Celtic Woman flying solo

By Maria Moynihan

She's performed for popes and presidents with Celtic Woman, but farmer's daughter and singer Órla Fallon is now flying solo, writes Maria Moynihan.

Her family calls her Bree Van De Kamp, laughs Órla Fallon, as she spoons out generous dollops of fresh cream and jam for her just-baked scones and tempts Country Living to another slice of homemade chocolate cake, served prettily on a vintage blue plate.

With her flame-red hair, immaculate manners and a home that would sit happily in a glossy magazine spread - think retro Cath Kidston florals, vases of fresh blooms and coffee-table annuals - Órla shares some traits with the Desperate Housewives character.

However, the farmer's daughter and singer/harpist from Co Wicklow does not display a smidgen of standoffish-ness, despite massive international success with Celtic Woman, a group that has sold more than four million CDs and DVDs, spent a record-breaking 95 weeks at number one in the world music album charts and performed for popes and presidents.

But having gone solo a year ago, Órla is hoping to make her musical mark closer to home with her new album Distant Shore.

FARMER'S DAUGHTER

Originally from Knockananna in Wicklow and now living in Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, Órla has an impressive agricultural pedigree. Her father John Fallon is a farmer who built up a successful meat business in Hackettstown with the help of Orla's mother, Eileen, a retired school principal. ''They both worked very hard, and I really admire them,'' she says.

Keeping agriculture in the family, Órla's brother Tom is a sheep and cattle farmer, while her husband John Comerford is financial controller with Dawn Meats in Grannagh. The Fallons are also involved in National hunt racing, most successfully with the Willie Mullins-trained Rule Supreme, which won the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase in Cheltenham in 2004.

''He won in Cheltenham, he won the French Champion Hurdle in Paris and he won the Hennessy in Leopardstown, and we all went as a family and had the most brilliant time out of him,'' she recalls.

Though not from a musical family, Órla's talent for singing and harp playing was encouraged by her grandmother Bridget Clifford in Kerry, and later by the nuns at Mount Sackville in Dublin. After school, she studied law for a year before following her heart with a music and theology degree. She was working as a teacher in Tullow Community School when she plucked up the courage to go pro.

''I wondered if I would ever give up the pensionable, regular job, but I just bit the bullet one day and said, 'I'll give it a go.' I haven't looked back since,'' she says.

CELTIC WOMAN

Órla was performing in the National Concert Hall when she was approached by oboist David Agnew - maybe more famous as Twink's ex-husband - who asked for her demo CD.

A few months later, she got a call from musical director David Downes, who asked if she'd like to be involved in a show called Celtic Woman that he was putting together for PBS television in America.

''We thought it was a one-night thing,'' says Órla of the original concert in 2005. ''But it just really took off.''

Riding the crest of the Riverdance wave, Celtic Woman proved a huge hit Stateside.

During Órla's four-year tenure, the group performed in the Pope's private chapel (''Security had to check the harp going in''), got the thumbs-up from George Bush at the St Patrick's Day celebrations in the White House (''He was like: 'Good job guys, you were rocking!'') and swooned before Bill Clinton at a fundraiser for Hillary (''What they say about this aura he has, that presence, it's all very true.'')

Órla's personal highlight was performing in Carnegie Hall with her family in the audience.

''My father would only get on a plane if it was something to do with racing, so to get him on a plane to go to New York, that was a big deal,'' she smiles.

''I remember we went for breakfast the morning before the show. Our poster was up outside Carnegie Hall and my mother cried! There were lots of different things that were emotional, but that was my big thing, to play in Carnegie Hall.''

COMING HOME

Despite Celtic Woman's huge success, however, the long tours took their toll. Last year, Órla made the decision to go solo.

''You could be gone for up to six months at a time,'' she explains. ''It was very hard leaving my husband behind. I love the garden here, but I'd plant bulbs every autumn and never see them come up.

''It was hard to walk away from something I care about and that is such a success. I had a fabulous four years, but I said if I didn't do it now, I'd never do it.''

In March, Órla released Distant Shore, an album featuring a mix of much-loved standards including You'll Never Be The Sun and Hard Times, and original tracks penned by writers of the calibre of Brendan Graham (You Raise Me Up and Eurovision winners Rock 'n' Roll Kids and The Voice) and John Bettis (Madonna's Crazy for You and Whitney Heuston's One Moment in Time).

Órla recently toured with Tommy Fleming and is putting together solo dates for late summer/early autumn. After conquering Carnegie Hall, this Celtic woman is ready to have her voice heard.

''I know it will be hard work and I'm starting from scratch, but it's important to me to have a bit of respect in Ireland,'' says Órla.

''I wanted to make sure that when I did this album I could stand over it and, hand on my heart, I'm really happy about it and really proud of all the people who worked on it.

''I'm delighted to bring it all back home.''

Orla Fallon's album Distant Shore is out now. For further information, visit www.orlafallon.net