Christy O’Leary
born 1955, Dublin, Ireland

Christy O’Leary was born in Dublin and after moving to Kenmare, Co. Kerry he started playing professionally with his brother Tim at the age of 12 in lounges around Ireland. He began playing uilleann pipes at the age of 8 and his main musical influences are pipers Willie Clancy and Séamus Ennis. From 1979-1981 he sang with the famous Irish group De Danann doing concerts and numerous tv and radio appearances. After moving to London in 1983 Christy played with many Irish musicians there and toured with the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. In 1985 he joined world-reknowned Scottish/Irish band Boys of the Lough and moved to Edinburgh.

Christy’s sensitive renditions of songs and tunes, combined with powerful technique, both vocally and instrumentally, make him stand out as one of the top Irish musicians of today. Christy recorded an acclaimed solo album, The Northern Bridge, in 1997. Later that year he left the Boys of the Lough and embarked on a solo career. Christy has taught numerous courses in Irish singing and workshops on instrumental playing over the years and was in charge of the Irish music courses at the Falun festival in Sweden in 1999.

He has played and/or recorded with such diverse musicians as American hit singer John Denver, UK rockers Andy MacKay and Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music , American Celtic singer Connie Dover, and famous Swedish singer/songwriters Björn Afzelius and Roger Pontare.

Some of the numerous festivals....
National Folk Festival, Australia; Fairbridge Folk Festival, Australia; Odense Folk Festival, Denmark; Copenhagen Irish Festival, Denmark; Kaustinen, Finland; Kihaus Festival, Finland; Killin Festival, Scotland; Førde, Norway; Falun Folk Music Festival, Sweden; URKULT Folk Music Festival, Sweden; Korrö Folk Festival, Sweden; Return to Camden Town Festival, London; Sense of Ireland festival, London; De Dannan appearance at Royal Albert Hall in London shared with Séamus Ennis and Planxty.

Tours:
Christy O’Leary Band toured the US at Christmas time 1998 and played Garrison Keillor’s popular Prairie Home Companion nationally broadcast radio show live from Town Hall, New York. US tours - Fall 1999 and Spring 2000.

Two world tours with the Boys of the Lough to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Japan, and China, as well as extensive tours in the US, UK, Europe and Scandinavia from 1985-1997.

Tours in Australia and Scandinavia with bozouki/guitarist accompaniment.

Discography:
Christy O’Leary & Bert Deivert - Song's Sweet Caress (July 2003) Hard Danger HDCD01, Sweden
Christy O’Leary - The Northern Bridge (1997) Old Bridge Music, UK

Numerous recordings with Boys of the Lough from 1985-1997 including the following:
Farewell and Remember Me
Fair Hills of Ireland
The Day Dawn
Welcoming Paddy Home
Live at Carnegie Hall
Sweet Rural Shade

Guest musician on records by following artists:
John Denver- Higher Ground (1988)
Connie Dover- Somebody (1991); The Wishing Well (1994), and If Ever I Return (1997)
Björn Afzelius- Elsinore (1999)
Roger Pontare- Den Stora Friheten (2002)
West of Eden - A stupid thing to do (2003)

E-mail directly to Christy O'Leary:

Download Christy's CV

---

Main Page Info/Bookings Gig dates O'Leary CV Deivert CV Tweed CV På Svenska Press/Reviews ORDER CD E-mail: O'Leary & Deivert