Billy Cusack

Billy Cusack interview June 10th 2011 


This week we spoke with local singer Billy Cusack. Billy has been playing the local scene for over 25 years. Starting out as a two piece with Tony Moore, who later went on to become owner of “The Meeting place". Tony got very busy so I started doing a few gigs on my own until I meet up with Padraig Parker, 

NIcole Maguire

Nicole Maguire Interview 8th June 2011

Nicole Maguire has been writing music since she was twelve years old Nicole is 24 years old now so in essence she has been writing songs half her life. Having her first original gig at fourteen where she was playing opening slots to anyone who would let her, it wasn't long before Nicole knew that her lifelong journey would be in music.

Steve Whelan

Steve Whelan 30th May 2011

Singer songwriter Steve Whelan from Youghal has a very down to earth approach to delivering his music with a spirit of honesty presence and grit.  His Smokey vocals, married with his simple but poetic and addictive melodies produces a musical honesty and edge possessed by few writer composers. I spoke with Steve this week about his new album.

Johnny Bongos Horgan

Johnny Bongos Horgan May 25th 2011


This week we had the pleasure of speaking with Johnny Bongos Horgan, Johnny from Mallow has become well known in recent time from his television appearances in 2010s All Ireland Talent show in which Johnny represented Cork and Munster with his own unique skill. Johnny would be best known for playing the spoons a tradition of making music using items you find around you in the house. 

Ely O Keeffe

Ely O Keeffe Interview 1st May 2011

Shane spoke with Ely O Keeffe singer songwriter from Knocknagree in County Cork has been making waves in recent times on the Irish music circuit. Currently working on launching her new album she is as busy as ever. The Album was two years in the making and was not without interesting times. Ely comes from a musical family and played with her own family band for about 5 years before she branched out on her own.

Cherry Jubilee

Cherry Jubilee Interview 22nd April 2011

Cherry Jubilee the band are Martina Cullinane and Abbie O’Shea who are from Lismore, Lorna Cullen from Cappoquin and Emily Aherne from Tallow. These four girls attend Blackwater Community School in Lismore, Co. Waterford. The average age of the girls is 16 and it all started when the girls used to hang around together during school and over time they developed into a group. Shane Supple interviewed the girls this week and we spoke about where it started and what they have done in such a short time span.

Juliet Turner

Juliet turner interview 20th April 2010

Juliet Turner is a singer/songwriter from Tummery, near Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. She has been a part of the Dublin music scene since she started recording in 1996. In the course of her career she has opened for such artists as Bob Dylan, U2 and Bryan Adams and toured with Roger McGuinn, Joan Armatrading and Brian Kennedy. Turner also sang on two tracks of Peter Mulvey’s live album Glencree. Her first album “Lets Hear it for Pizza” was released in 1996 on the Scottish label “Sticky Music” followed by “Burn the Black Suit” released on her own “Hear This! Records” label.

Hillary Reynolds

This week Shane Supple spoke to Hillary Reynolds, Musical Director of the Orpheus Choir which is Only in its 6th year of operation.  I asked Hillary about herself and where was she from and she explained that she was born in Venezuela and then moved to England where she spent most of her young life and studied music in London before moving to the Nederland’s where she met her husband. She spent approximately 20 years of her life teaching and performing music around Europe when she was offered a position in UCC. Her husband had a book shop in Rotterdam which specialised in Irish Literature So when the opportunity came they moved to Ireland. When she got to Cork they looked around for a place to live after a search herself and her husband decided to settle in Tallow Co Waterford.

Wall St Thieves

Wall St Thieves interview 4th April 2011

This week Shane Supple spoke to The Wall St Thieves who are a 4 piece group the lads, ranging in age from early to mid twenties,Eric Doherty on Guitar/Vocals, Che Horgan also Guitar/Vocals, Shane Norberg on Bass/Vocals, Dereck O’Shea on Drums. This week we had the pleasure of their company and to be honest it wasnt easy trying to pin them down on a few questions.

Darragh Flemming

A DJ was traditionally known for standing behind a record player spinning records and making announcements between songs. However times have moved on and so has the brief for the modern DJ no longer does the DJ stand there and just line up the next song with a new style known as mixing he has to blend one track into another without loosing a beat he finds a track that has the same BPM (beats per minute) as the one currently playing and fades from one to the other in a seamless fashion, sometimes even mixing the two tracks together. Another part of this mixing is when a DJ might take two or three tracks and mix and blend them continuously as if they were one song. So basically what the modern DJ does is create a new song using recorded material from other artists.

Ger Thompson

Ger Thompson interview 24th March 2011

This week Shane Supple spoke to singer songwriter Ger Thompson who is originally from Dublin but now living in locally. He moved to Cork with his wife Eileen whom he met while studying at Drama Collage. He spent most of his working life as an actor even after he got married. About a year and a half ago he was laid off from his job, like so many others in this current climate and he found it hard to adjust from working every day to not working. But while one door closes as they say another will open and he found that he had time to finish some projects he had always wanted to do but never had the time.

Stephen Leeson

Stephen Leeson interview 20th March 2011

This week Shane Supple had the honor of chatting with Stephen Leeson, Stephen who has decided to go solo after a long career working with other bands. Best known for his unique voice, Stephen has toured all over Ireland, Europe, America & parts of Asia.  He has been front man and lead singer for bands such as: Porter Black, Dublin Legacy and for 4 years with the ‘Dublin City Ramblers’.

Art Supple

Art Supple interview 13th March 2011

This week I spoke with Art Supple during the week on Youghal Radio and I know Art and myself are related but when it comes to music and music connections the simple fact that Art is one of our best known musicians in Cork. I asked Art to explain how he became involved with the music business.

Will they Run

Will they run interview 6th March 2011

This week the band Shane spoke with are called Will They Run
This week I spoke with two members of the band “Will They Run” Singer Diarmuid O Leary and drummer Greg Ahern. The lads are currently working on getting new songs sorted and a set list put together, they have been rehearsing for the last several weeks getting themselves ready to launch on an unsuspecting world. I asked them where did it start.

Vincent Lynch

Vincent Lynch interview 27th Feb 2011

This week Shane talked to singer songwriter Vincent Lynch from Cork. Vincent arrived for the interview accompanied by Pascale Lutz his bass guitar player and guitarist Hugh Dillon who also works quite a lot with another Cork Legend Mick Flannery. Also in the party was Aisling O Leary from Topline Management who are the management company for Vincent.
Oh, don’t let anyone tell you that there are no earthquakes in Cork! The rebel city’s Vincent Lynch packs a seismic punch with enough magnitude to knock any rock fan off their feet! With fierce guitars and full throttle rhythm, Vincent Lynch is a definite force of nature.

Claire Regan

Claire Regan from Local Group the Birds interview 21st Feb 2011

This week Shane had the pleasure of chatting with local singer songwriter Claire Regan. Currently you can hear The Birds on local CD the Marine Sessions with a recording called Wildflower from The Birds. as Claire herself says this was a great song by All about Eve so we rearranged the guitar added vocals and bass and hey presto our version of this song. I asked Claire to take us back to where it all started

Warren Tivy

Claycastle on top of the Mountain 14th Feb 2011

This week I spoke with Warren Tivy who during the year undertook a charity climb to one of the world’s best known mountains Kilimanjaro in Africa which is 12,000 meters above sea level. Warren musican, producer, sound engineer and owner of Claycastle Studios in Youghal decided to do some work for charity and he was doing work for different  bands and acts who were all raising funds for the Charity Africa Direct so it did this seemed like a good idea at the time.

Mike Hanrahan

Mike Hanrahan interview 7th Feb 2011

Mike Hanrahan would be best known for his work with Irish band Stockton’s Wing, He also spent 10 wonderful years working alongside Legend Ronnie Drew, spent some time as Chairman of IMRO and decided in later years to change career to that of Chef, nothing too strange in that except its a brave man who would decide at the age of 48 to change direction from a very successful career as a songwriter singer guitar player musican.

Annette Buckley

Annette Buckley interview 29th Jan 2011

I spoke with singer songwriter Annette Buckley from Cork this week while she was in the studio recording her new songs.  Annette Buckley, who is no stranger to the Cork live scene, received rave reviews after releasing her debut album “The ever changing colors of  the sea” in Hotpress Magazine. The future was bright for this up and coming rising star.

David & Chris

Two Song writers team up interview 24th Jan 2011

On Friday last I had the privilege of speaking with two local singer songwriters and in our conversation we discussed music, politics and much more. However as this is a musical article I will concentrate on the music for now and let’s leave the politics till another day. The two Singer songwriters are Dave Murphy from Youghal and Kyata Known as Chris Yewell now living in Youghal but originally from America,

Best of the Marine sessions

The Best of the Marine sessions interview 16th Jan 2011

From time to time we come across a musical treat which I feel we must bring to the attention of our readers In the East Music scene we have many acts, bands, singer, groups, songwriters all who are very
talented in so many ways. On this occasion I want to talk about a
brand new CD which is aptly called the Best of the Marine Sessions in
reference to the Marine Bar in the Strand Youghal which has played
host to so many musical nights over the year. It’s great to see a
local venue constantly supporting local music. Under the guidance of
Claycastle Studios a new 12 track CD has been released featuring
artists from the local area and who have played in The Marine Bar at
some stage over the last year.

Caroline Fraher

Caroline Fraher interview 7th Jan 2011

Over the year we will be taking a look at musicians and singers from the East Cork area, singers we have all heard from time to time, let it be in the church choir or singing in the background at some of the events, festivals that we go to over the year. Today we are going to introduce you to one of these wonderful singers.
This week we are starting in Cobh with the lady who it has been said has the voice of an angel she has sung at weddings, funerals and other church related activities as part of a choir, as a solo singer she has preformed at many different social events here in Ireland and abroad.

Michael Del Punto

Michael Del Punto interview 20th Dec 2010

Over the last few months young singer Michael Del Punta has become noticed for many things his ability to entertain and serve food at the same time. However it’s his musical talents that have started to come to the fore. He started life singing while working as a waiter in Capri Bay restaurant in Youghal in County Cork and has progressed to more of a full time singer then waiter.

Darragh McGann

Darragh McGann interview 13th Dec 2010

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Cobh singer Darragh McGann better known as the singing Taxi driver. Mind you it seems that the tag, Singing Taxi driver might be just a little out of step as Darragh has established himself on a national and local stage as a singer, this time outside his taxi.
He delighted in telling me that he now has a new manager Michelle McCarthy from Gortroe, Michelle who has been involved in the music business for the last number of years is no stranger to working with great singers and bands.

Tomas Dubghail

Tomas Dubghail interview 6th Dec 2010

On Friday last I interviewed Tomas Dubghaill about the release of his new single “Where did Christmas Go”. Tomas was helped in the studio by two local girls from Inch Aine and Caoimhe O Driscoll from Inch National School who provided backing vocals on this track. When Tomas spoke with school principle Mr. O Mahoney about finding some singers for his single there were many fine singers to pick from in the school but the two girls came out on top.