Make Me An Island

Samhain Special Part 2 - Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Myles O’Reilly

The ground-breaking album Tá Go Maith is one of the year’s finest.
Recorded live at the Sugar Club on October 20th, Dónal gets a guided tour of the inspiration behind the record and the story of its creation from Rónán O’Snodaigh and producer Myles O’Reilly before listening to a selection of tunes played live in the room.
 
https://ronanosnodaigh.bandcamp.com/album/t-go-maith
 
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October Bank Holiday Special Part 1 - Louise Mulcahy and Natalya O‘Flaherty Live at The Sugar Club

Recorded live at the Sugar Club in Dublin on October 20th, 2021, this show is dedicated to the recently departed master box player and genius film-maker, Tony Mc Mahon.
 
Uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy leads the tribute with a stirring version of  Port na bPucaí before talking in-depth about her forthcomng film on Irish women pipers, Mná na bPíob.
 
Spoken word boss, Natalya O'Flaherty, gives her first live performance in over 18 months and talks about inspiration and the writing process. 

Can you Fenit? Cathal Caufield and Kú in the Kingdom

The last episode in our summer 2021 series was recorded at Mike and Gráinne O'Neill's Beach Cafe in the seaside village of Fenit in North Kerry.
 
We're conducting some more musical introductions in this edition as both Cathal Caufield and Killian O'Flanagan, recording as Kú, are at the beginning of their journeys into sound. We listen to their respective debut releases; Cathal's 'The Morning Trush' and 'Jack & Susan go for a drive' by Kú before enjoying a selection of tunes live from both their repertoires.
 
There's also an illustrated guide to some of their key influences from Neillidh Boyle to Barry Gleeson as well as a tribute to the trailblazing Greek violinist, Alexis Zoumbas. 
 
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Introducing Rufous Nightjar

Donal travels to Ennistymon in County Clare to meet up with Anna-Mieke, Branwen and Zoe Basha who have taken their Rufous Nightjar project on the road for the first time.
 
We get to hear how they first got together and what's in store with their debut album which is nearing completion.
 
We also get to listen to some stunning live takes form their shows in the Oo La La creperie in Ennistymon and Levi's bar in Ballydehob County Cork.
 
 

Gulliver's Twist: Introducing John Francis Flynn

To mark the release of his debut solo record I Would Not Live Always, John Francis Flynn joins Dónal Dineen to discuss the making of the album in the company of some key collaborators: Ultan O'Brien, Ross Chaney and producer Brendan Jenkinson.
 
We then journey to heart of a Dublin Saturday night for a selection of tunes at The Cobblestone before taking a deep dive into the world of traditional Irish music which has been pivotal in shaping John's unique sound.
 
Cathal Caufield makes an appearance to appraise the special kind of magic that the flute and fiddle produce together before playing a couple of parting duets with John in an episode brimful of both dazzling live music recorded on land and reoccurring gull sounds from the sky above.
 
 
'I Would Not Live Always' is released on Friday July 30th 2021 on River Lea Records. 
 
 
Written & Presented by Dónal Dineen
Produced & Edited by Ian Cudmore
 
 
Support the making of these Islands here.
 
 
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We Are The Makers Episode #2 // Liz Roche // Trailer

The Summer installment of our sister series to the Islands, We Are The Makers, is out today.
Commissioned by Solas Nua in Washington D.C., episode #2 charts the arc of choreographer Liz Roche's journey to the top of the contemporary dance world.
 
Find the full episode here: https://pod.link/makers
 
From starting at ballet school in Dublin at aged of seven, through training in London Contemporary Dance School, to dancing across Europe, Dónal hears how Liz's education and experience onstage informs her finely wrought and beautifully choreographed productions. Together they talk about the act of making, the collision of sound, movement and image and the cross-disciplinary influences that have inspired her art and career.
 
We Are The Makers is written and presented by Irish broadcaster Dónal Dineen and produced and edited by Ian Cudmore. Original music by Ultan O’Brien. Commissioned by Solas Nua in Washington, D.C., bringing contemporary Irish art to U.S. audiences. Cover photo by Matthew Thompson.
 
Kindly supported by Culture Ireland.
 
https://solasnua.org/
https://cultureireland.ie/
https://lizrochecompany.com/
 

Master at Work: Steve Cooney's Solo Guitar Interpretations of Ancient Irish Harp Tunes: Ceol Ársa Cláirsí

In Dublin to perform the album Ceol Ársa Cláirsí at the Tradition Now weekender in the National Concert Hall, Steve Cooney's interpretations of ancient Irish harp tunes for solo guitar has added something new to the canon. There’s ancient magic at work here as these tunes were either composed or collected from the beginning of the 1600s to the end of the 1700s.
As a taster for a forthcoming extended Make Me An Island special on his work Episode 48 takes a detailed look at this beautifully crafted and thoroughly researched piece of work with the master himself as our guide...
 
https://stevecooneymusic.com/siopa
 
 

On Two Wings and a Prayer: The Electric Guitar Gospel According to Reverend Utah Smith

Reverend Utah Smith was an evangelist preacher based in New Orleans who from 1938 onwards added some electric guitar fire to his sermons as well a pair of two giant seraphim white wings to his back.
In this epsiode Donal listens to the incendiary records he released between 1944 and 1953 which puts him very close to the scene of the big bang birth of rock and roll.. 

Why the Caged Bird Sings: The Story of Ted Hawkins' Watch Your Step

With the help of some clips from the legendary BP Fallon Orchestra interview with the man himself from April 1987, Dónal Dineen goes on a personal journey to the heart of Ted Hawkins' masterpiece from the penitentiary, Watch Your Step. 

Easter Breaks Birthday Mix

April 8th marks the first anniversary of the launch of Make Me Me An Island. To mark the occasion, talking is mostly suspended in Episode 46 and instead Dónal reverts to the original source of inspiration, the box of 7” singles that formed the foundation for many of the original investigations.  
 
Peppering the melting pot is a bunch of incendiary new tunes from Ireland on fire. 
 
 
PLAYLIST: 
 
Camille Doughty – Elijah Rock
Nairobi Sisters – Promised Land
Madlib – Hopprock
Civic Edits – With Happiness
Trá Pháidín – N’Fheadair tbh
Brien – Sundried
Narolane – Water
A92 – A9 Freestyle
Tirzah – Make It Up
Charlotte Adigéry – Paténpat
Four Tet – Baby
Andrea Benini – El Guerrero
Zotobré – Lagen
Soul of Angola – Zinha
Joutro Mundo – Não Force
Bro’ David- Dancin’
Eddy Grant’s Coach House Rhythm Section – Time Warp
Benny Cletin – Jungle Magic
Taliban Discotechue – (White Label)
Tim Maia - Sossego
The Beginning of the End – Funky Nassau
Dry Bread – Yamar
Barbatuques – Baião Destemerado
Mestre Galo Preto – Pitó: A Pinta
Coco Raizes De Arcoverde – Seu Maia
Gilberto Gil – Patuscada de Ghandi
Gato Barbieri – to be continued
Cormac Begley – Schottisches – Joe Bane’s
Tom Zé – Defekt 14 – Xiqexique
Cormac Begley – Live at Barróg Féile Padraig
Willie Clancy – An Phis Fliuch
Effisio Melis – Fiorassio
Dave Brubeck – Unsquare Dance
Bob Haggard, Ray Bauduc – Big Noise from Winnetka
Cozy Cole – Big Noise from Winnetka
Willis ‘Gator’ Jackson – Later for the Gator
Alemayehu Eshete – Mekeyershin Salawq
Arthur Lee – Eveybody’s Gotta Live
Tim Maia – Nobody Can Live Forever
For Those I Love – Birthday/The Pain