Aoife O'Donovanready for special West Cork ‘homecoming’

Singer songwriter Aoife O’Donovan is one of the most respected names in folk music in the United States. She spoke to MARTIN CLAFFEY about her proud West Cork heritage and performing here as part of the Skibbereen Arts Festival

IT’S the little things that make West Cork feel like home.

‘I was trying to get an Irish passport sorted for my daughter. I had to call the town office in Skibbereen and get them to mail me my dad’s birth certificate. And it was just such a lovely moment because they said, “What’s your name?”, and I said, “Aoife O’Donovan”, and they didn’t even ask me how to spell it. And I was just thinking how many minutes would I have saved in my life growing up in a place where I never had to spell my first or last name?’

The name is Irish, but the accent is transatlantic. Aoife O’Donovan is one of the most respected names in folk music in the US. She has gained acclaim as the lead singer of the band Crooked Still, and won a Grammy Award as part of female folk trio I’m With Her. Her songs have been picked up on US primetime shows like True Blood and Private Practice.

Aoife has gained acclaim across the world as a solo artist too, and this year released her latest album All my Friends.

On Sunday, July 28th, Aoife will play at Skibbereen Town Hall, along with Molly O’Mahony, in one of the many fantastic events as part of this year’s Skibbereen Arts Festival.

The gig will be a sort of homecoming. Not only is Aoife one of the most respected figures in folk music in the US, she’s also the daughter of the much missed Brian O’Donovan, originally from Clonakilty, who died last October.

Brian was a broadcaster, writer, and presenter who grew up on Ashe Street in Clonakilty, where his dad ran a butcher shop. Having left Ireland after college, he moved Stateside and was the host of A Celtic Soujourn, a music programme on Boston radio station, for more than 35 years. Brian had moved to the US more than 40 years ago but never lost his love or connection with home, both professionally and personally.

That connection has filtered through to Aoife, who spent long summers here in her youth. Brian always kept that link with home with his family in West Cork.

‘I had so many amazing happy memories in West Cork and you can hear it in all of my music as well,’ says Aoife.
‘Every single year I come over, and as an adult I come even more often than I did as a child. As a child, it was really just once a year but as an adult and as a musician, I’m in Ireland many times during the year. It’s really special to have really been able to maintain the close family relationships, and relationships with other musicians that I have.’

Is it a different connection, with the passing of Brian? ‘Yes and no. I mean, of course it will always be different because everything is different when you lose somebody close to you.
But I think that his spirit is still alive. You know, it’s everywhere, especially in his home; his homeland his home turf is West Cork.

‘He loved Clonakilty and he loved Skibbereen, he loved Baltimore. And I’m really looking forward to playing the shows and live music. My dad loved live music and I love live music and it’s such a way to bring people together.’

Growing up in Massachusetts, 4,670 kilometres from Clonakilty, the Irish folk tradition was instilled. ‘Dad and mom and also all my aunts and uncles, you know, really grew up in a very sing songy kind of household and extended family and that’s a huge part of us getting together,’ says Aoife.

Aoife’s trip to West Cork is all about family. Indeed her upcoming trip to West Cork was originally planned just as holiday time.

‘This will be so fun because it’s kind of night one of this family trip and vacation. I’m playing Cambridge Folk Festival in the UK at the weekend and I had already had this trip planned to Ireland and I was flying into Cork on the Sunday morning. And (Skibbereen Arts Festival artistic director) Declan McCarthy said, “You know what, do you want to do a gig in Skibbereen that first night?” and I was kind of thinking “well, y’know, I’m there on holiday. Yeah, sure. Why not?”’

The simple pleasures of West Cork are what appeal to Aoife. ‘We’ll just chill out, we have a little cottage in Inchydoney and there will be literally, you know, 50 cousins children running around, and I expect there will be a lot of songs, a lot of running on the beach. Hopefully some good West Cork beer, and some fish and chips.’

The change of the scene from the fractured landscape Stateside, with politics dividing the nation, will be welcome. ‘It’ll be a really nice change of pace. We’re living in very dark times,’ said Aoife. ‘ I’m getting texts all the time from my family abroad and it’s unbelievable. It’s hard to believe the state that we’re in over here right now, but hopefully we as a country can come together and you know, get through this tough time.’

Aoife O’Donovan is a figure much in demand at festivals in the US and beyond. But after her Skibbereen gig, her trip to West Cork is all about family. (Photos: Sasha Israel)

Music is an escape. Aoife enjoys plenty of Irish music, past and present. ‘I love Ye Vagobonds so much. I’ve been listening to them a lot lately, I love those guys.’

And she says Ballydehob’s Molly O’Mahony – a rising star of the Irish folk scene, in her own right, acclaimed for her album The House of David and on the bill with Aoife in Skibbereen – is ‘amazing’.

‘We’re planning on doing something together,’ said Aoife. ‘I’ve found a video of her singing one of my songs actually and I was just love her voice and I texted her, I got her number from Declan and I texted her and really looking forward to collaborating.’

Aoife’s album All my Friends was only released this year but she’s already been back in the studio, with a new album due out next year. ‘We just came out of the studio and finished a new project. The name is still a secret but you’ll hear about it in the in the New Year. So lots of new stuff happening.’

In dark times, the music lifts the soul. ‘When you love the music, I think that when that is the driving factor, then it’s easier to not get discouraged, When you know the music makes you happy. It’s easier to keep doing it.’

Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.