Mayo musicians to feature on RTÉ’s 'Songs of Ireland'

Talented Mayo musicians will be featured in episode three of RTÉ’s Songs of Ireland.

The show follows entertainer and musician Pat Shortt and his old friend, Stockton’s Wing frontman Mike Hanrahan, on a musical road trip around Ireland, discovering the history behind some of our greatest songs. Then, they perform those songs in local venues with both new and established local musicians.

In episode three, set to air Saturday, May 18, Pat and Mike continue their journey around Ireland starting in the City of the Tribes, Galway, where they perform ‘The West’s Awake’ with musical collective Baba Yarga before moving on to Roscommon where they perform ‘Eileen Óg’ with Dervish’s Cathy Jordan. 

Leaving Roscommon behind them, they travel to Mayo, where they meet Con Murphy, a Ballinrobe native residing in Aghamore. He teams up with his wife Gráinne, and the hosts for his own original take on the iconic ‘Óró ‘Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile’ where they add in undertones from ‘The Otherworld’ – a tip of the hat to the title track from Con’s debut album of the same name released in 2022. 

_{Con Murphy and his wife, Gráinne (Photo:Karen Cox)}

The blend of the Otherworld battle cry riff echoes strongly throughout ‘Óró ‘Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile’ and catapults us back to the history and power of this iconic song made famous in Ireland by Pádraig Pearse. 

The song embodies the warrior pirate Queen Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O’Malley) and was selected as the Mayo song for this beautiful series to acknowledge her Mayo roots and powerful influence in the Mayo area, the waters of Clew Bay and further afield.

With his album being described by Hotpress Magazine as ‘a captivatingly original force in Irish Music’, Mr Murphy, a singer-songwriter by night, spends his days facilitating music sessions in the Mayo Mental Health services. 

Just off the back of four sold out Mayo shows, the Ballinrobe native has been developing his live sound over the past number of years, writing and performing his original works on various stages at home and abroad. His sound is varied, broad and experimental. 

Combining music, history, travel and craic, Songs Of Ireland is a unique musical journey not to be missed.

Episode three of ‘Songs of Ireland’ airs Saturday, May 18, at 8.40pm on RTÉ one.

Catch up on past episodes now on RTÉ player.