottage Cellbridge, which was released to critical acclaim in 2021 and a follow up album The Beautiful Road in 2023. They are currently touring together around Ireland and internationally.
Singing style
Rónán's singing style owes more to reggae toasting than to any form of traditional Irish singing. Initially his bodhrán playing and poetry writing were two separate expressions. He did not have much confidence in his own voice since being asked to leave the primary school choir. But upon a visit to Camden market in London in the late eighties he saw rastas toasting to backing music. The lyrics were not being sung but recited. He then began the process of trying to vocalise his written work with bodhrán accompaniment. The first song he recorded with
Kíla
Kíla is an Irish folk music group formed in 1987 in Coláiste Eoin, an Irish language secondary school in County Dublin.
History
Early formation
The original lineup of the band included Rossa Ó Snodaigh (whistle and Bones (instrument), bon ...
on ''Handel's Fantasy (1993)'' was called "Cathain", this song was picked up by Liam Ó Maonlaí, who sang it with his group
The Hothouse Flowers.
Discography
*
Tip Toe' (2001)
*
Tonnta Ró' (2004)
*
The Playdays' (2005)
*
The Last Mile Home' (2007)
*
Water of a Ducks Back' (2010)
*
Sos' (2013)
*
Ór agus Airgead' (2017)
*
Tá Go Maith' (2021)
*
The Beautiful Road(2023)''
*
Capall Bán Fút' (2025) -
Bibliography
*
Luascadán' (2003, published by Coiscéim)
*
Songs' (2004, published by Kíla)
*
The Garden Wars' (2007, published by Small World Media, Ireland)
External links
*
Biographical details on Kíla's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osnodaigh, Ronan
1970 births
Living people
21st-century Irish male singers
Bodhrán players
21st-century Irish-language poets
Irish male singer-songwriters
Irish singer-songwriters
Musicians from County Dublin
ga:Kíla