Back To Reviews Page

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geoff Wallis, Folk Roots Magazine. (Jan/Feb 2003)
An Raicín Álainn: own label, LNC001CD

“The Aran Islands off the coast of Galway have a long musical heritage which has rarely been captured on record other than
Sidney Robertson Cowell’s recordings for the Ethnic Folkways Library, released way back in 1957). Now that dearth has
been partly redressed by the release of ‘An Raicín Álainn’, an eclectic collection of songs from the young Lasairfhíona Ni
Chonaola who hails from the island of Inishere. Lasairfhíona grew up in the island’s sean-nós singing tradition and first came
to wider recognition on 1998’s ‘Lights in The Dark’, a much-lauded collection of Irish sacred songs produced by Hector Zazou.
Her voice has an essentially ethereal quality, but one which is equally capable of delivering both the profundities of some of the
traditional songs on her debut album, such as ‘Banríon Loch Na Naomh’,and a breath of material which encompasses an almost
Ursula Burns-like Oileán Na Teiscinne and the lilting songs Bímse Fein Ag Iascaireacht sung with her brother MacDara. Thoroughly
engaging throughout, Lasairfhíona's sean-nós skills shine on the unaccompanied, witty 'Amhrán an Phúca' and, one of the great
Connacht love songs, 'Úna Bhán'. Máire Breatnach's production is sensitivity incarnate and there are guest appearances from
the acclaimed whistler MaryBergin and bodhrán wizard Johnny McDonagh, on one of the most sumptuous albums of traditional
singing to have emerged for some time."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________