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Eleanor
hails from Keshcarrigan in County Leitrim in the North West of Ireland.
She still spends much of her time there. Eleanor grew up listening to
music. Her mothers family were all very musical and childhood was spent
learning songs from her extended family. She was learning all kinds
of ballads and had a substantial Irish traditional repertoire long before
it was hip!
Having finished school she moved to Dublin to and worked in FAS, the
state recruitment agency, but continued to be involved in music and
drama. Eleanor studied drama with Betty Ann Norton and joined the "Leitrim
Wild Roses" Tops of the Town group. She also sang in various sessions,
the most common being the sessions in Ned O'Sheas "Merchant"
and it was here that Frank Cooney and Ned O'Shea introduced her to De
Danann. That changed everything. Dolores Keane had just left the band.
Eleanor met Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn and two weeks later was touring
Wales, Finland and Sweden. The day job was gone and for the next five
years she toured the world with De Danann and recorded two albums with
them - "Jacket of Batteries" and "Half Set in Harlem".
Working with De Danann was a huge life changing step
for Eleanor and one she appreciates. “I
learned so much about music and the music business in the five years.
It's a time in my life I have very fond memories of and am eternally
grateful for. I am happy also that I have remained friends with the
band and have returned from time to time to play various gigs with them
and also with Alec Finn and Frankie Gavin as solo artists.”
Eleanor has been touring with Frankie Lane and Paul Kelly for the past
3 years in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and, of course Ireland.
She has toured Germany and Ireland with Ronnie Drew and has
re-united with DeDanann for various gigs in China and the U.S. She also
gigs with Alec Finn and John Carty most recently at Kinnity Festival
which included names such as John Martyn, Damien Dempsey, Sharon Shannon,
Mundy and the Saw Doctors. |
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