Culture That Made Me: Iarla Ó Lionáird on Cork song culture, and other influences 

The Coolea singer also includes the likes of Joni Mitchell and Talking Heads among his touchstones 

Iarla Ó Lionáird. Picture: Rich Gilligan

Iarla Ó Lionáird, 58, grew up in Coolea, Co Cork. He comes from a line of sean-nós singers, including his great aunt Elizabeth Cronin. As a child, he joined Seán Ó Riada’s choir, first performing publicly at five years of age. In 1996, he appeared on the first of six albums with the Afro Celt Sound System. 

He has also recorded several solo albums during his career. In 2011, he joined the trad supergroup The Gloaming. He will perform at two concerts to celebrate the music of Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin at Dublin’s National Concert Hall (Friday, 2 September) and at Limerick’s University Concert Hall (Saturday, 3 September).