Tir na nOg – Live at Sirius

In 1971 Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly became Tir na nOg – an Irish folk duo singing songs that offered a lot more than the usual folk fayre. By their third album in 1974, some compositions had a definite rocky edge to them without losing the unique style established through the previous two albums. Whilst another studio album is extremely unlikely, this recording of a gig in August, 2009 is an excellent portrayal of their current activities.

The quality of production, the intimacy of the venue and the technical balance of the vocals and guitars (with occasional violin and percussion) all contribute to a finished article that will sit proudly next to the original three. A majority of the seventeen songs are from the early days – ‘Two White Horses’, ‘Time is like a Promise’, ‘Dante’ and ‘Piccadilly’ all represent the slower flavour whilst ‘Looking Up’ and the cover of Nick Drake’s ‘Free Ride’ up the tempo. Compositions from their other musical careers intersperse the show – Leo’s ‘Venezuela’, a wonderfully weird song, and Sonny’s ‘Driving’ (accompanied by Leo on violin) both sit easily in the Tir na nOg repertoire. Their cover version of ‘Play with Fire’ (Jagger/Richards) is also a very welcome addition to the set.

This album is a ‘must’ for all Tir na nOg fans and an ideal first purchase for those who have not yet ventured into their world.

Peter Needham
issue 179 (August/September 2010) of Rock Society (the journal of the Classic Rock Society)