Danny McConnell

The girls there are low value.

And they be looking, too.

Now, it's Culture Club time and few voices in Irish music are instantly recognisable or as haunting as that of Irla O'Learnard.

From the Shannos tradition in West Cork to collaborations with everyone from Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave and The Gloaming, he has spent decades bringing the ancient Irish song into entirely new worlds.

He is my guest on the Culture Club.

Irla, you're very welcome.

Thank you.

I hope that description is apt now, is it?

Well, you look in fine shape anyway.

Thank you.

Talk to me, though, about what attracted you to this particular type of music, this type of singing, and I suppose what does it for you when you are singing on stage and performing?

And what's your, do you remember the moment that you said, right, this is for me, this is what I, this is, this I think I can make a life or a living out of, or even this is the passion that I need to pursue.

Were both true and neither true?

Back then they were both very true.

Both true, okay.

And then in terms of, like, given, I suppose, where you come from in West Cork and you're saying you were sort of, you were in this ecosystem, essentially, of this kind of music.

Did you ever think, do you ever think, you know, some people might do, they might eschew it and go off and do jazz or they might find rock and roll or they do something else.

Was this, but though you just felt that this was your music, this is the one that you wanted to pursue?

Yeah.

And when you started gigging or you started performing, what were the responses back to you?