The Shnug

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 22 - Hedge School Part 2

In Ep-22 we bring you the 2nd part of our series with Hedge School Doolin. An artist run, not for profit festival which hosts innovators and creators preforming, sharing & collaborating over 3 days, with music and literary workshops during the day and live music prefommaces at night.
Held at hotel doolin , the festival is run by doolin arts & Simon O’Reilly who were very kind to invite me down.  Part 2 below is a selection of some of the wonderful artists who appeared over the weekend.
Mark Graham is a lecturer in the Department of Arts at SETU (South-East Technical University), he is currently working towards a PhD in the area of Music Industry Ethics. Mark spent 10 years performing at home and abroad with the band King Kong Company. He has previously worked for Today FM and RTE Radio. His book, A Year of Festivals in Ireland, documented his quest to attend three festivals per week for an entire year.
Garry Keogh from Rollercoaster records which has been trading since 1990 in the marble city, first as Top Twenty before changing to their Rollercoaster Records in 2004. Originally led by the legendary Willie Meighan, until he sadly passed away in 2017, Rollercoaster has long been and continues to be the hub of the music scene in the metropolis of Kilkenny. They are specialists in all the music you don’t hear on daytime radio. Their label has released music by Arborist, Jon Throne and Malojian,
Maeva Byss is a spoken word artist, actress, and singer song-writer from the USA.  Her performances have spanned from Appalachia to Eastern Europe. A trained improviser and poet, she is currently attending the Masters programme for Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.
Branwen is a musician, composer, performance artist and puppeteer from the west of Ireland with a strong interest in folklore, dada, poetry and theatre. Led by a powerful imagination, Branwen’s art and music are usually fashioned into a surreal and potent experience which crosses the threshold into bizarre, surreal and magical territory. They are an award nominated artist, have performed their compositions on Other Voices, The National Concert Hall, Glastonbury and much more.  They have been the songwriter for well-known projects such as Twin Headed Wolf and Rufous Nightjar.
‘Noir femme of the winter season, Osaro is a hermit who delves into the literal Black arts of lonesome prayers, sensual poetry and guttural vocal chorals which she infuses in her live performances in the colder months. Osaro recently curated the award winning event BLACK JAM, a night of esoteric live music, hosted at Dublin Fringe Festival and Nuit Blanche Festival in Paris 2023’
Margaret O’Connor is an Irish-based Independent Accessories Designer, DJ and Conceptual Artist. She’s is best known for her work with millinery; Margaret recently launched her first accessories range in the National Gallery of Ireland.  Her creations have attracted the attention and been worn by a broad range of celebrities, ranging from Supermodel Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, Years and Years, Pink Floyd. She produces handmade eclectic couture designs and commercial millinery collections from her studio base in 68 Dame St, Temple Bar, Dublin.

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 21 - Hedge School Part 1

For Episode 21 of the Shnug podcast I was delighted to be invited to the Hedge School festival down in Doolin to interview some of the line-up. Hedge School is an artist run, not for profit festival for those who need to create. A place for unique collaborations and intimate encounters. The festival hosts innovators and creators preforming, sharing and collaborating over 3 days. With music and literary workshops during the day and live performances at night.
Held at Hotel Doolin every January, the festival is run by Doolin arts and Simon O’Reily who were very Kind to invite me down. Below is a selection of some of the wonderful artists who appeared over the weekend that I was lucky enough to chat to, with many more to come in Part 2, which will be released next week.
ELAINE MAI
Electronic powerhouse, Elaine Mai, has captivated fans and critics alike with her mesmerizing performances and unique blend of emotive dance music. Her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Home,’ garnered her two RTE Choice Music Prize nominations, while a recent exclusive publishing deal with dance music industry icon Nick Halkes and his joint venture with Sentric only amplifies her unstoppable ascent.  Currently crafting her eagerly awaited follow-up album.
DAITHÍ
Daithí is an Irish multi-instrumentalist producer that has long had a fascination with capturing organic sounds and samples. His name has become synonymous with raising the bar for the live dance experience, mixing in unique elements like his signature fiddle – a symbol of his traditional Irish upbringing – alongside a chorus of talented musicians who elevate songs that have been purpose-built for a widescreen arena. Bedded in electronica, Daithí’s sound has moved beyond a fusion of Ireland’s past and a contemporary present to a world of rich texture, veering from deep house music to ambient arrangements, in the form of instrumental narratives, stunning visuals and vocally-charged supporting characters.
DR. ROSALEEN MCDONAGH
DR. Rosaleen McDonagh is a Traveller woman with a disability, originally from Sligo. She has a BA in Biblical & Theological Studies, (TCD) an MPhil in Ethnic & Racial Studies (TCD) & an MPhil in Creative Writing (TCD). She holds a PhD from Northumbria University and is a member of Aosdána. Her award-winning plays include Mainstream, The Baby Doll Project, Stuck, She’s Not Mine, Walls & Windows, and Rings. Skein Press published her first collection of essays titled ‘Unsettled’ in September 2021.
ENDA GALLERY
Enda Gallery offers up his truest realisations and experiences in his songs and accompanies poetic lyrics with deeply moving piano playing. For 8 years he lived and performed in Berlin, a city which is itself a character within his songs and has inspired feelings of challenge and liberation in all of its forms. Now based in County Clare, he most recently released his collaboration with the two time Grammy-nominated producer duo Christian Rich called ‘So Easy, Pt. II’ Enda released his debut album ‘The Journey to Zero’ in 2021. It was named RTÉ Radio 1 ‘Album of the Week’ with the ballad ‘Don’t Let Me Win’ winning favour from Cerys Matthews on BBC6 and his follow up ‘It’s Alright’ featuring on the ‘BBC Introducing mixtape’ and the break-out series ‘Normal People’. His history of producing and developing unconventional artists such as Tolü Makay, Strange Boy and Kid Simius. His label is called ‘Welcome to the New World’.
EMMA LOHAN
“Beautiful ghostly swirls and elegant, sweet harmonies” -The Irish Times Emma Lohan, songwriter and performer, is reputed for entertaining her audiences with her wicked sense of humour and evocative melodies. Her one woman show with loop stations, and synths is reminiscent of LAURIE ANDERSON and ROZI PLAIN. Lohan (of NEW POPE and RIVERS & CROWS), moved to London in 2015 to record her debut solo album BLACK ATLANTIC. The album was an international success, receiving rave reviews from Irish RTE Radio 1 to KCRW Radio in the US. Following a busy year producing and touring the UK and Ireland in 2017, Emma moved to Mallorca to write her next album THE FISH AND BIRD SYMPHONY.
The Curly Organ
The Curley organ (AKA "Donal McConon") is a singer-songwriter/performance artist based in Galway and a long-standing member of the cities artistic community. Donal has made significant contributions to the Galway music scene through various projects, including Community, The Bastard Ghost, and My Fellow Sponges, a highly successful band in the region. Under the moniker of The Curly Organ. His performances are characterized by improvisation and spontaneity, and he stands out as a genuine artist.  He is driven in all his endeavours by, what he calls, a burning need to reach out into his direct environment and inspire a sense of play with whoever is there. His Microphonlandia is permission to play. Randomly throughout Hedge School attendees were offered a pair of headphones. If they chose to accept, they would have entered into an intimate performance shared only by them and the artist. What happened next entirely depended on the guest and what the artist perceives as their erred means to engage.
Aidan Duffy
Aidan is the youngest of ten home-educated children from an alternative household in rural Ireland. The sound that Aidan is crafting is alternative and flexible, treading a tightrope between fresh and nostalgic. With 3 EP’s under his belt 2023’s ‘Listen’ and ‘Look’, 2021’s ‘The Optimist’. Aidan uses lyrical themes that touch on such topics as loneliness, fear and guilt but also hope, love and levity. Aidan is a firm believer that music is meant to be, above all, felt.

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 20 - Dr Jp McMahon

In Episode 20 of the Shnug podcast we speak to chef, writer, restaurateur, painter Dr. Jp McMahon. Originally from Dublin Jp has been has been working in Galway for over 15 years, opening Cava in 2008 and Aniar in 2011, with the latter achieving a coveted Michelin star. Jp is also behind the ‘Food on the Edge’ international food symposium and the Galway based food network Blas Na Gaillmh and recently he also won Galway Business person of the year 2023, and author of two books.
We chat about the thought process behind his most recent publication ‘The Irish Cook Book’, which travels back thousands of years to delve into the history of Ireland’s food heritage and Irish cuisine, his love of using local produce and how this influences his restaurants; in particular Aniar, whose ethos in particular is intrinsically linked to the west of Ireland. We also touch on the pressure that comes with achieving and retaining a Michelin star and the creation of the ‘Blas Na Gaillmh’ network. That brings producers, restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels together under one roof via the events its hosts and its website, the next event being ‘Blas na Bealtaine’ in May. ‘Food on the Edge’ also returns to Galway in October to boot. Finally we touch on the legacy such a body of work leaves behind.
Aniar 2.0 reopens after refurbishments this Friday the 9TH of February.

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 19 - LiveStock Festival

In Episode 19 of the Shnug podcast we speak to founders of the LiveStock music festival Cormac Jennings and Sharon Sweeney. The inspiration for LiveStock stems from the organisers Cormac and Sharon’s wedding celebration held in 2019. The private event proved to be such a magical occasion that they decided to grow and adapt it to a wider audience. It has now grown into one of the most authentic festival experiences on the west coast. Set in a stunning location, centred around an ancient RingFort. LiveStock Music & Arts Festival hosts line up of over 40 international and Irish-based acts, alongside a wide range of workshops, seminars, entertainment, and activities for all ages. We chat to Cormac and Sharon about what sparked the idea for the festival, its ethos and the community that is involved in its creation and the plans for this year and beyond.
This year’s festival runs from the 5th - 6th of July in Aughrim, Co.Galway.

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 18 - Eoghan Higgins

Happy new year everyone, we thought we’d release a podcast recorded back in the Indian summer of last September to warm yer souls and remind you that brighter days are coming down the line    
In Episode 18 of the Shnug podcast we speak to musician, farmer, forager, brewer Eoghan Higgins. Hailing from Corrandulla just outside Galway city, we chat about growing up on a livestock farm and the state of faming in Ireland at the moment, how working on an organic farm green earth organics sparked his interest in preserving, brewing, foraging and a love of wild food.
Eoghan dipped his toe into the world of MMA first with Strange wolves in the Claddagh and then with conriocht out in Athenry. With an amateur record of 2-2  but then came Covid and this put paid to his fight career and led him down a more musical path.
Eoghan is a multi-instrumentalis able to play the guitar, bass, drums, fiddle and banjo and it was during lockdown that he met Peter Broderick an American musician and composer from Carlton, Oregon and former member of Efterklang. The two hit it off due to mutual love of brewing, preserving foraging and of course music. Once the pandemic ended Peter asked Eoghan to join him on his European tour and the rest is history, he then joined Bridget Mae power on her UK tour and he realised his debut EP ‘Special Tunes’ in February of 2023 with cover art by witchofpaintings .

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 17 - Kayte O’Malley

We hope everyone had happy Christmas and you are all now well fed and merry. We thought we’d release an aul podcast for those of you now unsure what day of the week it is. In Episode 17 of the Shnug podcast we speak to radio DJ, presenter and producer Kayte O’Malley.
Kayte joins us straight from slot on Galway Bay Radio where she presents ‘On the Move’ weekdays between 3 – 7pm. Originally from Tralee in Kerry , Kayte is a radio veteran at this stage, having worked in Flirt Fm, Spin Southwest and iRadio.
Kayte regales us with stories of graveyard shifts and working her way up , the do’s and don’ts of radio law, ruining shows for her parents, nightmare interviews and radio mentors. While double jobbing on two radio stations, Kayte also started working as a producer for red shoe productions, working on shows for TG4, SKY and RTE. Then in 2023, she moved in front of the camera to present the tv show for the ‘Night and Day’ festival on TG4. Kayte is a gas woman altogether and her seemingly endless energy is magnetic.

The Shnug Podcast: Ep 16 - Dom Majecki

In Episode 16 of the Shnug podcast we speak to head chef of the G Hotel Dominique Majecki. Dom has been plying his trade across the country for many years and we chat to him about his early life and training in Laval in the Pays de la Loire region of North West France and how the food tradition there inspired him to take up cooking as a profession. Dom then decided to move abroad to broaden his horizons and improve both his culinary skills and his English, traveling around the world experiencing new flavours and cuisines and then settling in Galway and quickly establishing himself here working in some of the best hotels on the West coast.
Dom talks about the Galway food scene and how it’s grown since he first came here 22 years ago and how local chef's are paving the way forward , his favourite food producers, foragers and how they influence his ethos in the Kitchen.

The Shnug Podcast: EP 15 - Rodney Owl

In Episode 15 of the Shnug podcast we speak to singer/songwriter Mark McConvillie aka Rodney Owl. Mark has been plying his trade across the country for many years and we chat to him about his early life in Lurgan during the 80’s and his amateur boxing days before being robbed in the under 12’s all Ireland final. After that he switched to music and we chatted about busking firstly in London and after a few years how he got stuck in the Galway quick sand that saw him take up residency here for nearly 20 years now, playing with the likes of No Banjo/Cartoon thieves and Sharon Shannon, throw in a impromptu Late Late show appearance as the cherry on top
Mark has been working on the ‘Rodney Owl’ project since 2013 and released the self-produced ‘Woe’ in 2016 and the signed up with the black gate for this year’s ‘Truth is broken’ all available on band camp and on your streaming platforms.