Top Irish Songwriter at Birnam

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Top Irish Songwriter at Birnam

One of Ireland's finest singer/songwriters, Mick Hanly will perform in concert on Friday March 10th at the Birnam House Hotel. The concert, which has an 8.30 start, is the latest promotion by Birnam-based group, The Fiddle Tree", who have been organising events in the area over the past two years.

Mick Hanly (pictured right) first came to prominence in the 1970's, when he gained great acclaim as a fine performer of traditional music. In the early 1980's, he replaced Christy Moore as lead singer of the hugely influential Irish supergroup Moving Hearts. By this time, Mick's songwriting abilities had also come to the fore, and Moving Hearts recorded a number of his songs. He was soon recognised to be a songwriter of great skill and his songs were consequently recorded by a host of top names including Mary Black, Dolores Keane and Christy Moore.

His biggest break came in 1991, when his composition "Past the Point of Rescue" was recorded by the then-emerging Nashville country artist, Hal Ketchum. It became the biggest-selling country record of the year, earning gold discs for both the performer and the composer. Mick recently received an award from the American National Radio Association as the song has now notched up in excess of 2 million airplays! Country legend Garth Brooks describes Hanly as "one of the best songwriters around at the moment".

Closer to home, Mick's modern take on emigration "My Love Is In America", which he recorded as a duet with Dolores Keane, is aired almost daily on Irish radio.

His latest album, the superb "Wish Me Well", is also the title of his recently-released autobiography, which charts his long, varied and fascinating career to date.

The concert at Birnam marks a rare Scottish appearance for this outstanding artist. Tickets are available from Birnam House Hotel (01350 727462), Zigzags, Dunkeld (01350 728666) and Birnam CD (01350 727158). Advance prices are £6 / £4 (concession) and they will cost £8 / £6 on the door. As with all "Fiddle Tree" events, specially-priced under-18's tickets are on offer for just £3, or 2 for a fiver.