New collaborative effort from Dún Chaoin singer making headlines

West Kerry and Scotland's 'Dual' purpose!

One of West Kerry's brightest talents is currently making headlines on the world music scene with the release of a new album which sees West Kerry and Scotland's shared Gaelic heritages unite through music and song. Singer and musician Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (30) (pictured on the right) from Dún Chaoin, has recently released her new album Dual, a collaboration with multi-award winning Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis (pictured far left). Far from indicating rivalry of any sort, the word 'Dual' as Gaeilge and in Scots Gaelic means to twine, braid or interlace; it can also mean, 'one's inheritance.'This is a fitting title as Muireann and Julie's album unites Scottish and Irish traditions in an engaging exploration of the musical and linguistic cultures of the two countries."There had been Scottish coastguards stationed in West Kerry because they were Gaelic speaking, and so they brought their Scottish marches with them, which Kerry people changed into polkas. All kinds of connections cropped up once we began to delve into them for Dual," Muireann explained. Muireann and Julie have a lot in common - both singers and multi-instrumentalists, they grew up in Gaelic-speaking island communities, Muireann on Inis Oirr and Dún Chaoin in West Kerry and Julie on the island of Uist in the Outer Hebrides. All the songs on the album are in Gaelic, and include An Eala Bhan, a love song from North Uist, and the stirring Pé in Eirinn Í, from Kerry, which allow Muireann and Julie to display their powerful ballad singing. The album has already been critically acclaimed, drawing rave reviews from a variety of high profile publications across the UK and Ireland. The multi-award winning singer and musician has toured the world extensively with her group Danú and as a solo artist and her last solo album Daybreak: Fáinne an Lae received great acclaim when it was released in 2006. Muireann is also a TV Presenter with TG4 and teaches part of the University of Limerick's Traditional Music Programme, where she herself completed her MA. Muireann is the daughter of Feargal Mac Amhlaoibh, a well known West Kerry Irish language activist and musician and Áine Moynihan, the director of West Kerry Irish language theatre Lab na Mainstreach. The former Meánscoil na Toirbhirte student has one younger brother named Malachai and is married to Billy Mag Fhlionn. More information is available at www.muireann.ie.