Mícheál Quinn
Traditional singer Mícheál Quinn’s new unaccompanied album, Blue over William’s, is a powerful celebration of a four-generation family lineage, showcasing an intimate song repertoire passed down through Mícheál’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, alongside the wider, rich Ulster traditional song heritage. Throughout this collection, Mícheál’s sparsely ornamented, direct, honest, unaccompanied singing brings the listener to an instant connection with the story and emotion of each song.
The album anchors Mícheál’s deep musical inheritance, heavily influenced by his father and grandfather. His father, Micil Ned Quinn, was a renowned singer, songwriter, and storyteller immersed in the traditions of Mullaghbawn, County Armagh. His grandfather, John Ned Quinn, was also a celebrated tradition bearer featured on the archival Outlet Records album You Know I am a Stranger. The family’s singing lineage extends back to Mícheál’s great grandfather, Micheal Ned Quinn, who first collected some of the songs still being sung by the family.
“With this CD, I wanted to secure this musical inheritance for future generations of my family and for anyone who holds a passion for these songs,” says Quinn.
The multi-generational connection extends to the album’s visual presentation. The cover artwork, created by Mícheál’s daughter, artist Bennery Quinn, herself a traditional singer, depicts layers of soil, roots, and bedrock—symbolising how deeply these songs are rooted in both the family tradition and the wider singing community.
“The title, Blue Over William’s, has nothing to do with being blue or sad. In fact, it is almost the opposite to that,” explains Mícheál.
“When we were young, going to the seaside took some planning. We lived about a forty minute drive from the nearest beach, and the weather forecast was all important. Dad would come down in the morning to a typically cloudy sky. Someone would be sent out to take a wider view, and he would ask ‘is there any blue over William’s?’ This was a patch of blue in the otherwise cloudy sky. The next question would be ‘is it enough to put the back in a waistcoat?’
“He carried this from when he was young and living in Carricknagavna. He was born in 1926 and was the eldest of 10 children. Growing up on a farm, the work was hard and quite often weather dependent. In a similar manner his father would send someone out to check on the weather. William’s was a farm in the direction from which the prevailing weather came. If there was blue over William’s it was the promise of good weather for the day’s work.
“In our family ‘Blue Over William’s’ is the optimistic promise of better weather.”
Track Listing:
- Erin’s Green Shore
- Jack the Rover
- The Shepherd’s Boy
- Another Man’s Wedding
- The Dewy Glens of Yarrow
- You Know I am a Stranger
- The Rocks of Bonny Gibraltar
- Dobbin’s Flowery Vale
- An Droighnean Donn
- Caroline From Edinburgh Town
- Nacy Whiskey
- Her Mantle so Green
- Grá Geal Mo Chroí
- O’Reilly The Fisherman
- Cowan Mountain
Praise for “Blue Over William’s”:
Mícheál Quinn has a powerful ability to get straight to the emotional core of a song. Being lucky enough to have sat in his company over the years, I have been transported on many occasions by his wonderful singing. This collection of 15 unaccompanied songs from the northern half of the country succeeds in replicating that experience in a way that I often wish more recordings of traditional singing would strive to do – Ian Lynch
As a fellow warbler, friend and ardent admirer of Micheál’s singing for many, many years, I’m so happy to know that he’s finally recorded these wonderful songs for posterity! “Blue Over William’s” is a gem of a recording, and personal favourites include “Another Man’s Wedding”, “You Know I Am A Stranger”, “An Droighneán Donn” and Grá Geal Mo Chroí – Rita Gallagher
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