Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin
Irish folk musician and political activist
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Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin is an Irish folk musician and political activist. He comes from the sean nós tradition of Connemara.[1] He was raised in Dublin in an Irish-speaking household.[2] His father was a sean nós singer, his mother a classical violinist, and he has two sisters who are both musicians and collaborators of his.[3] His musical inspirations include Sorcha Ní Ghuairim, Seán 'ac Dhonncha, Nioclás Tóibín and Colm Ó Caoidheáin.[2]
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Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin | |
|---|---|
Ó Ceannabháin in 2024 | |
| Occupations | Folk musician, political activist |
Political party | People Before Profit |
Music career
Ó Ceannabháin collaborated with fiddler and viola player Ultan O'Brien with his first album Solas An Lae, released in 2021.[2] In a review for The Irish Times, Síobhan Long wrote that Ó Ceannabháin had "already forged a formidable identity" with Solas An Lae, and that The Deepest Breath, its 2022 successor which she awarded four stars, comprised "remarkable songs".[1] He is a member of Skipper's Alley, featuring John Francis Flynn.[3]
Ó Ceannabháin has been recognised twice by the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, who awarded Solas an Lae Best Album in 2021,[2] and Ó Ceannabháin Best Folk Singer in 2024.[4]
Political career
Ó Ceannabháin began to get involved in politics around 2015, initially focused on activism against racism and direct provision.[3] He was among the main organisers of the campaign to save The Cobblestone pub, a hub of Irish traditional music that had been threatened with redevelopment in 2021.[5][6]
Ó Ceannabháin is a member of People Before Profit and has contested general and local elections for the party. He stood in the 2020 general election in Dublin Rathdown, receiving 3.5% of the first-preference vote and was eliminated on the third count. In the 2024 Dublin City Council election, he stood in the North Inner City local electoral area, receiving 8.6% of the first-preference vote and was eliminated on the final count. At the 2024 general election he stood in the four-seat Dublin Central constituency, placed ninth in first preferences and was eliminated on the 5th count.[7][8] He contested in the 2026 Dublin Central by-election,[9] and was eliminated on the fourth count.[10]