Typically, The Wedding… isn’t without its light-hearted moments – along with the ring of his bouzouki and his unmatched vocal, a signature feature of a Daoirí Farrell album is ‘a song about a dog’ in this case the cautionary tale for betting folk in the unaccompanied Murphy’s Running Dog, whilst ‘Clasped To The Pig’ comes complete with a chorus that will surely be a bring-the-house-down moment when played live. Paddy Kiernan on the 5 string banjo puts in a real shift here mirroring the sentiment of standing up for your beliefs. Despite the less salubrious subject matter, it’s a fizzing groove.

The five-piece lineup whip up a real storm that’s maintained on Paddy Ban O’Brien’s Young Emmet rides waves of lively picking and whistles. The effervescent drive of the finest arrangements comes on Sullivan’s John by Pecker Dunne (where you’ll find “ a hairy ass fair in the County Clare“). Taking someone’s song and having the legendary Jerry Douglas add some typically subtle but significant dobro – no pressure Daoirí. Ron Hynes’ Sonny’s Dream is given a confident and passionate delivery. It’s not all about traditional songs though. Damien Walsh’s simply raises the question of why he’s kept us waiting so long!? The extravaganza of the title track is described by Daoirí as: “ recounting the tale of a chaotic wedding, celebrated to excess, that may well have been held in the Glencree valley…” We could suggest it’s Dylanesque or would that be tempting fate? The impact of Dublin’s An Góilin Traditional Singers club (with a mention in dispatches to the Munich Folk Club ) is evident again and reinforces the importance of these clubs in keeping traditional music alive and reinvigorated.Īn Góilin has a lot to answer for, as the place where Daoiri where picked up the seven-minute epic title track – all nine verses- while adding his own tune that segues on seamlessly into a flying jig – or reel or both – whatever, it’s a belter of a tune that even the confirmed chair dancers will find an irresistible foot tapper. For starters he kicks off with two new arrangements the first is the epic retelling of Father Murphy that digs deep into history and the rebellion of 1798 while One Starry Night is accompanied by a stark shruti/harmonium drone. He’s made an art of sourcing and interpreting songs, adding his own signature and casting them into the future. The idea that the ten new recordings provide a combination of rawness, impact and beauty of his previous three albums gives a snapshot of expectancy.

With The Wedding Above In Glencree, he provides more ammunition for the fact as well as even taking the unprecedented step of recording one of his own tunes.

It’s no secret that Daoirí Farrell has become a leading interpreter of traditional songs. Fourth album from Irish troubadour Daoirí Farrell finds him in confident shape.

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