Blind bard guides the way for troubadour Spillane

Renowned songsmith John Spillane will be featured in his six-part TG4 series singing at the grave of legendary blind bard Turlough O’Carolan.

Season two of Spillane An Fánaí (Spillane The Wanderer) sees the Corkman again travelling and scripting songs about towns, rivers, legends, and people.

One of those that emerged on his radar when he landed in Boyle, Co Roscommon, was O’Carolan, one of the last of Ireland’s harpist troubadours and composers, who died in 1738, and is buried in the MacDermot Roe family crypt at Kilronan Abbey.