Mike Hanrahan began his professional music career in 1978 with Maura O Connell in a duo called Tumbleweed. From there he joined Stocktons Wing as guitarist and song writer penning their hit songs Beautiful Affair and Walk Away. In 1994 He toured with Finbar Furey and from 1996 to 2008 he performed, composed and produced with Ronnie Drew including two albums with Ronnie and Eleanor Shanley. He was chairman of The Irish Music Rights Organisation from 2000 to 2006. He left the music business in 2006 to pursue a career in culinary arts, studying and teaching at Ballymaloe Cookery school and created an award winning kitchen with actor/ comedian Pat Shortt at his bar in Castlemartyr Co. Cork.
2019 he wrote a top ten selling memoir Beautiful Affair, A journey in music food and friendship published by Harper Collins. It was shortlisted for An Post awards. He wrote and recorded a critically acclaimed song A River Rolls on with Dementia friendly choir The Forgetmenots.
His short film, The Ballad of the Crimson Warrior, inspired by the Irish Cultural Revolution premiered at Tradfest 2022.
Eleanor Shanley is one of Ireland’s most loved and respected vocalists. In her long and rich career, we have enjoyed Eleanor’s many solo performances and recordings in addition to her body of work from her wonderful collaborative projects both recordings and live performances. A beautiful career in itself with De Danann marked Eleanor’s baptism to her professional career, her fondly remembered period working with good friend and Irish icon Ronnie Drew, Mike Hanrahan and her work with Donal Lunny, Garadice and long-time friend and leading classical guitarist, John Feeley are just a few names from many. Across her collective projects, Eleanor Shanley has truly spread her wings and enjoyed mixing up the sounds within the folk and traditional music genres and on her most recent album, ‘Cancion De Amor’, with John Feeley we also get to enjoy some beautiful classical arrangements.
Renowned for her unique interpretation of Irish and Roots songs Eleanor has been at the top of her profession since joining De Danann and in addition to a number of collaborative projects since, Eleanor has recorded many solo albums including “Desert Heart”, “A Place of My Own” and 2015’s, “Forever Young” from which her single, the Thom Moore classic “Gorgeous and Bright”, was the most played track on RTE 1 Radio the same summer.