New Mayo band - musician Cónan Kilcoyne tells us all about it

By Nathan Keane

LOCAL musician Cónan Kilcoyne - who is a self described ‘Luthier, Musician & Teacher’ - recently announced that he is launching a band in the Mayo area, alongside some fellow local performers. To find out more about this project, I got in touch with Conan and asked him a few questions, which are detailed below.

Nathan: Hi Cónan. Firstly, tell us who you are, and what inspired you all to form this band?

Conan: We’re called NÉIFINN, inspired by Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s so-called ‘heavenly place’. There are worse muses for a band name than the Wild Nephin mountain range, found on the northern side of Clew Bay. The national park is rugged, wild, and handsome, no more than the band members. We’re a humble bunch.

N: Who are the members of NÉIFINN?

C: I’m Cónan Kilcoyne, and my role is to drum up some craic - literally and figuratively. I use a kick drum to create a pulse and my trusty acoustic guitar to accompany our voices. You might catch me playing the mandolin or bodhrán for a few sets also.

Seán McGuire is an Irish flute and tin whistle player that has honed his skills as a trad musician and an improviser. Seán also sings lead vocals on many of the songs we play.

Will Merrigan is the one that glues it all together. A solid teammate on the electric and double base. He’s also a fine singer.

N: What kind of music will you be playing?

C: As for our style and genre, we bring our personal interests and influences to the table with every song and tune. Think energetic acoustic interpretations of old Irish ballads - Celtic rock, Johnny Cash, Rory Gallagher, et cetera. We also love performing original trad tunes and songs.

N: What are you most looking forward to in this new journey?

C: Personally, I’m hoping to write more pieces that take full advantage of what the two lads can bring to them. It’s very inspiring to play with musicians that bring perfect, yet unexpected ideas to something you are working on. We would also like to play at the odd festival next year.

N: Where and when can people see you all play live?

C: NÉIFINN are getting booked up for private functions at the minute, but the three of us have just started a residency at Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar, every Thursday at 7 p.m. for the summer.

Seán and Cónan also play as a duo in the following bars year round, unless they have other arrangements:

Wednesdays: JJ O’Malley’s at 8.30 p.m.

Saturdays: The Porterhouse at 7 p.m., followed by JJ O’Malley’s at 10 p.m.

Sundays: JJ O’Malley’s at 7 p.m.

For more information on us, just go to neifinn.band