Tír Na nÓg

Live at Sirius,Dagger Records ***

As Randy Newman pithily remarked recently in Dublin, nobody's retiring these days. And just as well, judging by the sparks flying on Tír Na nÓg's 40th birthday celebratory recording. Cobh's Arts Centre provided the hospitable setting for this unselfconsciously ragged-edged recording, which sees Sonny Condell's songwriting stand the test of time with gusto, while his ageless voice breathes fresh life into old favourites, including Time Is Like a Promise. Leo O'Kelly's fiddle traces an oddly circuitous route at times, yet his bass tones quietly complement Condell's ethereal vocals. The closer, Dante, is a sweetheart deal struck between voices that soar when harmonising together. With a repertoire drawn from Tír na nÓg's three Chrysalis albums, completists will surely savour the duo's version of Nick Drake's Free Ride,reputedly the only Drake cover recorded while the great man was still alive. See leookelly.ie