Raines on song with new single and Town Hall gig

Arts Week with Judy Murphy

“A love letter to Ruth’s mam and dad,” is how Yvonne Tiernan from the Raines, a recently-formed Galway trio consisting of herself, the song’s composer Ruth Dillon and violin player Juliana Erkkonen, describes their new single, Always Snow on the Mountain.

It’s being released this Friday, November 26, and will be followed by a concert at the city’s Town Hall Theatre on Friday, December 10.

The folk-Americana-bluegrass group formed just before Covid, which wasn’t great timing, says Ruth with a rueful laugh, but while the Raines might be relatively new, the three women have had long musical careers.

Ruth is a former member of well-known Galway band, the Molly Hicks. The singer-songwriter, who plays guitar and ukulele, also toured with Dolores Keane. Juliana, who is classically trained, plays fiddle and sings. Originally from Finland, she’s also a former member of the Molly Hicks and has performed on many albums across a range of genres. Yvonne, who’s on vocals and ukulele, previously worked as lead singer with the Chieftains and shares several fond memories of the late Paddy Moloney during the interview.

Ruth grew up in Clonmel in South Tipperary, in the shadow of Slievenamon (the mountain of the women), and it’s only as she grew older, moved away and returned home for visits that she realised what a special place it was.

“Fionn Mac Cumhaill would sit at the top and the women would go up and vie for his affection,” she says, explaining the legend attached to it.

Her dad died about 10 years ago, but her mum still lives in Clonmel and Ruth’s song weaves in the legend of mountain with the more personal story of her parents’ long, happy marriage and her connection with home.

“It starts off about the mountain and then goes into the love story between mam and dad; falling in love and having a family at the bottom of the mountain.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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