My Weekend: When I’m not playing music I’m involved in different kinds of activism

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Photo by Ríona Ní Ríagáin
I grew up in Dublin in a musical family — my father is a sean-nós singer and my mother is a classical violinist. My two sisters are musicians as well — when I was growing up you wouldn’t find much peace in our house if you were looking for it!
We always spoke Irish as a first language in the house. Dad is from Connemara and is a native speaker. My mam learned Irish in her 20s but was determined to speak it to us growing up, she’s fluent now.
I’ve played with Ultan O’Brien in some shape or another for about 10 years — in Aon Teanga: Un Chengey, which is an Irish/Scottish/Manx Gaelic singing project, and with Skipper’s Alley. We’ve been playing together as a duet for about five years or so.
I don’t really have any concept of a normal week, to be honest. When I’m not playing music I’m involved in different kinds of activism around housing, environmental issues, anti-racism, and so on. Neither the music nor the political activity lends itself to your ordinary 9-5.
I really like being up early, and sometimes I get into a routine of doing that for a while. But it never lasts more than a couple of weeks. There’s always too much going on in the evenings. It’s hard to just switch off after a gig and go to bed — you either go and have the craic or you wind down, but even the latter takes a bit of time.

Again, I don’t really have any concept of a separation between week and weekend. If I’m not away with music, I try to clear most of Sunday. I used to be very bad for never getting a break, but more recently I’m trying to keep at least one day a week free to take it easy.
Good question! I’d bring my partner anyway. But we’d be more likely to go out into the wilderness than a city break. The great thing about the music is that you end up going to cities that you might not otherwise see. But then when you have a break you want the bit of quiet.
I live in Dublin 7, so the Phoenix Park is great for a walk and a break.
A lot of what I do (music or politics), I’m doing it with friends anyway. There are friends that I would see outside of that, but again, the weekend often isn’t the best time. The same with my family, I just call out whenever there’s time.
I love hurling and I used to play it when I was younger but I don’t really have the time now. The fitness has fairly well evaporated as well. But I’d still watch the matches. I like all kinds of other sports as well, but hurling is the favourite. Apart from that, I like reading.
I could go either way! I can knock up a pot of something, maybe a lentil curry or whatever.
Sliced, down the road from me in Stoneybatter, is a good spot.
It depends, really. If I’m not gigging I might just take it handy at home. Or I might pop into a session in Walsh’s or the Cobblestone.
My alarm clock does not know regularity.
For more on Masters of Tradition, see https://www.westcorkmusic.ie/masters-of-tradition/