Ronan O Snodaigh

Few musicians move as easily between percussion, poetry and film scoring as Rónán Ó Snodaigh. Dublin-born and raised in an Irish-speaking household in Sandymount, he is a songwriter, composer, musician and poet whose voice and rhythm sit at the heart of Kíla, the group he helped found. The bodhrán, which he first played as a boy, sits alongside djembe, congas, bongos, guitar and harp, giving his music a textured, wide-ranging sound.

His path began with a bodhrán given to him at twelve by his mother, and by third year he was playing with his brother Rossa's band. Around this time he began writing poetry, self-publishing collections that circulated among schoolmates, and he has since produced three books of lyrics and poems. He has been part of Kíla since 1987 and toured with Dead Can Dance on the Toward the Within tour and with Lisa Gerard. His solo debut, Tip Toe, arrived in 2001, followed by six more albums, the latest in both English and Irish. He has also scored the nature documentaries Wild Journeys and The Eagles Return.