Conor Curley
Conor is a guitarist and writer with the popular band, Fontaines D.C. Conor was born and raised in Emyvale, co. Monaghan and it’s here that sparked his love for music and for the language as well.
He met the other members of the Fontaines while attending BIMM music college in Dublin. The Fontaines exploded onto the scene with the release of their first album Dogrel in 2019 and they have since gone from strength to strength gaining lots of recognition as one of the most important bands of their generation.
Conor learnt his Irish as school and since then he has been all over the world on tour with the band. Conor is looking to restart his learning journey with the language now. There’s lots of Irish to be heard in the songs that the Fontaines D.C. have released so far, for example the song In ár gCroíthe go deo which is on the album Skinty Fia and the song Better Way to Live, featuring Kneecap.
As an ambassador for Seachtain na Gaeilge, Conor shows us that Irish can be contemporary, international and creative in life and in the culture of today.
“I learned Irish in school and, similar to a lot of people, I fell away from the language for a while. But I am making my way back to it now, which is the main thing; that it’s never too late to open that door again”.
Róisín Seoighe
Róisín Seoighe is a singer and musician and is also a member of the band IMLÉ. Róisín is a Connemara native, from Ros a’ Mhíl and so was brought up through Irish, the language of her craft and her heart.
She started out singing Sean Nós when she was only 7 years old and she won two singing and dancing competitions at Oireachtas na Samhna when she was still a child. Since then, she has achieved stardom as a popular singer who blends tradition with contemporary sounds in a way that is fresh and bold.
She has released lots of songs as a solo artist, like Níl Mé Marbh and Geasa, and also as a member of the electrifying band IMLÉ, such as Sláinte and Éad.
As an ambassador for Seachtain na Gaeilge, Róisín shows us that it’s possible to build on the old traditions of music to inspire interest, pride and energy in the language in today’s world.
“Irish isn’t static for me; it’s a language that grows with you. It’s rooted in tradition, but it finds its own voice in music and in modern life.”