Donegal wasn’t always a hot bed of Irish music and song, as Cathal explains? “There was a musical drought in Donegal after Father McFadden banned music at the crossroads and gatherings in the 1880s. He once said that in any house that had a fiddle the devil lived in that house. In the 1950s and 1960s my Grandfather Joe Jack Ó Curráin alongside Francie Mooney began playing music for dances in public spaces again.”

Cathal tell us about the importance of music when he was growing up. “The home place of Machaire Gathlán was often a house where local musicians would gather to play music, sing songs, and dance. It is where my aunties and uncles along with Clann Uí Mhaonaigh learned some of their first songs/tunes and dances until my grandfather Joe Jack passed in 1972 [Francie Mooney alias Proinsias Ó Maonaigh as well as his daughter Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, singer and fiddle player with Altan, came from that family; editorial note]. The songs from Néillí Dinny Ní Ghallchóir and Jimmy Dinny Ó Gallchóir of Cois Cládaigh and also some more from Francie Mooney from songs he wrote from the local pantomime or ‘Geamaireachtaí’. My grandmother Néillí Dinny had a vast collection of songs. I have a collection of around 80 plus songs that my auntie Bríd wrote down from her in the 1980s. Yet, like most children in the North West Gaeltacht I would’ve started with ‘An Nora Bheag’ and ‘Báidín Fheidhlimidh’.”

Cathal first sang on stage in 2007, at a concert in honour of Francie Mooney. He admits: “I wasn’t meant to be a part of this but I remember the gatherings to learn and rehearse the songs and eventually I knew them better than my father even at the age of eight years old! Some of those songs I still sing – ‘Seoltaí Geala’ and ‘Mo Ghloine Uisce Beatha’.” Once the song genie was out of the bottle: “There were plenty of other opportunities with the late Rónán Mac Aoidh Bhuí and his Irish language festival tour An Cabaret Craicailte, with Micheal O Fearraigh and Ian Smith with Trad Trathnóna in Ionad Cois Locha as well as with Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair which was the biggest week of music in our locality every year at the end of December.”

We divert for a moment to talk about his instruments, the fiddle and bouzouki. “Altan had a residency when they were celebrating 25 years and ran classes to have the young musicians of Donegal perform with them in a special concert. I played banjo, so I was handed a bouzouki and had at least a week of intense learning with the great Ciarán Curran – no relation – who was my first bouzouki teacher. Manus Lunny also lived locally and taught me a lot.

“Regarding the fiddle, when I first began, I wasn’t too keen on it, but as I grew older, I came back to it and fell in love with it. I’m very lucky to have grown up listening to the best of Donegal fiddlers, in particular Maireád and Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, Clare Friel, Stephen Campbell and Hugh Huidaí Beag. Classes at the Scoil Gheimhridh were also great as it was an opportunity to learn from some of the best musicians in the country.”

Cathal was part of the innovative Bláth na hÓige project, curated by sean-nós singer Síle Denvir, he reflects on the experience: “Its aim was to work on old songs in the Irish language with people who have similar musical goals in relation to the preservation and the promotion of the Irish Language as well as bringing it to the stage with new arrangements. There was my fellow Donegal musician Megan Nic Ruairí, who is thriving at the moment with her solo music as well as being in Big Love, one of the best bands in Ireland at the moment and who were just announced to support Dermot Kennedy in America next March. Méabh Ní Bheaglaoich, a powerhouse of a musician, she lives and breathes music and you can feel it with every note she plays, she is also flying it with The Weaving and Cuas! Then we have Máire and Étáin Ní Churraoin, two that light up any room they are in with their energy and love, they’ve just released their first album as An Chéad Ghlúin Eile, make sure you get a copy! Staying with siblings, there are Caoimhe and Seamus Uí Fhlatharta, who are taking the music world by storm – their understanding of music and harmony is on another level, but they use it with taste and thought, which is so important when arranging old songs! And finally, we have young Piaras Ó Lorcáin, who is currently one of the most sought after singers in the country and who’s following has been growing massively over the past two years. And he’s not done, yet, he is only getting started. I’m just glad I told him to download Google Calendar to keep his dates in order!” (laughs)

How comfortable is he as TV presenter? “I very much enjoyed working with Aniar for Ceol ón Earagail alongside Sibéal Ní Chasáide as it was highlighting the music and culture of Ulster, and I made sure I could show off what we have to offer up here as much as I could. I got to interview some of my heroes, which was both daunting and exciting, but it was a huge learning experience. The highlight for me there was the feature about Jimmy and Vincent Campbell, I was very close to Jimmy and he meant the world to many musicians here in Donegal.”

That’s Cathal, a pure local hero, he’s bound to go far.

cathalocurrain.ie