Flying the flag for Irish music in Melbourne

I arrived in Melbourne in 1981 with my mum, dad, four brothers and three sisters. Like so many others, we left behind family, friends and possessions in a war-battered Belfast, hoping for a better life in Australia.

I started working immediately in my trade as a hairdresser but a visit to an Irish theatre restaurant, followed by an invitation to work there, was to change my Australian journey radically. I had been terribly homesick, and was finding it very hard to find my place in this new country. Being surrounded by Irish people was just what I needed.

Having come from an Irish dancing background the music theatre world was a revelation, but performance was no problem and I began dancing as part of the floor show. Singing came shortly after, and within a year I was performing regularly with the Bunratty Castle Minstrels.

A wonderfully vibrant Irish folk music scene was emerging at that time in Melbourne, and many terrific events celebrated being Celtic, from St Patrick’s Day concerts to the Flemington Irish race day, to the Dallas Brooks Hall and the Immigration Museum. The connections made by Irish people in the city through music were incredible, inspiring lifelong and inter-generational friendships.

In 1987 I met Anthony O’Neill, whose family had arrived in Melbourne in the early 70s. His father was from Cavan, his mother from Derrylin. Paddy O’Neill was actively involved with Irish music in Melbourne and president of Chomaltas in Australia. Anthony was brought up surrounded by music; as a child he showed tremendous talent so by the age of 13 he was playing professionally with regular gigs at the Celtic Club, and Irish dances around Melbourne.

In 1989 we married and a partnership in life and music began. Throughout the 90s we continued to perform and I pursued an expanding role as event manager and emcee for many Irish functions. It was a very busy time; I was also running my own hair salon, and we had three beautiful children, Declan, Roisin and Ruairi.

In 2005 I met Sile Coleman, a young Irish singer songwriter recently arrived from Celbridge, Co Kildare. We connected instantly and the music flowed. Another young friend, Kerry McManus, expressed interest in singing some Irish songs. I had known Kerry since childhood and both myself and Anthony had worked with her father, the legendary accordion player Sean McManus from Co Roscommon, who like the O’Neills, had arrived in Australia in the early 70s.

An invitation for us girls to perform at a fundraiser for the Australian Irish Welfare Bureau (now called the Australian Support and Resource Bureau) prompted a rehearsal, and the band Saoirse - a beautiful Irish word meaning freedom - came soon after. The more we performed the higher the demand for our music became. Small appearances at small festivals led to bigger appearances at bigger festivals and in 2008 we released our first CD, Singing in the Scullery.

Anthony joined the band full time then, and his talent elevated us to a new level, leading to a second album, Candlelight Sessions, the following year. With our increasing repertoire and original tunes, Saoirse was gaining a reputation as one of the best Celtic bands in Australia. With ballads sung in English and Irish, traditional tunes and even a step dance, we aimed to play something for everyone in a Saoirse performance.

We have had an incredible musical journey with appearances at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, National Celtic Festival, National Folk Festival, Crown Palladium and the famous Speigletent. We have had the pleasure of supporting some great International acts like Finbar Furey and Tim Edey. In 2013 we were honoured to receive two Australian Celtic Music Awards for Song and Album of the Year for our third album, Music Evermore.

Last year, Damien Neil joined us as the fifth Saoirse member. Damien is a highly respected blues and folk musician, and his music adds a new dimension and Australian influence to our music, as he is Australian born and bred.

An invitation to the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany, France this summer prompted a European tour. The festival is an amazing opportunity to perform at the highest level; the chance to represent Australia playing Celtic music on a world stage is a huge honour. As part of the tour we are delighted to be doing a few gigs in Ireland, with shows in Sligo, Dublin and Belfast, to share our music with family and friends.

Personally this visit will be quite emotional for me, as I have always maintained my connection with Ireland, the country of my birth , the place I still call home.

I have had an amazing life in Australia and although I did not want to leave Ireland originally, I thank my parents for their courage and the sacrifices they made so their children could have a better life.

Melbourne continues to produce a fabulous mix of multicultural music, with Irish music playing a quintessential role. The Australian-Irish community are extremely supportive of the continuation of Irish tradition, and I am proud to be part of that.

Saoirse play venues in Sligo (July 29th), Dublin (July 31st) and Belfast (August 3rd) before travelling to France for Festival Interceltique de Lorient . See saoirse.com.au