Jack Talty: Cauldron of grief inspired album by UCC music lecturer 

The Clare musician and teacher says his late mother's rebellious spirit fed into an album that features an impressive roster of collaborators 

Jack Talty recently released his Coire An Cheoil album. Picture: Maurice Gunning

“If you had told me this time last year that I would have an album out of my own compositions, I just wouldn’t have believed it,” says UCC Irish traditional music lecturer Jack Talty. “This really would not have been up there as a priority right now, if ever.”

As it turned out, however, 2026 saw the Clare man embark on an “unusual but cathartic musical journey” while grieving the death of his mother Colette. It resulted in the recording of Coire an Cheoil (cauldron of music), an album featuring 32 of his compositions, performed by 23 musicians.