Daoirí Farrell

He’s ‘the real deal’, said Mark Radcliffe, presenter of the BBC’s ‘Folk Show’ when Dublin’s Daoirí Farrell first appeared on the show back in 2016. Less than a year later the traditional Irish singer and bouzouki player was presented with two BBC Folk Awards at The Royal Albert Hall in London for his breakthrough album, ‘True Born Irishman’. Folk Radio UK/KLOF said of Daoirí, ‘He has the best Irish traditional voice currently around; if there’s better, I’ve yet to hear it.’ He has gone on to release three further albums, and to tour and perform across the world, including at Celtic Connections (Scotland), the National Folk Festival (Australia), Milwaukee Irish Festival (U.S.A.), Rudostadt Festival (Germany), the National Concert Hall (Ireland) and Cambridge Folk Festival (England). He has been hailed by the greats of Irish folk music and received numerous nominations in Ireland’s RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, with touring including a UK tour with the Transatlantic Sessions and USA tours as guest vocalist for Lúnasa. Daoirí has also performed with Ralph McTell and Dónal Lunny and even sung on the UK’s flagship news programme BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. In 2026 his trio has been selected for a prestigious showcase slot at the European world music event WOMEX in Gran Canaria and in 2027 the Tonkünstler Orchestra and Daoirí will perform songs and tunes from Daoirí’s catalogue, arranged by Gast Waltzing, in The Musikverein in Vienna. ‘His powerfully unadorned vocals might be from any era, variously recalling Paul Brady and Andy Irvine…it’s a powerful statement.’ **** Mojo