Niall Connolly: New York-based Cork musician releases 10th album 

The loss of his father and a close friend inspired the Glanmire singer-songwriter to pay tribute to both men through his music, writes Paul McDermott 

Niall Connolly returns to Ireland for several gigs, including Coughlan's in Cork. 

Cork singer-songwriter Niall Connolly released his first album in 2001 and has been based in New York for 20 years. Connolly, originally from Glanmire, has recently released his 10th album, There’s So Much More To See.

“I’m less shocked by the 10th album part than I am by the 25 years part,” says Connolly reflecting on these milestones.

“Teenage me would be happy to hear I’ve pulled it off for this long. It feels good to have a back catalogue. I feel very lucky that each album has paved the way for the next one. When I started out, I would always book two gigs, so if one didn’t go great, well, there was always the next one. I think that kind of attitude has served me well.”

That attitude has enabled Connolly to play his music all over the world. He toured Italy earlier this year, and as we talk, he’s preparing to head out on a midwest US tour with indie folk artist Jeffrey Martin. He returns to Ireland at the end of May and then is off to tour Germany in June.

“I’ve got to see a lot of places and have some incredible experiences through music. It is fascinating to me how something so intangible has steered so much of my life,” says Connolly.

“For the Irish gigs in May, I’m excited to share songs from the new album as well as a smattering of songs from the last quarter century.”

Connolly’s new album deals with universal themes of grief and loss, while also offering an overriding sense of hope. Two recent bereavements inspired much of the material.

“A dear friend of mine, Dave O’Mahony, died suddenly in 2024. We were childhood friends and I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know him,” explains Connolly.

“On my way back from his funeral, as the plane was about to take off I got word that my father, Frank, had a very aggressive form of cancer. He died less than six months later. These losses are profound and I wanted to pay tribute to them on this album.”

One of those songs, Swimming Upstream, a gorgeous meditation on friendship and loss, features Ken Griffin of legendary 90s Irish band Rollerskate Skinny on backing vocals.

“I loved Rollerskate Skinny so much. We’d have seen them in Cork as teenagers. Speed to My Side still pops into my head every now and then,” says Connolly, explaining how the collaboration came about.

The cover of There’s So Much More To See, by Niall Connolly.

“I met Ken about 10 years ago. He told me, ‘You’ve a voice like a mountain and songs like river stones.’ Who could resist that kind of poetic praise from a hero? We became friends. I called him, told him the story and he said ‘absolutely’. In the studio he offered both his August Wells baritone and his higher Rollerskate Skinny voice. So we used both.”

The song, which Connolly describes as having “a kind of dreamy stream of consciousness feel to it”, is one of many standouts on an incredibly strong album. Hearing Griffin sing the self-referential line “Sang Rollerskate Skinny and called your name” is both disconcerting and highly emotional.

Other songs on the new album express a seething anger with the current political climate in the US.

“I live in a part of NY where some of my neighbours fly flags that make me feel physically ill,” explains Connolly.

“Seething is probably close to the right word. Some of these people are otherwise great neighbours. That grey area can be very confusing and challenging. I find myself thinking, ‘Kevin’ would pull me out of a burning building, but he may also have lit the fire. Fellas who fly the demon’s flag might have undocumented workers fixing their roof or cutting their grass with no sense of irony.”

There’s So Much More To See deals with grief and anger, but the album is also balanced by dark humour and a sense of hope.

Building on the positive response and critical acclaim of his last few records, the new album is easily Connolly’s best yet.

“I am very proud of this album,” says Connolly. “The last album, The Patience of Trees, was my first album as a father. I’ll probably look back at this one as the first one without my own father. I’m not sure what has changed in the last 25 years? Lots of music and lots of life.”

• Niall Connolly returns from New York for an Irish tour in May. He launches There’s So Much More To See in Coughlan’s in Cork on Sunday May 24. An all ages afternoon show is followed by an evening show. There’s So Much More To See is available on Bandcamp