Mícheál Ó Domhnaill

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (Irish pronunciation: [mʲiːçaːɫ oː dˠɔwnˠɨlʲ]) (1951 – 2006) was an Irish singer and a guitar, tin whistle, piano, and harmonium player who became famous for his work with Skara Brae, The Bothy Band, Relativity, Nightnoise, and a successful collaboration with fiddler Kevin Burke.

Early life

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was born October 7, 1951 in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Kells, County Meath. His father, Aodh, and his mother, Bríd, loved singing, and his sisters, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill and Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill have become well-known singers and musicians. His father grew up in Rann na Feirste (Ranafast), and Micheal, his brothers and sisters spent their summers in Ranafast, Co. Donegal learning Irish. Mícheál received piano lessons until he was sixteen, when he focused on the guitar.

Skara Brae

Main article: Skara Brae (band)

In the late 1960s, Ó Domhnaill and his sisters formed the band Skara Brae, along with the gifted Derry guitarist Dáithí Sproule (who is now a member of Altan). Their beautiful, adventurous arrangements of mostly Irish Gaelic songs hade a strong influence in raising the profile and status of traditional Irish music.

Skara Brae released their only album in 1971 on the Gael-Linn Records. It was notable as the first recording to include vocal harmonization in Irish language songs. In 2004, Ó Domhnaill described Skara Brae's influences in an interview with the RTÉ radio program Rattlebag:

Once a year [while in university] we'd go up and we'd meet the Derry lads, and we'd form great bonds and they had a great interest in the language and love for it, and as did we and we kind of sparked off each other and we used to go down to the lake after classes and we'd sing. We'd sing Beatles songs, but we'd also sing Irish songs. And experiment with chords. We learned a lot from the Beatles. We listened a lot to them and all the music that was happening at the time and we tried to bring that to bear — Pentangle, Steeleye Span — we tried to bring that to bear on the Irish.

Ó Domhnaill was one of the first guitar players (along with Dáithí Sproule) in traditional Irish music to employ DADGAD tuning, and as such his guitar style had a dramatic impact on guitarists who followed in the genre. Ó Domhnaill and Sproule were influenced in their early years by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch.

In the early 1970s, Ó Domhnaill was the first presenter of the RTÉ radio program The Long Note, which featured traditional Irish musicians, many of whom had never previously been recorded.

In 1973, while Mícheál and Tríona were still students at University College Dublin, Mícheál formed a musical partnership with Mick Hanly. They recorded one fine album Celtic Folkweave, which was released by Polydor Records.

The Bothy Band

Main article: The Bothy Band

In late 1974, Ó Domhnaill co-founded the very popular group The Bothy Band, along with Matt Molloy (flute and tin whistle), Paddy Keenan (uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, and production), and his sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (harpsichord, clavinet and vocals). In the five years the Bothy Band were together, they emerged as one of the most exciting groups in traditional Irish music history. Much of their repertoire was rooted in the traditional music of Ireland, and their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity set a standard for future traditional Irish music performers.

On February 2, 1975, the Bothy Band made its debut at Trinity College, Dublin. Despite their great legacy, the Bothy Band only recorded three studio albums during their brief career: The Bothy Band, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, and Out of the Wind Into the Sun. A live album After Hours was released in 1979. Their first album was released as 1975 and quickly established them as an important new band. Their second album, Old Hag You Have Killed Me, was released in 1976 and expanded their following considerably. In 1977, they released their final studio album, effectively establishing their reputation and legacy within the traditional Irish music community.

In 1979, the group disbanded, but the former members went on to play influential roles in the development of traditional Irish music. Lunny returned for a while to Planxty and then helped to form the Celtic rock band Moving Hearts. He continued his work as a producer, working with artists like Andy Stewart. Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill moved to the United States and formed the short-lived band Touchstone. She later joined her brother to form both Relativity and Nightnoise.

Nightnoise

Main article: Nightnoise

In 1983, after seven years with the Bothy Band and several years collaborating with the master fiddler, Kevin Burke, O Domhnaill began searching for a new project and a new sound. He met Billy Oskay in Portland, Oregon and the two began a new collaboration focused on a new and innovative music that integrated traditional Irish, jazz, and classical chamber music.

The group Nightnoise began as a collaboration between this American violinist and Irish guitarist who sought to create a unique blend of musical forms. Together, they composed and recorded some songs in Oskay's Portland home and were pleased with the result — a unique understated sound that had a "rough but fresh quality that engendered a serene atmosphere." O Domhnaill secured a contract with William Ackerman at Windham Hill Records, the tracks they recorded were mixed and released in 1984 under the title Nightnoise. The album represented a real departure from Ó Domhnaill's Bothy Band roots, and the mellow, ambient instrumental style incorporating jazz and classical elements and forms full of spirituality almost defined what would be called New Age music.

Three years later, Mícheál's sister, Irish pianist and vocalist Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, who performed with her brother in Skara Brae, Relativity, and the Bothy Band, and Irish-American flutist Brian Dunning joined the original duo. Nightnoise, the band, was born. The quartet's first album Something of Time, was released by Windham Hill in 1987. It was followed by At the End of the Evening (1988), The Parting Tide (1990), and the compilation A Windham Hill Retrospective (1992).

Following Billy Oskay's departure from Nightnoise, Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, a former member of Silly Wizard who had played with Triona and Mícheál in the band Relativity, took over Oskay's duties. The band took on a much more Irish-centric sound, while still retaining their own signature style. The revamped Nightnoise went on to release the albums Shadow of Time (1994), A Different Shore (1995), and The White Horse Sessions (1997), an album featuring live concert performances mixed in with in-studio live performances, with their Windham Hill colleagues as their audience.

The White Horse Sessions proved to be the last Nightnoise album. Cunningham left the band following its release, and was replaced by Irish fiddler John Fitzpatrick. In a 1999 interview, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill stated that Nightnoise had not broken up, and that the band would be getting together again shortly. The band did indeed record new material (both original compositions and covers of classic songs), but they were all made for albums other than their own. Nightnoise officially disbanded towards the end of 2003.

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill moved back to Ireland in the late nineties, and collaborated with fiddler Paddy Glackin and others.

Death and legacy

On July 7, 2006, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill died from a fall at his home in Dublin. He was 54 years old. His funeral was attended by members of The Bothy Band and numerous musicians from across Ireland and from further afield.

On May 24, 2007, a remarkable gathering of traditional Irish musicians and singers, including Paddy Keenan, Donal Lunny, Kevin Burke, and Mary Black, came together at Vicar Street in Dublin to celebrate the life and music of Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. His siblings, Tríona, Maighread, and Conal were among the performers.

Discography

With Skara Brae

• Skara Brae (1971)

With Mick Hanly

• Celtic Folkweave (1973)

With The Bothy Band

• The Bothy Band (1975)
• Old Hag You Have Killed Me (1976)
• Out Of The Wind (1977)
• After Hours (Live in Paris) (1979)
• Best Of The Bothy Band (1983)
• The Bothy Band - Live in Concert (1995)

With Kevin Burke

• Promenade (1979)
• Portland (1982)

With Relativity

• Relativity (1985)
• Gathering Pace (1987)

With Nightnoise

• Nightnoise (1984, released under the group name, "Billy Oskay and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill")
• Something of Time (1987)
• At the End of the Evening (1988)
• The Parting Tide (1990)
• A Windham Hill Retrospective (1992, compilation)
• Shadow of Time (1993)
• A Different Shore (1995)
• The White Horse Sessions (1997)
• Pure Nightnoise (2006, compilation)

With Paddy Glackin

• Athchuairt (2001)

As Producer

• Noel Hill & Tony Linnane (1978) (also plays Church Harmonium)
• Touchstone - Jealousy (1984) (also contributes guitar and keyboards)

External links

• Mícheál Ó Domhnaill 1951-2006 Official Website
• Mícheál Ó Domhnaill & The Bothy Band. "Casadh an tSugain" 1977 (YouTube)
• Mícheál Ó Domhnaill & The Bothy Band. "Tiocfaidh an Samhradh" 1977 (YouTube)
• Kerr, Áine (2006-07-10). "Musician Mícheál Ó Domhnaill dies at 54". Irish Times. Retrieved 2006-07-10.

• Metz, Marcus (1997-12-31). "Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh in Donegal". FolkWorld. Retrieved 2006-07-19.

• "Micheál Ó Domhnaill tribute" (RealAudio). Rattlebag. Radio Telefís Éireann. 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2006-07-19.