Tommy O'Sullivan

Music lovers are in for a rare treat on May 14th when Tommy O' Sullivan, Chris Stout and Catriona McKay play in St. James' Church in Dingle on the Kerry leg of their nationwide tour.

The tour celebrates Tommy O' Sullivan's second solo album, Song Ablaze, an ambitious project with songs ranging from traditional Irish to traditional American music and on to the works of contemporary writers from both sides of the Atlantic.

The album includes an international cast of stellar musicians including 2006 Grammy award winner, Tim O'Brien, Shetland fiddle master, Chris Stout, and champion harp player, Catriona McKay.

Though living in London, where Tommy was born, O' Sullivan's family was still firmly rooted in its ancestral home of West Kerry, so Tommy's childhood was split between listening to pop music like The Beatles on the radio and to his parents Irish records on the record player. By the time his family returned home to Kerry in the early seventies, Tommy was singing and playing guitar like a pro.

In an area famous for its rich history of music, tradition and language, Tommy started to explore the world of traditional music, dabbling with open guitar tunings and listening to everything he could get his hands on from Paul Brady to the acclaimed West Kerry traditional musicians, The Begley family. And with such a rich tapestry of influences Tommy, through trial, error and experimentation, found his own unique sound.

Returning to London in 1982, Tommy continued to hone his craft, establishing himself as a well respected guitar player and singer. In the spring of '86 he travelled to the U.S. with fiddle player Tommy McCarthy and spent most of that year on America's east coast based in the gambling capitol of Atlantic City. And from there he embarked on his first trip to Denmark, subsequently falling in love with the country and joining Ashplant, a Copenhagen based band with Danish and Irish members.

In 1997 Tommy began touring regularly with ex-Bothy Band virtuoso piper Paddy Keenan, having featured on Paddy’s solo album 'Na Keen Affair'. They later went on to record the much acclaimed album 'The Long Grazing Acre' which was released on the compass label in 2003.The pair continue to tour and appear at festivals worldwide.

Tommy O Sullivan plays in St. James' Church in Dingle on May 14th, doors are at 7.30pm with tickets selling for 12.00 euro available on the night or before hand from Murphys Ice Cream shop on Strand St, Dingle Music Shop on Green St, The Tourist Office at the quay, Siopa Ceoil an Daingean Main Street and the Music House, Orchard lane. Info can be got from 087 284 9656.