The Macalla Chill Áirne soundtrack melds modern and older sensibilities. The first track, Fáinne Geal an Lae," was written in the 1830's, the decade our period film is set in. The song's lyrics begin on the same lake in the opening scene of the film, "one morning early I went out on the banks of Lough Leane. Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin, rap and

The ¨Macalla Chill Áirne¨ soundtrack melds modern and older sensibilities. The first track, ¨Fáinne Geal an Lae," was written in the 1830's, the decade our period film is set in. The song's lyrics begin on the same lake in the opening scene of the film, "one morning early I went out on the banks of Lough Leane.¨ Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin, rap and slam poet, contributes vocals on ¨Fáinne Geal," giving a new energy and flow into this old classic Gaelic song. The synths and harmonium that accompany him, add an otherworldly vibe that fits easily with this ¨aisling¨ or vision poem of old. Séamus is our main actor on film, playing the part of Partlán.

The physical phenomenon of the Killarney Echo is the sound that resounds off the mountains and lakes of Killarney when you fling music or noise at them. Whatever auditory projections are thrown-bounce off the lakes and jump back tenfold into the ears of those who seek "the echo." It was an obligatory part of the tour of the Killarney district throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Back then, they brought trumpets and bugles with them on their boat tour, to coax the echoes from their hiding places amongst the ancient mountains. ¨Ochón a Leanbh¨ is an old Irish lament that I arranged here for French horn and trumpet. The arrangement attempts to evoke something of the wonder of that interaction of brass and mountain, in days of yore. The film itself is a recreation of that tour of old.

Macalla Chill Áirne, is set in 1837 in the west of Ireland - the shadow of hindsight hangs heavy over the film's proceedings. The film takes place just a few short years before "the Great Famine," which will change the country utterly - ushering out Gaelic Ireland and ushering in a new English speaking country. Constantly, conflict is hinted at and rebounded through contrast, all culminating in the performance of the brass musicians and the thunderous finale of the cannon’s roar, which marked an end to this Victorian musical tour of antiquity. We left out the cannons from this album, that had already been done by 1812!

Voice - Séamus Barra ó Súilleabháin

Trumpet - Roy Kelleher

French Horn - Louise O´Sullivan

Synths, Harmonium - Charlie O´Brien

All compositions and arrangements by Charlie.

These songs are stories and histories I have been delving into for ten years. Some are traditional; some traditionally inspired, others tell old tales but are new beasts. They tell of bold and beautiful visions of the new world, my own imaginings and those of others. Like the mythical island of Irish folklore, "Hy Brasil," the visions dissipate

These songs are stories and histories I have been delving into for ten years. Some are traditional; some traditionally inspired, others tell old tales but are new beasts. They tell of bold and beautiful visions of the new world, my own imaginings and those of others. Like the mythical island of Irish folklore, "Hy Brasil," the visions dissipate and the songs are what remain as an imprint or map of that lost Island. I’m playing most all the instruments on this one-guitar, lute, double bass, banjo, piano. I’ve also branched out the sonic pallet into keyboard and synths. In 2010 the seed was planted for Hy Brasil with the release of the Irish Gaelic T.V. documentary film Saol John Riley. The song Pa’ Los del San Patricio (which inspired Saol John Riley and appears on this album) tells the story of the Irish Battalion of the Mexican army of 1847, “Los San Patricios.” Another song spawned the award winning feature film "A Captain Unafraid." Both that song and film tell the story of Dynamite Johnny O' Brien, sea-captain rebel and hero of the Cuban War of Independence. Two other songs from the album were collected by Edmundo Murray of the Society for Irish Latin-American studies-"The Trackless Wild" and "The Pampa's Fairest Child" were written in the 1870's on the Pampas of Argentina in an Irish folk style.