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Conán's Interests
General
I play Irish traditional music on accordion, bodhrán and harmonica. Love travelling, especially to festivals; over the years I've managed to take in a fair bit of Europe and the UK. Recently made some trips to New York City and State, Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC. Just back from the Middle East. I'm into learning languages; at the minute I can "speak" French, Dutch, German and Irish Gaeilge to varying degrees. Toying with Spanish at the mo'. Used to do quite a lot of Irish Set-Dancing (best ever hangover cure).At the moment I'm playing Irish music at "sessions" (informal jams) in various pubs around London and Ireland.
Check out the Porterhouse in Covent Garden, 3.30pm - 7.00pm on Sundays if you want to hear some good music
Music
Heavily into traditional and folk music from Ireland and elsewhere - UK, Scandinavia, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias and Eastern Europe.
Favourite Irish groups and musicians: Bothy Band, Planxty, Tamalin, Commonalty, Coolfin, Dervish, Altán, At First Light, Flook, Patrick Street, Lúnasa, 4 Men and a Dog, Tommy Peoples, Liam O'Connor, Paddy Glackin, Paddy Keenan, John McSherry, Harry Bradley, Máirtín O'Connor, Dermot Byrne, Cíarán Mooney and my hero Andy Irvine with his band Mozaik.
Other than that - Battlefield Band, Blazing Fiddles, Ossian, Karine Polwart - Scotland, Den, Gwerz, Pennou Skoulm, Skolvan, Storvan, Carré Manchot, Jean Michel Veillon, Soig Siberil, Paddy and Jacky Molard, Christian Lemaitre, Ronan Le Bars (Brittany), Hedningarna, Vasen, JPP, Varttina, Annbjorg Lien (Scandinavia), Xosé Manuel Budinho, Tejedor, Mercedes Péon, Susana Seivane, La Musgana, Camarón de la Isla, Paco de Lucia (Spain)
There's always time for a bit of Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Beth Orton, The Pogues, Cara Dillon, Prefab Sprout (don't laugh), The Sundays, The Foo Fighters, Blur, Bjork, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix.
Tom Lehrer (even just for "I hold your hand in mine"), Boothby Graffoe, Earl Oakin and Richard Cheese are really funny
Favourite composers: Bach, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich.
Movies
Jaws, La Haine, Kolya, Schindler's List, The Life Aquatic, The Life of Brian, The Snapper. Anything by Woody Allen. Three Colours Red/White/Blue, Mother Goose, Michael Collins, La Double Vie de Veronique, Frantic etc. I could go on but I'm starting to get bored.
Television
Mostly Comedies so Father Ted, Black Books, The Mighty Boosh, Have I Got News for You, The Office, Phoenix Nights, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, They Think It's All Over, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Rising Damp and Porridge.
Spooks is alright too...
Books
Tibor Fischer, Louis de Bernieres, Roddy Doyle, Solzhenitsyn, Craig Thomas, Martin Cruz Smith, Pablo Neruda, Billy Collins, Michael Frayn, Paulo Coelho, John Irving, Annie Proulx, Irvine Welsh, Joyce (for 5 minutes at a stretch) and Flann O'Brien. Yeah I do read a lot.
Heroes
My Parents and Michael Collins, James Connolly, Andy Irvine, Paddy Keenan
About me: Hi! My name's Conán McDonnell. Irish from Belfast, living in London for the past 8 years - I do actually love it here but I'm still very much a Belfast lad at heart.
hey conan, great to hear from ya , can't wait to see ya, going to milltown today as soon as i get myself together..so see ya wed ye ha ye ha !!! love josie xx :)
Hey! Things are good but a bit busy at the minute - got A-levels starting on 4th of June and I need to somehow scrape AAB for uni... No Miltown for me this year :( :( :( Completely skint and just got a summer job in a hotel that starts in July. But next year I'll definitely be there, whether I have enough money or not! That's the first I heard abput Colleen's research grant! Any idea what it is she's going to be doing? Apart from consuming large amounts of Bulmers and living in sessions... Two of my friends have got into unis in London, starting in September - would be great to meet up with you and Sam when I invade London if you were up for that! How's things with yourself? Jess x
We are releasing our new album on June 9th, but we are selling some pre-release copies now! If you want one, please go to www. kerfuffleonline. co. uk and we will post it straight to you!
Hi there. We just uploaded a sneak preview video from the new CD thats coming out in May. Check it out at http://ie. youtube. com/watch?v=8kFSmrJokn8 or on our myspace videos, And let us know what you think of it.
Ha ha fair play 2 ya conan, i've felt like a goat since i was a kid , havent ventured 2 many seisuins lately, u still down the PH on sundays , mite head to the cobham thurs , jamie over from prague , fridays the prob wid dat plan tho , let us know where ur playin an i ll pop along , bah bah 4 now
Howdy!! If you're idle in Dublin next thurs (or know anyone that may be), and fancy hearing some toones, The Spinning Jennys are playing a charity gig in the Cobblestone, Smithfield on thurs 17th..proceeds go to SUAS, who are running an education project for disadvantaged children in Delhi..Great night for a good cause! ADM 10eur, 5eur conc. (See spinningjennys myspace for more details-Link from my page) Thanks! Liz
The kind hearted girls of "The Spinning Jennys" will perform a gig in aid of SUAS (www. suas. ie) to help raise funds to send their good friend Suzanne Byrne out to India to help with educating the little kiddies !! So here's your bit - come to our gig, have a few pints, a bit of craic, a bit of dancing and you too will be helping the kiddies!!
How are you Conan? We should meet up in the flesh soon, instead of all this internet stuff. I owe you a few dinners and drinks. I must enginner something Joanne x Seen Maya recently? what you been up ta. I suppose you are loved up tho, tends to settle people 9thats my excuse for doing f all)
