Undisputedly the most famous Irish folk band ever, The Dubliners were together for 50 years. In this time there was only one woman they recorded with, Eleanor Shanley.

After initially performing with the group, Eleanor formed an enduring friendship with the late Ronnie Drew, touring with him for 12 years. When she speaks of him, it is with great fondness.

“Ronnie was absolutely wonderful. A great friend, a very loyal friend. I saw him look after musicians who mightn’t have had a lot of money,” says Eleanor.

“He did more charity than anyone I ever came across. He worked very hard for a lot of charities and his wife Deirdre was the same.”

Eleanor also toured with Christy Moore for a time and of course came to prominence as a member of the band De Danann.

And, all this from a lady who thought she could never be a professional singer because she knew no one in the business!

Started at a session

Upon leaving school, Eleanor departed her native Leitrim for Dublin, working in FÁS on Baggot Street for nine years. During this time Eleanor went to sessions at popular venues around the city. It was through these sessions that she crossed paths with members of De Danann.

I hadn’t a clue about performing on stage, so it was just the steepest learning curve eve

“I was in the Merchant on the Quays, Dolores Keane had just left De Danann. Ned O’Shea, who owned the Merchant, introduced me to Alec and Frankie from De Danann. Two weeks later I was off touring Wales, England and Sweden. That was back in 1989,” reflects Eleanor.

“I hadn’t a clue about performing on stage, so it was just the steepest learning curve ever. I was literally walking out on stage in Wales saying, ‘would some of you introduce the songs because I have never really spoken to an audience?’ Frankie said, ‘not at all, introduce them yourself’.

“I have to say, for some time I thought of the audience as the enemy. It took me a while to realise that the audience is actually your friend. They are not going to go and see you unless they really want you to succeed. I now love chatting with audiences and I love having the craic with audiences.”

Leitrim Lady

Eleanor lives in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, with her partner Brendan Harding, but at heart she is a Leitrim lady through and through.

She grew up on a dairy farm and says that she always loved helping out around the yard.

“It was our job sometimes to milk the cows and clean out the byer, before there were slatted sheds or anything like that. Doing the hay, I loved it.”

Garadice; Padraig McGovern, Eleanor Shanley, Dave Sheridan and John McCartin.

You could nearly say Eleanor is wistful when describing her childhood.

That is until she brings everything back to reality with a thump, describing her (and many others’) least-favourite aspect of country life.

“The bog was my least favourite, I have to say. Everyone has this romantic idea of working in the bog, but it’s bloody hard work, bending over turning turf.”

Along with farming, there was also plenty of music in Eleanor’s younger years.

Her mother’s family were very musical and their house was never short of a hooley.

“There were always sessions in the house and parties among my mother’s family,” explains Eleanor.

“It was the kind of house, our house, whether or not you could sing, you had to sing. To me it came naturally, I wanted to sing, so I would be dying for a party that I could sing and show off at.”

New days, new ways

In the music business for nearly 30 years, Eleanor has seen and done a lot, but she is always adapting and developing.

In recent years she became part of a new outfit, Garadice, who are currently planning a nationwide tour for 2019.

Garadice formed under a Leitrim County Council initiative, which aims to preserve and promote the music of the county.

Eleanor, John McCartin, Dave Sheridan and Padraig McGovern came together to champion the cause from 2014-2016 and are a band since.

Eleanor, who has learned from, and proven herself among the best, is progressive when it comes to change and thinks the future of Irish music is bright.

“When I started out there were not nearly as many young people really involved in trad and wanting to become involved in trad.

“There are loads of young bands out there and they are all bringing different things to it.

"I’m sure purists can’t stand some of the trad music that’s there. But personally I think there is room for all and it’s good to see it develop and move.”

For a full list of upcoming gigs, see www.eleanorshanley.ie and www.garadicemusic.com.

Garadice; Padraig McGovern, John McCartin, Eleanor Shanley and Dave Sheridan.

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