La Lugh

by Craig HarrisThe musical traditions of Northern Ireland is the foundation for County Louth-based band, La Lugh. With virtuosic fiddler Gerry OConnor and vocalist/flute player Eithne Ni Uallachain setting the pace, the group serves an infectuous, dance-inspiring, mixture of jigs, reels and traditional balladry. La Lugh was conceived after OConnor and Ni Uallachain met in 1991. Natives of Dubdakk in County Louth, both musicians hail from musical families. OConnors family has played the fiddle for many generations and his mother, Rose, was an influential fiddle teacher. After playing with Kinvara, in the mid-1980s, OConnor helped to found traditional irish band, Skylark, in 1987. Ni Uallachain, who sings in both Gaelic and English, is one of the best traditional singers in Ireland. Raised in a Gaelic-speaking family, she learned many songs from her father and other relatives. La Lugh, which also features Gilles Bigot (guitar), Siobhan Kennedy (flute, violin, step dancing) and Donal OConnor (keyboards), received a best album of the year award from Irish Music magzine for their second album, Brighid S Kiss, in 1996.