Sinead McNally is a singer/songwriter and pianist from Dundalk. She spent her early years studying piano at the College of Music in Dublin and alongside that developed her love for Irish traditional music by learning the fiddle through Comhaltas. When she was 14 she won ‘The Macardle Award’ after being auditioned by renowned Irish conductor Proinnsias O’Duinn on behalf of Louth County Council. She was awarded a scholarship to pursue her classical music studies. She went on to study a degree in music at Canterbury Christchurch University. Following that she trained as a primary school teacher. In 2004, a song she submitted to RTE for the Eurovision Song Competition came runner up in the ‘You’re A Star’ TV programme, just narrowly missing out on representing Ireland in the Eurovision that year.
She has also been a finalist in the Glinsk Song Contest and the Kerry Ballad competition in the last two years and received very positive feedback from high profile judges in both competitions.
Sinead’s burning ambition to be a full-time singer/songwriter got the better of her and last September she decided to take time out of teaching to fully immerse herself in gigging, writing and learning whatever it takes to have her music out in the public domain. Sinead thrives on interaction with her audience and on the sharing of experiences and thoughts through the words and her music. She recently supported Eleanor McEvoy who was promoting her new album. Prior to this she supported up and coming Edenderry based band ‘Frantic Jack’ in Whelans among many other bands and artists since leaving full time work in September. In December last she supported the fantastic Monaghan singer/songwriter Ryan Sheridan on the first night of his tour. Sinead has a packed diary of gigs, both support and as headline act over the coming months and her first single is being prepared for release in February. Sinead’s very impressive piano skills mixed with her wide range of musical styles and songs that move and delight make up a very enjoyable entertainer.
