The new Carlow Writer-in-Residence this term is songwriter Mick Hanly. The Carlow County Council Writer-in-Residence Programme managed by the Carlow County Council Arts Office in partnership with Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, Carlow Library Services, and the Arts Council of Ireland is now in its third year and has seen world class writers work with the local community in Carlow.
Mick Hanly has worked with culturally significant bands like Planxty and Moving Hearts. His songs have been covered by Christy Moore, Mary Black, Dolores Keane, Delbert McClinton, Hal Ketchum, amongst others, and he continues to write with a freshness and vitality that few can match.
From this Wednesday the 27th of January 2021 Mick Hanly will meet with Carlow Writers in our virtual Writing Room. This Writing Room will take place every Wednesday from 1.00 to 3.00 p.m. for this term.
If you wish to sign up for this session you need to contact the Carlow Arts Office mwilson@carlowcoco.ie.
More information on Mick Hanly:
Born in Limerick, singer-songwriter Hanly was inspired by mid-50s rock ‘n’ roll and the Liverpool beat group scene of the Sixties. He soon turned his attention to American folksingers such as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and emerging singer songwriters, Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Canadian songstress, Joni Mitchell. However, on first hearing Planxty he immediately fell in love with their fresh take on Irish traditional music. Together with Michael O’Domhnaill (ex Skara Brae) he formed Monroe, and supported Planxty on several tours during 72/73, subsequently releasing Celtic Folkweave, before O’Domhnaill left to form the Bothy Band in 1975.
Hanly went to France for two years, and, on his return to Ireland, recorded two acclaimed solo albums for the Mulligan label with Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Declan Sinnott. He then toured Ireland and Europe with Irvine, who had recently left Planxty. In 1983, Hanly joined Moving Hearts as a vocalist, and contributed his own songs to the album Live Hearts. He left the band after fourteen months, again to pursue his solo career songwriting, and recorded three more contemporary albums with Ringsend Road Records. His album All I Remember spawned the song Past the Point of Rescue, which was a huge hit in the US for country singer Hal Ketchum. The song recently received the BMI award for two million radio plays in the US.
His latest album Homeland, released in April 2016, featured ten new songs, and reunited him with some of Ireland’s most respected musicians, such as The Voice Squad, Donal Lunny, Keith Donald, Eoghan O’Neill, Dave Keary, Ray Fean, amongst others…
Mick is presently finishing the songs for his next album due in March/ April 2021.
