Liam Ó'Maonlaí in Dorlindon Music Festival
Siofra O'Donovan from Behind Invisible Eyes
Out of Dark Waters, Over Mountains Blog on myth, folklore and peculiar things through tales of travel and dream
Long ago, beyond the mountains, old tales speak of an enchanted place, a place of ancient beauty hidden within a dark forest that no stranger could ever reach... or so it was thought. A race of light Elves had settled there, establishing a Forest Realm; after some time a clan of Dwarves settled in the southern part of the forest, digging a deep mine until a Dragon made it into its own lair; however Gnomes already lived there long before anyone else.  Dorlindon Forest and Lakes Welcome to Dorlindon Forest, where Liam Ó’Maonlaí launched the Second Inaugral Ancient Music Festival, now endorsed by RTE. A forest full of Sika Deer, foxes, squirrels grey and red, pine martins, otters, newts, weasels, hedgehogs, woodmice, shrews, badgers, lizards, newts, frogs, and occasionally rabbits, dragonflies, damselflies, Emperor flies, red kites, swifts, swallows, buzzards, mallards ducks and occasionally Icelandic geese visit on their way elsewhere. The forest is full of Siktka Spruce, Alder, Elder, Ash, Birch, Beech, Oak, Rowan, Willow and Maple trees. This Ancient Music Festival exists in harmony with natural habitat, leaving no trace but the resonance of beautiful music ALL of these creatures are being welcomed to the festival too, a festival that is in harmony with its natural habitat, that leaves no trace but the resonance of beautiful music in the air which nourishes not only us, but the trees, the animals, the birds, the insects and the waters… There are many more concerts over the summer, Paul Dooley and Kseniya Rusnak (28th June) present a rich and evocative selection of traditional and early music from Ireland and Ukraine, performed on the historic Irish harp and Ukrainian bandura. This will be a marvellous concert. Anyone who attended our first concert with Liam O’Maonlai will get a 35% discount on this concert! At the eight of Midsummer, Liam Ó’Maonlaí brought Sean Nos and other old Irish airs to the forest, just at the time the hosts of the Sidhe are moving quietly, unseen from one fort to another. Liam Ó’Maonlaí is rooted in traditional songs of this land. You have to be careful of the Sidhe, because they don’t like you singing their airs on certain days, just as they don’t like you ploughing or tilling their land. Liam draws much of his music and airs from the Irish language, and is particularly a custodian of Sean Nos. His father taught him to sing as he was learning to speak. The first song Liam learned was Buachaill Ón Éirne. Thus began a very unique approach to singing and performing, blending elements of traditional Irish music with contemporary expression… his performance moves between voice and piano. Liam’s music is intimate, deeply expressive and very rooted in the living tradition of this land. The story of the haunting song an Anac Cuan has that old Irish tragic air to it. On September 5, 1828, a boat carrying 19 people from Annaghdown crossed the Corrib River to the Galway market, laden with goods and livestock. Due to overcrowding and a leak in the boat, the vessel sank on a seemingly calm day, resulting in the drowning of 11 men and 8 women. There was said to have been meddling in the tragic incident.
ANAC CUAN Ma fhaighimse sláinte is fada a bheas trocht ar an mhéid a báthadh as Anach Cuan. Mo thrua amhrach gach athair is mathair bean is páiste atá ag síleadh síl. A RÌ na nGrásta, a cheap neamh is Páthas, nár bheag an bhacht dinn beirt nó triúr? Ach chomh breá leis gan gaoth gan bí isteach is lán an bháid acu a scuabadh ar shiúil.
Peadar Ó’Doirníns mellifluous poetry to his beloved, sung from hilltops in the North, was one of Liam’s songs. Ó’Doirnín was a love poet who, Liam said, suffered from rather tortured unrequited love.
Move on to the mad little ditty Cailleach an airgead, also known as Sí do Mhaimeó í or ‘She’s your Granny!’ A warning to older women consorting with younger men that they’ll be robbed of their money (airgead)! Altogether a rich evening of wild song sung with passion in the way that Liam Ó’Maonlaí does it, invoking the ancient spirits of Ériu..  Liam playing Cailleach an Airgid above and the ditty is in this little animation here:  Liam’s mother was piano player, so Liam grew up with that great influence, too. Traditional Irish music, and specifically Sean Ó Riada, was a landmark. He started to learn the tin whistle at nine and was a great fan of Sean Ó’Riada. Liam is very inspired by slow airs like Anach Cuan, the tragic song of Connemara. It is this slow, lamenting sound that I associated with LiamÓ’Maonlaí, but he is also the founder with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin of the band The Hothouse Flowers, who I saw many times in Dublin at the Larks in the Parks growing up in the late 1980s. Their songs were in my head all the time as I cycled to school.  Liam playing ‘Don’t Go’ by the Hothouse flowers, thanks to Gabby Punch. In this magnificent setting we have launched the 2nd inaugural Ancient Music Festival for 2026 with live performances of Medieval, Renaissance, Traditional, Ancient and Baroque music, performed in a mythical forest environment BOOK HERE. There are many more concerts over the summer, Paul Dooley and Kseniya Rusnak (28th June) present a rich and evocative selection of traditional and early music from Ireland and Ukraine, performed on the historic Irish harp and Ukrainian bandura. This will be a marvellous concert. Anyone who attended our first concert with Liam O’Maonlai will get a 35% discount on this concert!
The Dublin Trio are on the 4th July, the Earls of Ormond on the 5th July and Join TAC Traditional Arts Collective on 11th July for an afternoon of traditional music, myth, dance and song with the Irish bronze age horn, flute, harp, voice and bodhrán along with sean-nós dancing demonstrations. Ancient Music Ireland- Simon O’Dwyer & Maria Cullen O’Dwyer (19th July) brings us on a journey through the ages, exploring the sounds of prehistoric and early medieval Ireland– the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Early Medieval periods, featuring reproductions of ancient Irish instruments brought to life through performance, storytelling, and music archaeology. Eternum (26th July) conjures a timeless, enchanting sound that carries the listener back through the centuries, weaving together evocative vocals with the rich tones of lute guitar, Irish lute/Irish bouzouki, blockflöte and bodhrán. These magical concerts run from June to August at Dorlindon and you can see the programme here and book via the link. I’m writer-and-storyteller-in-residence at Dorlindon Forest Sanctuary, and will be holding many workshops from August to Hallowee’en at Dorlindon. The Morrigan and the Faery Abduction was performed at Dorlindon in the Glass House, and before that in the Old Deanery, Gorey, the Tuatha De Danann festival in Laois and at Wild Eala in Blessington, Wicklow. For more information on Performances and Workshops visit here.
  Ravensdale will perform at the music festival on 8th August at Dorlindon, a unique Norse performance, enacting old tales like Baba Yaga, and invocations of the Viking God Oden.
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© 2026 Siofra O'Donovan
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