With much of the world in isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, artists have been instrumental in making life bearable for the millions of people stuck at home and living in fear. Few have responded so rapidly and positively than Ireland’s Daoirí Farrell.
Within days of Ireland’s lockdown, BBC Folk Award winner and RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards nominee, Daoirí Farrell set up a corner of his kitchen as a makeshift stage and began live streaming. There was no plan to make this a regular event but with 1,700 comments and 49,000 views on Facebook alone in the following days, and requests coming in from across the world for another concert the next week, Daoirí began performing weekly at 10pm GMT every Sunday.
Titled The Corner Sessions, it included hand-sanitising reminders, limerick competitions, regular updates on Daoirí’s goldfish, Rocky-themed exercise, Covid-Corner signs made by Daoirí’s father Dessie, and of course some amazing live performances of music from Daoirí’s catalogue. Requests come in thick and fast during the shows with Daoirí’s girlfriend Catriona fielding questions and passing requests between songs.
On the back of The Corner Sessions, Daoirí now releases his first single recorded during the pandemic, titled The Lockdown. Reflecting requests he has received from all corners of the world during The Corner Sessions and the days in between the performances, he has recorded a soulful and moving a cappella version of ‘The Parting Glass’ in honour of all of those who have lost their lives to Covid-19, combined with a recording of ‘When the Breakers Go Back On Full Time’, previously recorded by Frank Harte and Dónal Lunny, which, while recounting the longing of striker for better days, parallels the lockdown experience of workers during the current pandemic.
The single will be released on 26th June with pre-sales from 19th June.
Daoirí will be Mark Radcliffe’s guest on The Folk Show, this Wednesday, 10 June, BBC Radio 2.
Daoirí is one of the great voices and characters of today’s Irish folk scene. He took ‘remote control’ of this week’s Folk Show, choosing some of his favourite tracks, and it was a delight to hear him wax lyrical about music and musicians that convinced him to down tools as an electrician and pick up his bouzouki full-time.
Mark Radcliffe
Photo Credit: Eddie Kavanagh