Keith Donald | Chairman

Keith Donald was born in County Derry in 1945. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, and has studied at University of Minnesota and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

A founding member of the critically acclaimed Irish instrumental group Moving Hearts, Donald has played sax with people as diverse as Van Morrison, The Dubliners, Zoot Sims, Christy Moore, Vusi Mahlahsela, Gerry Mulligan and Máire Breatnach. Keith has played at or organized gigs for Burma Action Ireland, Amnesty, Greenpeace, gay rights, the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Women´s Aid and many other worthwhile causes. Over the years he has composed music for the BBC, Channel Four, BFI, RTE, Neil Jordan´s Angel, plays by Brian Friel, Damian Gorman and Frank McGuinness and he wrote the music for the BBCNI drama United which won a BAFTA in 1997.

Through previous membership of the Boards of the IRMA Trust, the Temple Bar Music Centre, the IBEC Music Group, plus having served on Forte, the advisory group set up by the first Minister for Arts and Culture, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of music and the arts in Ireland and overseas. He currently sits on the Board of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society of Ireland (MCPSI).  As a performer, Keith has returned to his first love, the clarinet and plays jazz gigs in Ireland and abroad.

Songwriters and Composers

Paul Brady

Paul Brady, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist has for more than forty years been at the forefront of music in Ireland. Spending the early part of his career absorbing influences from Jazz, Blues, Pop, Soul, Country and traditional Irish music in many partnerships from The Johnstons to Planxty, he began writing songs around the end of the 70´s and since then has earned a reputation as one of Ireland´s leading singer-songwriters.

Soon after he released ‘Hard Station´, his first self-penned album in 1981, his songwriting began to be appreciated by artists worldwide, his first success coming the following year when Santana covered ‘Night Hunting Time´. Since then his songs have appeared on many records For more details see http://www.paulbrady.com/discog/covers.asp Paul Brady continues to write, record and perform and lives in Dublin.

Máire Breatnach

Máire Breatnach was born and raised in Dublin. Having studied classical violin at the College of Music (CDVEC) with Clara Greene, she was awarded the Arthur Darley Medal, and the Feis Ceoil’s Catterall Cup for concerto playing. Meantime, she was developing her interest in traditional fiddle-playing, receiving many awards at Gael-Linn’s Slógadh festivals, Scór and Oireachtas na Gaeilge.

She obtained BA and MA degrees in Irish at UCD, as well as a BMus, during which period she played in the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, and held a lecturing position in the then Department of Irish Folklore, UCD. Máire lectured in the College of Music, DIT, before embarking on a freelance career in music. She has also studied in QUB and UL, where she gained a further MA, this time in ethnomusicology. Early performance ventures included participation in such groups as Blasket Sound, Killera and Méristem. Máire was the solo fiddler with the original “Riverdance”, and later toured with the first stage show built around it. She has also toured extensively abroad with various musicians, including Norland Wind in continental Europe. Máire has composed and recorded five solo albums: Angels’ Candles, The Voyage of Bran, Celtic Lovers, Dreams and Visions in Irish Song – Aislingí Ceoil and Cranna Ceoil / In Full Measure. She collaborated with Keith Donald for the 1999 disc The Calm After The Storm, a collection of Irish slow airs arranged for wind and strings by the two. Tarraing Téad / Pulling Strings, with Cormac De Barra (2010), is mainly focused on the music of the harpers, but also features traditional tunes arranged for strings by Cormac and Máire. On fiddle, viola, whistles, piano and keyboards, guitar and vocals, Máire has performed and recorded with Riverdance, Christy Moore, Alan Stivell, Ronan Keating, Moya Brennan, Phil Chevron, Sinead O’Connor, Bryan Adams, Altan, Sharon Shannon, Lúnasa, Mary Black, Mike Oldfield, Donovan, Dave Gilmour, Sarah Brightman, Gavin Friday, Nigel Kennedy, Donal Lunny, Dolores Keane, Ronnie Drew, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Ronan Hardiman and Bill Whelan.

As a record producer, she has worked with Sonny Condell, Johnny McEvoy, Jim McCann, The Black Family, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, Méav, Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola, Macdara Ó Conaola and Finola Ó Siochrú. TV and film credits include Glenroe, Tinteán and Voyage (RTÉ), A Freezing Summer (Japan), Angela Mooney Dies Again, In The Name of the Father, The Secret of Roan Inish, Rob Roy and Moondance.

Máire has featured on two chart-topping albums, Tears of Stone (The Chieftains), which subsequently won a Grammy award, and Éist, for which she wrote the title song, a duet with Brian Kennedy.

She wrote a traditional/folk music column for the Irish language weekly newspaper Anois and later for the monthly magazine Comhar (2004-07). In 2006/07 she composed incidental music for over 40 children´s books in Irish (many of which she also narrated) published as CDs by Foras na Gaeilge.

Her first book, Vera agus a Veidhlín, a children´s musical story, illustrated by Robert Ballagh, was published in Dublin by An Gúm in 2008. Máire Breatnach is currently working on her sixth solo album.

 

Donagh Long

Donagh Long has been writing and performing his own songs for the past 25 years. His songs have been covered both nationally and internationally by many major recording artists. Well known as a performer in his native Cork, he has worked closely with many leading musicians. These days, Donagh tends to devote more time to writing and producing than to live work.

Donagh´s songs have been covered by Mary Black, Dolores Keane, Mary Coughlan, Christy Moore, Frances Black, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris, Nancy Griffith, David Howard, John McDermott, Lynn Morris, John Wright, Susan McCann, Toni Caitlin, Aoife Ferry, Orla Fallon, Mae Robertson, Moonrakers, Deirdre Masterson, The Wells Family, Fiona Kennedy, Nathan Carter, Angus Lyon, Gerry Timlin and Bram Taylor.

 

Eleanor McEvoy

In a world where the word star and the gift of talent are often devalued, Eleanor McEvoy is neither an overnight success nor a four-week wonder.

Her career began at the age of four when she took piano lessons, taking up violin at the age of eight. Upon finishing school, she attended Trinity College in Dublin where she studied music by day and worked in pit orchestras and music clubs by night. Eleanor graduated from Trinity and was accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland where she worked for four years before finally taking the plunge to concentrate on her passion for songwriting.

After a long hard slog, she finally found success in 1992. It happened when one of her songs ‘Only a Woman´s Heart´ inspired the title for, and appeared on, the A Woman´s Heart anthology album. It has since gone on to become the best selling album in Irish history, staying in the Irish Top 10 for over a year.

Since then Eleanor has gone on to become an artist and performer known throughout the world. Her critically acclaimed canon of work spans seven albums, several singles and appearances on numerous compilation albums. She is today recognised as one of Ireland´s most successful female singer songwriters.

Charlie McGettigan

Charlie McGettigan started his musical career in the 1960s in various rock bands in Donegal. In 1973, Charlie formed the highly successful group Jargon, which went on to win the prestigious Letterkenny Folk Festival, following in the footsteps of bands like Clannad and Pumpkinhead.

Down the years, Charlie worked with artists like Maura O Connell and Eleanor Shanley, and released two solo albums — Songs of the Night and Charlie McGettigan — before joining forces with Paul Harrington and Brendan Graham to win the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Rock n Roll Kids´. Charlie has since released the albums In Your Old Room, Family Matters and his current album, Stolen Moments. Charlie´s songs have been recorded by many artists including De Dannan, Mary and Frances Black, Ray Lynam, Daniel O´Donnell, Sandy Kelly and Hal Ketchum to name but a few.

These days, Charlie tours both in Ireland and abroad. He presents The Saturday Connection on Shannonside/Northern Sound Radio, a two hour programme where he previews live music and theatrical events, interviews guests e.g. Guy Clark, Kieran Goss, Frances Black, Jerry Douglas and Bela Fleck and plays mostly music produced in Ireland.

Charlie is a board member of The Dock Arts Centre in Carrick on Shannon.

Niall Toner

Niall Toner is one of Ireland´s leading authorities on American Country Music, and has performed various styles of Bluegrass and Traditional Country Music with The Lee Valley String Band, The Sackville String Band, and Hank Halfhead and the Rambling Turkeys. He currently fronts his own three-piece acoustic outfit, the Niall Toner Band, with Clem O´Brien on guitar and Dick Gladney on string bass, performing all original songs and music.

His work has been recorded by many artists including Paddy Cole, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Bill Wyman (the Rolling Stones), Albert Lee, The Fleadh Cowboys, Special Consensus, Eoin O´Riabhaig and Italy’s Red Wine, to name a few. Niall´s music has also been featured on the soundtrack of GTA IV, the 2nd.biggest-selling video game in history.

Niall was recently signed to a record deal in the USA with North Carolina based Pinecastle Records, and his first Album with them is due for release in September 2012.

Niall is also a broadcaster, and presents Roots Freeway on RTE Radio One. He also interviews songwriters about their craft, and these shows are broadcast on RTE under the banner Behind the Lines.

As well as serving on the IMRO Board, Niall is Chairman of the PR and Marketing Committee. He is married with five children and lives in rural Co.Carlow.

Music Publishers

Brian Crosby

Eddie Joyce

Eddie Joyce began his adventure in the Irish music scene as a demo reviewer for Hot Press magazine in the early 1980s.

In 1984, Eddie set up Danceline, which started out as a live music venue and evolved into a record label and music publishing company committed to the cause of promoting and developing Irish songwriters and Irish acts. Danceline Records released albums by The Afternoons and Georgia, over 50 singles and numerous compilation albums.

Eddie was a founder member of the Jobs In Music and Fairplay for Airplay initiatives.

More recently, Eddie has served as an IMRO Board member and developed a general music consultancy service. Danceline Music continues to operate as a music publishing company.

Johnny Lappin

 Johnny Lappin is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable music publishers working at the forefront of the industry today. With a wealth of experience garnered through his extensive dealings with the international music industry, he is Secretary of the Music Publishers Association of Ireland (MPAI) and is also on the boards of both IMRO and MCPS Ireland. He is currently the Managing Director of Liffey Publishing Ltd whose clients include the multi-platinum selling Irish female group Celtic Woman and the sensational ballad group The High Kings. He administers the publishing interests of MCD boss Denis Desmond’s Evolving Music Company whose roster includes the million-selling Rodrigo y Gabriela. Also among this extensive roster are such dynamic current acts like Ryan Sheridan, The Minutes, Fight Like Apes, The Funeral Suits and The Original Rude Boys. Over the years Lappin’s music publishing activities brought him an impressive list of clients, including Clannad, Aslan, Sharon Shannon, The Celtic Tenors, Rob Burke, Liam Reilly, (Bagatelle) and many other top Irish artists. Lappin wrote The Need to Know Guide to Music Publishing, a reflection of his desire to educate musicians about the practical workings of the industry, and for ten years he co-directed the successful Music Industry Xplained (MIX) course in conjunction with Hot Press. Johnny regularly contributes to discussions on copyright and publishing, and strongly refutes the notion that music should be free. As he says, “I have too much respect for songwriters and music publishers to entertain any suggestion that our work has no monetary value.”

Steve Lindsey

After achieving a degree from Liverpool College Of Art, Lindsey began his music career in 1976 as a writer and musician with first Deaf School and then The Planets – recording a total of 5 albums and scoring a couple of minor hits.

In 1985 he moved into music publishing as professional manager with Warner/Chappell Music and was later appointed general manager of Go! Disc Music, where he worked with The Las and Norman Cook/Beats International. He joined Island Music as creative director and general manager in 1990, and was associated with The Beautiful South, Tricky and Massive Attack, and represented Irish acts such as U2, Hinterland and Gavin Friday. In 1995, he set up as an independent music supervisor. As a music consultant he established publishing companies for Robbie Williams´s management company and Massive Attack.

Based in Dublin since 2001, he has worked on the publishing front with Rodrigo y Gabriela and currently represents such diverse writers as score composer Niall Byrne, Mundy, Cathy Davey, Aslan, Chequerboard, Alphastates and Robotnik amongst others.

In addition to his publishing activities, Lindsey currently sits on the board of MCPS Ireland.

Michael O´Riordan

Michael O´Riordan was a major player in the success of Release Records in the late 1960s, when the Irish music scene was mainly dominated by that label and its unrivalled catalogue of showbands, ballad singers and cabaret acts. Since the advent of Ritz Records he has been an unrelenting campaigner for more use of all types of Irish music on radio and television. More recently he has concentrated on the publishing side of the business through his Emma and Rosette music publishing companies. O´Riordan has also devoted much of his time to servicing the music industry. He is both a director and committee member of IMRO and MCPS, served on the Music Board of Ireland and is currently president of the Music Publishers Association of Ireland.

 

External Directors

James Morris

Chairman of Windmill Lane Pictures Ltd. and Bord Scannan na hEireann/The Irish Film Board, James Morris is a graduate of Trinity CollegeDublin and afterwards trained as a Film Editor in London. He founded Windmill Lane Pictures and Windmill Lane Recording Studios on his return to Dublin. He led the Windmill Consortium to win the television franchise for TV3 in 1989.

In 1990 he founded The Mill — Film and TV Post Production Company in London. He was appointed non-executive Chairman of TV3 in 1998. He joined the board of the Dublin International Film Festival in 2004. He was appointed as Chair of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board in 2005.

 

 

Philip Flynn

Philip is currently CEO & Board member of the Digital Hub Development Agency. The Digital Hub is a key element of the Government´s Smart Economy strategy and aims to create a centre of excellence for Digital Media in enterprise, education and the arts.

He also holds other Board memberships at  Dublin Simon Community (Chair from 2004 – 2007) and SligoMusicFest Ltd.(Chair 2005 – 2009) which runs the critically acclaimed annual Sligo Live Festival.

A guitarist himself, Philip was heavily involved in the Music Business in the late 1970´s/early 1980´s. In 1977 he co-founded and organised the Ballisodare Festival which was Ireland´s first 3-day weekend music festival. The festival ran successfully for 6 years and attracted audiences of 20,000 at its peak.

He moved to the computer industry in the mid 80´s when he joined Digital Equipment Corporation in Clonmel. During his career with Digital, he held a number of international executive positions in Geneva and subsequently in Boston.

He returned to Dublin in 1997 as Vice President/MD of international operations for Visio Corporation, a Seattle-based software PLC. During his tenure, Visio´s business expanded rapidly from €40m to €200m in revenue and in January 2000 Microsoft acquired the business in an all share deal valued at 1.5bn dollars.

Philip holds an MSc. (Mgt.) from Trinity College, Dublin and is a graduate of Stanford University´s executive development programme. He is a member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and the Institute of Directors.

James Hickey

James Hickey is the Chief Executive of Bord Scannan na hÉireann/ The Irish Film Board  (BSÉ/IFB)  having taken up the position in June 2011. BSÉ/IFB is a statutory governmental agency established to assist and encourage the making of films in Ireland and the development of the industry for film production in Ireland.  It provides funding for the development, production and distribution of films in Ireland.   Prior to this appointment James was since 1992 a media and entertainment lawyer and the partner in charge of the Media and Entertainment Law Group in Matheson Ormsby Prentice, Irelands largest law firm.  He is a member of the European Film Academy and was Chairman of the Project Arts Centre (1982 – 1988) and the National Theatre Society (Abbey Theatre) (1992 – 2001). He was educated as Trinity College Dublin, MA LLB.