Donal O'Connor
| Dónal O'Connor | |
|---|---|
Dónal O'Connor
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dónal O'Connor |
| Born |
29 September 1978 Ravensdale, County Louth, Ireland |
| Genres |
Irish traditional Folk Celtic music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, composer, Music teacher, Television presenter |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | At First Light Compass Records Vertical Records |
| Associated acts | At First Light, Gerry O'Connor, Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Bob Brozman, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, Len Graham |
| Website | atfirstlight |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Fiddle, Keyboards Bouzouki, Bulgarian Tambura, Octave Mandola, Mandolin, Voice |
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Dónal O'Connor (born 29 September 1978) is an Irish multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and television presenter from Ravensdale, County Louth, Ireland. He is a member of Belfast-based Irish traditional groups At First Light. & Ulaid.
O'Connor was born in an Irish-speaking household. He was born to fiddler Gerry O'Connor and singer and flute player Eithne Ní Uallacháin (d. 1999). His maternal grandparents were Pádraig Ó hUallacháin, a teacher, writer and song collector, and Eithne Ní Uallacháin. His paternal grandmother was fiddler and fiddle teacher Rose O'Connor. O'Connor is also the nephew of singers Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin and Len Graham.
O'Connor's first recorded fiddle work appeared on Brighid's Kiss in 1996, an album by Lá Lugh, his parents' group. That year, the album was voted Album of the Year by Irish Music Magazine readers. He performed twice in 1996 and in 1998 on TG4's Geantraí television programme and in 1997 performed at Festival Interceltique de Lorient.
In 2001, O'Connor performed at festivals including Belfast Festival at Queen's, Open House Festival and Ennis Trad Fest. In 2002 alongside Mike McGoldrick, John McSherry and Paul McSherry he performed at Helsinki Folk Festival, Open House Festival, Return to Camden Town, Copenhagen Irish Festival and toured with music groups The Trad Lads and Ashplant. That year, he produced Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin's Laoi Faoi, which was nominated for the RTÉ/Réalt Song Contest. In 2003, O'Connor featured on New Irish Hymns (released as In Christ Alone in the United States) by Moya Brennan, Margaret Becker and Joanne Hogg with compositions by Keith Getty and in the summer of that year presented the BBC Radio Ulster programme Cualán. O'Connor acted as music teaching consultant on the 2003 film, The Boys and Girl from County Clare, directed by John Irvin and starring Andrea Corr, Colm Meaney and Bernard Hill.
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