A question of taste: Nell Ní Chróinín

Des O’Driscoll

Nell Ní Chróinín is a sean nós singer from the Muscraí Gaeltacht in Cork.

She was the youngest person to be awarded TG4’s singer of the year in 2012 and winner of the prestigious Corn Ui Riada in 2013.

Also the lead singer with the traditional band, Danú, Nell will be at Masters of Tradition in Bantry on Thursday, August 23, in St Brendan’s Church and on Friday, August 24, in Bantry House.

Masters of Tradition takes place in various venues in and around Bantry from August 22. Full details on westcorkmusic.ie

Best recent book you’ve read:

The Couple Nextdoor by Shari Lapena.

Best recent film:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Best recent show/gig you’ve seen:

I went to see Paul Simon a few weeks ago in Dublin and loved it. He did a number of acoustic sets on his own

towards the end of the gig and I was just blown away by how good it sounded. He had support from Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor who were also amazing!

Outside of the trad/folk spheres, which singers do you like?

Too many to choose! I go through phases of listening to different singers, but I’m currently listening to a lot of Molly Tuttle, Inni-K, Tom Waits, Sarah Jarosz, Joni Mitchell and Gillian Welsh with Dave Rawlings.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old):

‘Ronnie’s Theme’ by Colm Mac Con Iomaire.

The best gig or performance you’ve ever seen (if you had to pick one!):

I saw Cormac Begley and Rushad Eggleston in the back room of Cleere’s pub in Kilkenny. It was such a fun gig to watch and to listen to!

Tell us about your TV viewing:

I love watching nature programmes narrated by David Attenborough. Blue Planet is my favourite. I also watch Home and Away every week, and really like Graham Norton of a Friday night.

Radio listening and/or podcasts:

I’ve just finished the West Cork podcast. It’s absolutely brilliant! I would highly recommend it. I listen to Blindboy’s podcast every week too, which I find really entertaining.

You’re curating your dream festival — which three artists are on the bill, living or dead?

The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac.

Your best celebrity encounter:

Brendan Gleeson. I met him at a music session in Mullagh during the Willie Clancy week. He is as good of a fiddle player as he is an actor and he is a genuinely nice fella.

You can portal back to any period of human cultural history or music event — where, when, and why?

I would love to have seen The Bothy Band live in the 1970s. They were one of the most prominent bands from the roots revival of that era and had a line up of amazingly talented musicians.

Do you have any interesting ancestors or family?

All of my family are interesting! My aunt Eibhlín Ní Riordáin who unfortunately passed away in 2010, springs to mind. She was a trained silversmith, and made some lovely jewellery. She travelled the world, spent a lot of time in Sri Lanka.

She was an acupuncturist and one of the founding member of one the first colleges of alternative medicine in the country.

On top of all that she was a very talented musician and had a lovely style to her playing. It was always a lovely treat to sit down with her at family gatherings and play a few tunes together.

Unsung heroes:

The individual people and small organisation who go out voluntarily helping with the homelessness crisis, from going out on soup runs, giving out sleeping bag, providing medical assistance or giving donations.

The extent of the homelessness crisis is greater than what the national services can cover, and these people are filling some of the gap.

You are queen for a day — what’s your first decree?

Give everyone in need a roof over their heads. A basic necessity to try to tackle homelessness.