Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin :: The Deepest Breath

This is a Patreon funded video. Please consider helping me to help more musicians like Eoghan be represented in this way. Visit http://www.patreon.com/mylesoreilly and see what I can offer you in return.

Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin is a Dublin based sean-nós singer, multi-instrumentalist and full-time member of the political party ‘People Before Profit’. He comes from an extremely musical Connemara family. His father Peadar, is a well known sean-nós singer, his mother, Úna Lawlor, a classical violinist, and his two sisters Saileog and Muireann are also accomplished singers and musicians. I filmed both sisters in the before-time for my traditional Irish music documentary Backwards To Go Forwards (you’ll find that on the AY website), singing this Sean Nos duet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Riz5eRcQghQ

You may have seen a recent video of Eoghan giving it socks at a Debenam’s Workers protest? If not you need to watch this first. Legend. https://www.facebook.com/peopleb4profit/videos/696364187578897/

Needles to say. We have a young, enthusiastic, sincere, well raised lad in politics, fighting the good fight, with a creative streak on par with some of this country’s greatest ever songwriters. The lyrics of this outstanding song I present to you, The Deepest Breath, are proof and testament to that. Incredibly powerful words which not unlike the great Liam Weldon, are words that belong to and represent the working people. Words of hope for the overlooked and hard done by.

Well, I knew Eoghan was a beautiful singer from my many visits to Sunday sessions in Walshe’s of Stoneybatter but it took a lockdown and a streaming gig from his gaff, for me to really sit with him, and listen to the enormous repetoire of songs in his noggin. After 5 hours of many beautiful tunes, this self penned track was then revealed. I had a bit to drink by then. It must have been the first week of Lockdown so, you know the scéal. Eoghan on the other end of my screen, may have had a few on him too. He admits he doesn’t remember playing The Deepest Breath, and was surprised when recently I approached him about filming it. 3 months have passed since that Lockdown night. What a legendary session. If you’re feeling brave here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1I8giOlMXk&t=21904s

I’ll say no more than THANK YOU for making this happen, and as ever helping me to help incredible and little known musicians like Eoghan to be represented in this way. I’m really feeling a flow now, having been here almost a year. The seeking out of these beautiful musicians and their songs has become such a truly rewarding conquest, and my only work. I can’t thank you all enough.

I should mention in this video Eoghan is accompanied by Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz and Ian Kinsella who are seriously great musicians in their own right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWJB0bZjMU

I’ll leave the lyrics of the song here too. Below.

Thank you, and see you back here in a month from now!

Grá

Myles

The Deepest Breath

Cold the hand that once held yours
Furrowed face now forever empty
She was old before she’d lived her youth
Hollowed out in a land of plenty

Did you dream last night child?
Did your dream stay with you?
Oh the city sucks the wild from your mind
So hold your dream before it hits you
And wear your dreams, they’re all that fit you

We dig these graves now every day
Eternal homes denied in lifetime
And the rich men wave our lives away
Can’t see a soul without a pricetag

Did you dream last night child?
Did your dream stay with you?
Oh, this town can burn the bright of your mind
So hold your dream before it hits you
And wear your dreams, they’re all that fit you

Oh sing friend if you’ve a song to sing
For your songs are a glimpse of a flickering freedom
And we’re not yet spent and we’ve a world to win
Ah there’ll be no king but it’ll be our kingdom

Did you dream last night child?
Did your dream stay with you?
Oh this land can leech the light from your life
So hold your dream before it hits you
And wear your dreams they’re all that fit you

Ah will you sing on now, love
You’ve got songs a plenty
Oh they’ll try to tear the truth from your mouth
So sing on strong, make sure they’ve felt it
Ah sing on now for your soul’s not empty

Sing on, sing on,
In your song flies the highest hope of all
Dream on, dream on,
Our dreams are the deepest breath we draw

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