Maura O'Connell

Maura O'Connell (born 16 September 1958) is an Irish singer. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music.

Background O'Connell was born in Ennis, the main town in County Clare, in the west of Ireland. Born into a musical family, O'Connell was the third of four sisters. Her mother's family owned Costello's fish shop in Ennis where O'Connell worked until music became her full-time career. She grew up listening to her mother's light opera, opera, and parlour song records. Her father's interest leaned towards the rebel ballads. Despite the presence of classical music in the house, O'Connell got very involved in the local folk club scene and together with Mike Hanrahan, who later fronted trad/rock outfit Stockton's Wing, they performed a country music set, as a duo called 'Tumbleweed'.

O'Connell attended St Joseph's Secondary School in Spanish Point from 1971 to 1974, where she took part in the school choir. She was also part of the "Cúl Aodha Choir", led by Peadar Ó Riada, that sang at the funeral of Willie Clancy in 1973.

In 2009, Maura released her first a cappella album, Naked With Friends. Guest vocalists on the album included Mary Black, Paul Brady, Moya Brennan, Jerry Douglas, Alison Krauss, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Tim O'Brien, Dolly Parton, Sarah Dugas, Kate Rusby and Darrell Scott. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2013 O'Connell announced the end of her solo career.

Other work In addition to her solo work, O'Connell has collaborated with a number of Celtic, folk, pop and country artists, including Van Morrison, Brian Kennedy, Moya Brennan, Mary Black, John Prine, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, John Gorka, Bela Fleck, Robert Earl Keen, Dolly Parton and Shawn Colvin. She has also sung background vocals for a number of artists, including Van Morrison's 1988 project with the Chieftains, Irish Heartbeat and Stockton's Wing on Take A Chance.

Acting Aside from the music world, Martin Scorsese cast O'Connell, scruffed up for the role, as an Irish migrant street singer in his 19th-century epic Gangs of New York, released in 2002. 1993: Robert Earl Keen – A Bigger Piece of Sky (Sugar Hill) 2001: Tim O'Brien – Two Journeys (Howdy Skies) – vocals on track 7, "The Holy Well" 2001: Dolly Parton – Little Sparrow (Sugar Hill) – vocals on track 11, "Down from Dover" 2005: Ciaran Tourish – Down The Line (Compass) – vocals on track 9, "Slán Le Máigh" 2014: Malcolm Holcombe – The RCA Sessions (Proper) 2015: Tom Russell – The Rose of Roscrae (Frontera)