Sonny Condell – guitar, moroccan drums, tablas, jews harp, vocals
Leo O’Kelly – guitar, dulcimer, electric bass, tin whistle, vocals

Tir na nog" in gaelic mythology refers to the "land of the young" a land of eternal youth. It was there the goddess niamh chin or niamh of the golden hair took the warrior oisin where he stayed but due to homesickness returned to Ireland. On h.s departure he was warned not to dismount from his horse on the peril of his life by niamh. But on arrival he Made the mistake of dismounting to help a gathering of workers move a mighty boulder. Before their eyes his appearance changed from that of a handsome adonis like warrior to a withered old man and he died shortly afterwards. That is the folkloric legend of tir na nog.

For Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly the name Tir Na Nog has other connotations. Tir Na Nog was and still is the collective name they adopted when they first joined forces in 1970. Both had played the dublin folk scene. Sonny with his cousin john roberts in a duo called tramcar 88 and Leo with the popular folk croup emmet spiceland in which he replaced donal lunny. When they combined their talents a certain alchemy occurred and a special interplay of forces emerged which would carry them through countless tours and three albums: “tir na nog" in 1971. A tear and a smile" the following year and i973's "strong in the sun'. When they returned to playing together in 1985 after a lay off of several years that same telepathy was still in evidence. Although their individual music had changed and grown over the intervening years. That same initial spark was still to be found and still burns brightly today.

Back in 1969. Dublin was a thriving centre for music the beat clubs featured progressive sounds both homegrown and imported from across the water. The folk scene had several different aspects to it. The ballad scene was covered in venues like "the old sheiling hotel" in raheney and "the embankment" in tallaght and the abbey tavern in howth. Traditional music found a home in the "tradition club" run upstairs in slattery's in capel street and the "paavees club" also held in slattery's every tuesday night Ran for 25 years and featured the music of the ballyfermot based keenan and furey famil.es. More contemporary styled folk music was found in venues like the coffee kitchen and the universal folk centre" in parnell square and the 95 club in harcourt street. The literary haunts like synnotts in king st featured dr strangely strange and both "toner's" in baggott street and the orphanage" in mount street were places where rockers and folkies met up and played together it was in the environs of the coffee kitchen and the universal folk centre" to name but two venues where the seeds of Tir Na Nog were planted and came to their first fruition.

Born in carlow. Leo o'kelly came up through the ranks of both the showband and psychedelic rock scenes playing with both the tropical showband and later the word. Initially influenced by jim! Hendrix he soon began writing his own material and in 1969 joined emmet spiceland with mick byrne and brian byrne replacing the departed donal lunny later to form planxty. The bothy band and moving hearts. Emmet spiceland were one of the most influential irish folk acts of the time combining a pin up appeal with a cross section of music which encompassed everything from traditional songs to the writings of Leonard Cohen (a 1969 single for page one featured an early cover of so long marianne"). On their demise Leo hooked up with a fellow kindred spirit Sonny Condell.

Sonny Condell was born in newtownmountkennedy in county wicklow and came from a farming background. His first musical experience was classical music and the Beatles. With his cousin john roberts he formed a duo writing their own material under the name tramcar 88. They Recorded a single "look" on the song label and when his and Leo's paths crossed it was by accident yet it turned out a very fortuitous one. Combining their talents Tir Na Nog was formed and the two musicians both wrote songs and perfected their .nstrumental technique and sound Leo played cuitar.dulcimer.fiddle. Tin whistle. Electric bass and sang while Leo played guitar, dulcimer, fiddle, tin whistle, electric bass and sang while Sonny played guitar, tablas, jews harp, moroccan pottery drums and sang. Their songs were both pastoral and highly rhythmic mirroring the Eclectic contemporary idioms of the time. Sonny's lyrical ballads and Whimsical comic songs like "mariner blues" and "aberdeen ancus" - blended with Leo's more diverse selections from the beatlesque "daisy lady" to the densely rhytmic "looking up" and the melancholic picadilly". A rich and varied tapestry of sounds and idioms was conjured up and the resultant sound was both tantilisingly gentle and touch as leather. It was a unique and personal sound completly different to anything else on the scene at The time.

Before they left for london as was the norm for bands at the time Sonny and Leo went into the studio to record some material on tape. The contents are here on "in the morning". Original songs fresh from their own pens and covers of compositions by outside writers including donovan and joni mitchell and others. These previously unreleased recordings find Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly in the first flush of their career and the songs breathe with their own vibrancy capturing a unique moment in irish musical history.

Tir Na Nog only two days after their arrival in london signed a recording contract with chrysalis records. At the time chrysalis was a new label run by jethro tull manager terry ellis and was distibuted by island. In a strange twist of fate island had earlier rejected the duo. On being signed they worked both the folk club scene and supported bands like Jethro tull, elp, and the who on the international concert circuit. Their first single "(i'm happy to be) on this mountain" was released and a disciplined approach to both touring and writing made for a weel starred beginning and they entered livingstone studios in barnet with bill leader as producer to record their debut album "tir na nog' in 1971.

“Tir na nog" appeared in due course and crystalized the promise shown on their live perfromances. It fitted into the experimental end of folk music where their contemporaries would have included the incredible string band, spirogyra, the natural acoustic band, dr strangely strange dando shaft and others, however tir na nog" kept a tight rein on self Brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. It was eclectic too with irish eastern, J feeling of homesickness and alienation through being parted from home expertly captured in "boat song" and piccadilly". Nick harrisons evocative string arrancments added a certain gothic beauty.

Tir na nog's second album had them working with a rhythm section of drums and bass along with their acoustic instruments. Sonny doubled on clavinet adding harder textures though not sacrificing their pastoral beaucolic leanings which yielded some beautiful moments. Balancing both the lyrical balladry with an upfront funk-rock sound Tir Na Nog made considerable musical progress on "a tear and a smile reflecting their growing reputation. The possibility of adding a full time rhythm section would be enforced in "strong in the sun" their third chrysalis album released in late 1973. Six of the ten tracks had afull band present and "cinema" borrowed samples from a henry fonda movie and their cover of nick drake's "free ride" had a bite and acression the author himself failed to muster, the intimate acoustic ballads had not been forgotten either and their melodic folk-rock balladry provided a counterpoint to their more • rockier ouvres.

Just as soon as they appeared it seemed Tir Na Nog was gone, Sonny and Leo went th-eir seperate ways early in 1974 after some gics in Ireland with jazz rock band naima as rhythm section. Sonny played solo first and in 1975 formed the band scullion an outfit with whom his name would be Interminably linked. Leo played solo gigs and worked as a house producer for emi Ireland. Among the albums he produced were "restless night" for Dublin songwriter ray dolan whose "hey friend" featured on the debut Tir Na Nog album Sonny was also present on that particular session as was his scullion counterpart phillip king. Other acts produced by Leo O’Kelly during this period from 1975 /1977 included the sands family and northern irish female singer gemma hasson and traditional folk bands aileach and crubeen and loudest whisper. In .977 he produced an album twenty years on celebrating the 20th anniversary of the universal folk centre in parnell square. Leo contributed a solo track portsmouth" to the album his only post Tir Na Nog solo recording released commercially. He then went to furope where he lived in amsterdam and brussels and london playing solo gigs and having songs recorded by artists including annabelle lamb.Sonny released his debut solo album camouflage in 1977 on the mulligan label with guest musicians from clannad and later moving hearts included. A reformed scullion commenced activity in 1978 and became a hugely popular. Live attraction in Ireland releasing four albums scullion . Balance and control white side of night and spin . Leo s return to dublin in 1985 coincided with a break from scullion for Sonny and Tir Na Nog reformed for an irish tour and a single "love is like a violin" / “ daisy lady". The combination of Sonny's more eclectic style and Leo’s more vigorous electronic / indie influences brought a new freshness to the original acoustic twosome. However the more pastoral nature of their music hasnt been forgotten either. In the interim there have been occasional Tir Na Nog tours both in Ireland and beyond while Sonny’s and Leo’s solo careers continued on unabated Sonny released "someone to dance with" on starc in 1993 and his song "forever frozen" was covered by steve winwood on davey spillane's "a place among the stones" album and sculuon gig occasionally when all members are available. Sonny's latest album for hummingbird records was produced by garham henderson and Leo has toured with flautist sarah allen (barely works / flook). Tir Na Nog still play and tour together continuing an odyssey begun in 1970.

This album is a reminder of that beginning... That first flush of energy and inspiration. Here is Tir Na Nog at the outset of their career discovering and defining their unique sound. Here is a fascinating early glimpse of the music that thrilled concert goers and album buyers and had critics scratching their heads in vain to come up with a suitable description settling for descriptions like "a gentle t rex" and "an irish simon & garfunkel". These recordings upkeep tir na nog's legendary status adding a previously unheralded twist to an ongoing story. Lend an ear and share these precious moments of discovery.

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John o'regan
Broadcaster and journalist

Discography

1970 In the Morning - Demo for first (self title) album
1971 Tir Na Nog
1972 A Tear and a Smile
1973 Strong in the Sun
2001 Hibernian (live 2000)
2001 Spotlight (BBC Recordings 1972-1973)