Siobhan O’Neill talks with Ryan Kelly (Celtic Thunder)
On Sunday 27 October 2024 the Irish Famine Orphan Girl hosted the Irish radio program on 3ZZZ 92.3 MHz FM.
Our special interview guest was singer-songwriter Ryan Kelly (Byrne and Kelly, Celtic Thunder), who spoke with us from his home in County Tyrone.
We book-end the interview (click here for the audio file) with two of Ryan Kelly’s own compositions.
It starts with ‘Land of a Thousand Dreams’, which maps the emigrant journey from hunger to hope during An Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger). The song also uniquely celebrates the determination of the Irish diaspora to integrate and contribute to their new world, while keeping pride in their native place.
The interview offered a rare opportunity to speak with a creator and performer of a Famine-inspired song. Ryan Kelly was candid about the emotion of standing at the Cliffs of Moher, thinking of the people who were forced to leave, and the people left behind at this tragic time in Irish history.
Released in 2016, this song still resonates with audiences. Ryan Kelly is humbled that people continue to come to him after performances and say they are enthused to learn more about this pivotal time in Irish history.
We also discussed the importance of knowing our history and sharing our stories, including a need for this history to be spoken about and taught in schools. Ryan Kelly believes those with public platforms should use them to help undo knowledge gaps around key historical moments.
This became apparent when discussing the 94 orphan girls sent to Australia from Ryan’s home county of Tyrone; 41 of them were sent to Melbourne, 33 to Sydney and 20 to Adelaide.
Despite making several documentaries about Tyrone, Ryan admitted that he had not heard of the orphan girls’ story before we contacted him for interview. At the news that at least one of the girls actually came from his home village of Moy, he was amazed that her name was never mentioned during filming. But he is determined to learn more now.
If you have a Tyrone orphan ancestor, a great source of information is @dungannonworkhouse . The website is packed with resources and information about the workhouse, with details of the Famine in Tyrone, and compelling witness accounts.
We finished the interview speaking about his song ‘The Village That They Call ‘The Moy’ – while contemporary, it also focuses on emigration and the emotional pull of one’s native place.
But we couldn’t let him go before chatting about his many happy visits to Australia. He is a big presence on YouTube and at least two Australian songs feature there; his poignant rendition of ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’, which he did on invitation by composer Eric Bogle himself, and an entertaining version of ‘Down Under’ while on tour. Both are on YouTube, with lots of great music and clips from the talented pair – search Ryan Kelly Music or Byrne and Kelly for all their social platforms.
Ryan Kelly is best known as one of the principal singers with the multi-awarded musical group and stage show Celtic Thunder. His is a lifelong passion for music. He first sang in public aged seven, taught himself to play guitar at age 13, and soon started to write his own songs. He also played in a local band, and performed in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Blood Brothers. Ryan Kelly has released two solo albums, In Time and Life -available @ryankellymusic. In addition to performing with Celtic Thunder, he and bandmate Neil Byrne formed their own group, Byrne and Kelly. They have toured independently to the USA, Canada and Australia. Their Echoes album features ‘Land of a Thousand Dreams’ – available @byrneandkelly. It’s a long way from his days as an accountant with double degrees from Queens University Belfast, who was working in a bank when, in 2008, he decided to audition for that new group called Celtic Thunder. And countless fans around the world are very glad that he did! It has been a stellar journey, with highlight invitations for him to sing the US National Anthem for the Boston Celtics (he’s a huge fan), and perform with Celtic Thunder for President Barack Obama and family at the White House.
Interview by Siobhan O’Neill
Siobhan is a trained writer and producer (television), she has worked on news, drama, sport and lifestyle shows. She was also Media and Communications Manager for charities including Scope, the Heart Foundation and the Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency. Passionate about history, she is a contributing writer for overseas magazines, often featuring the Irish-Australian story. Siobhan has been involved with the Irish Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration Melbourne for over a decade.
Tinteán 