Sean’s album in honour of ‘The Tides that Bind’

The Tides that Bind / Fánaíocht is a new album from Connemara singer-songwriter Seán Ó hÉanaigh, featuring traditional songs in English, Irish and Scots Gàidhlig, as well as some of his own compositions.

Born in Boston to Connemara parents in the 1950s, Seán grew up steeped in the Irish tradition there, and remembers their home being always full of music –  from the Irish hour on radio, to records, to regular music nights. No surprise, given that he is the nephew of legendary sean-nós singer Joe Heaney.

The family moved back to Ireland when Seán was 10 years old, to the Carna area of Connemara, a place steeped in singing. They travelled on the Maasdam – a passenger ferry that ran between New York and Galway.  Their journey home, on September 3,1966, was the final time any passenger ship like that dropped anchor in Galway Bay.  This  slice of Galway history is pictured on the CD cover.

Seán’s mother, Kate, began compiling songs from the tradition in a red notebook shortly after the family returned home.  Many of the songs on this album come from Kate’s red songbook, and the album is dedicated to her.

For more, see this week’s Connacht Tribune