Mary Dillon

Mary on stage at the album launch in An Droichead, Belfast

Mary launched her album at An Droichead on 2nd February 2013 to a packed audience in the intimate venue. This marked her very first headline gig as a solo artist, and included guest performances from Brian Finnegan, Niamh Parsons and Tíona McSherry, along with up and coming acts Síoda and Cathal O’Neill.

North has been receiving great reviews, and you can get a taste of the critical reception to the album on the Reviews page. Colin Irwin, fRoots Magazine, said:

‘She has long established her credentials as an All-Ireland singing champion and maturity as an assured and classy song interpreter … It is impossible to think unkindly of an album that is so immaculately presented and professionally performed’

North is now widely available across the UK and Ireland, and can be shipped internationally from the official online store.

The album featured as album of the week on BBC Radio nan Gaidheal’s Caithream Ciúil and is one of Mike Harding’s Top 10 picks for the year in April’s edition of fRoots magazine.

Mary will be performing at a selection of concerts and events throughout the year, and will also be touring with Niamh Parsons & Tíona McSherry (Sí Van).

Check out this YouTube album sampler of the new album. Lots more updates planned for the next few weeks so make sure you check back soon.

Click here for more information

Mary will launch her debut album, North, at An Droichead in Belfast on 2nd February 2013. This will be Mary’s first headline gig as a solo artist and is sure to be a memorable night.

Joining her on stage will be some of the musicians who performed on the album, as well as a selection of special guests, including Brian Finnegan (Flook), Neil Martin (West Ocean String Quartet), Paul McSherry (Guidewires), Niamh Parsons and Tíona McSherry (Sí Van), and a few more surprises. Tickets are now on sale through the box office at An Droichead

click here for more information

Mary will showcase songs from her new album, North, at Celtic Connections in Glasgow on 19th January. The concert also includes Canadian folk band, The Once:

With their second album, 2011′s Row Upon Row of the People They Know, The Once cemented their status as the most exciting act to emerge from Newfoundland since Great Big Sea. The trio combine poetic original songwriting, stripped-back traditional ballads and reinvented contemporary covers – from Cohen to Queen – with gorgeous vocal harmonies and subtle acoustic accompaniment. For those lucky enough to hear her with Déanta during the 1990s, Cara Dillon’s big sister Mary was always a singer of equally sublime though delicately distinct calibre. After raising a family, she’s back making music with new vocal trio Sí Van, alongside a fresh crop of solo material.

The event will be held at St. Andrew’s in the Square, and tickets are now on sale, available through the official festival website.

Mary’s new album, North, will be released on 28 January 2013, and is now available for pre-order via our online store. We will dispatch the first round of pre-orders a few weeks in advance of the release, so click here to order your copy of the album now. A download version of the album with a digital booklet will be available to pre-order via the online store in the coming weeks.

Irish folk singer Mary Dillon will release her first full length solo album, North, in January 2013 after a prolonged hiatus from the music scene. The release will be preceded by a single, ‘John Condon’, released on 11th November 2012.

‘John Condon’ is a haunting account of a fourteen-year-old boy’s role in WW1. Mary sang on the original demo recording of this song in 2003, which subsequently became something of a modern folk classic, and it will feature on her forthcoming album with a stunning new vocal.

Formerly the lead singer in well-known 90s folk band Déanta, Mary has had a long absence from the music scene, but returns with a renewed energy after 15 years to release an acoustic album of Irish folk songs old and new.

Mary shares the pure and haunting vocal tone associated with her younger sister Cara Dillon, one of the biggest names on the UK and international folk scene. North will showcase the unique quality and maturity of Mary’s voice through a diverse collection of folk songs from the Ulster singing tradition.

The album was recorded in Mary’s home town of Dungiven, Co. Derry, and co-produced with her nephew Odhrán Mullan. It will feature contributions from an array of talented traditional musicians, including composer Neil Martin, Eamon McElholm (Solas), and Cara Dillon.

Several times winner of the All-Ireland Singing Trophy, Mary’s voice has achieved cult status over the years, and fans who cherish the modest collection of recordings she has to her name will be happy to finally own her first full-length record this January.

North will be released on Back Lane Records on 28th January 2013

John Condon is available for digital download from 11th November 2012