Beoga (
Irish word for ''vivid'' or ''lively'') are an
Irish folk band. They were formed in
County Kerry
County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...
in 2002 at the All-Ireland Fleadh although the original four members of the band hail from
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
and
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. The line-up features Damian McKee on accordion, multi-instrumentalist Seán Óg Graham, pianist Liam Bradley and Eamon Murray on bodhrán. Niamh Dunne, from
County Limerick
County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...
, joined in 2005, on vocals and fiddle.
History
Their 2007 album ''mischief'' was voted one of the top folk albums of 2007 at the Live Ireland Music Awards and the German Music Awards. Their third album, ''the incident'', was shortlisted for a
2010 Grammy Award nomination, in the
Best Contemporary World Music Album category. In that year they were awarded a U.S. House of Representatives Certificate of Congressional Recognition and were described by ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' as "the most exciting traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century."
In 2016
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
invited Beoga to contribute to his album
''÷'' (divide). They co-wrote the song "
Galway Girl" using parts of the track "Minute 5" from their album ''how to tune a fish''. They are also featured on the song "
Nancy Mulligan". On 25 June 2017 the band backed Sheeran for a performance of "Nancy Mulligan" during his headline performance at
Glastonbury Festival 2017.
The "''mini-album''" ''Carousel'' released in May 2020 shows a style change towards pop-music. A strong influence are the guest musicians fearured on the tracks. In April 2021 the Band released five instrumental tracks on the EP ''Breathe''. On this EP they mix the structures of traditional Irish tunes with elements of pop-music.
Gallery
411-0042-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf.jpg, Beoga 2017
411-0021-Damian McKee-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf.jpg, Damian McKee
411-0009-Eamon Murray-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf.jpg, Eamon Murray
411-0013-Liam Bradley-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf.jpg, Liam Bradley
411-0072-Niamh Dunne-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf 01.jpg, Niamh Dunne
411-0017-Sean Og Graham-Beoga-hinnerk-ruemenapf.jpg, Seán Óg Graham
Discography
* ''A Lovely Madness'' (2004)
* ''Mischief'' (2007)
* ''The Incident'' (2009)
* ''Live at Stockfisch Studio'' (2010)
* ''How to Tune a Fish'' (2011)
* ''Beoga – Live at 10: The 10th Anniversary Concert'' (2013)
* ''Before We Change Our Mind'' (2016)
* ''Carousel'' (2020)
* ''Breathe'' (2021)
References
External links
Beoga: Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beoga
Irish Celtic music groups
Folk music groups from Northern Ireland
Musical groups established in 2002
2000s in Irish music
2010s in Irish music
2020s in Irish music