John Spillane Fíoruisce – The Legend of The Lough

PRESS QUOTES

“The record is both delightful and rewarding… Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough is not merely Spillane’s most adventurous LP, it will also break fresh ground for Irish folk fans in search of new dimensions. 8/10” – Hot Press Magazine

“…a fantastic folk opera” – The Sunday Times

“…the creation of a 2-hour Gaelic Folk Opera should be enough to excite anyone with an interest in Irish music and storytelling. The icing on the cake comes with his choice of collaborators for this hugely ambitious concept album: Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, and more…”

– KLOF Magazine

“I am completely blown away” – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, RTE Radio 1

“A tour de force, it’s something to behold, it is amazing” -Ray D’Arcy, RTE Radio 1

“John has always been a deeply committed artist, following his muse with deep love and respect for his craft, and this latest work is indeed his magnum opus, recorded over two years with carefully selected collaborators who work together with superb individual and ensemble performances from all.” – Irish Music Magazine

“The effectiveness of the work in this regard owes much to Spillane’s ambitious vision, his creation of an authentic musical voice, and the committed performances he has elicited from his singers. There is a lot to admire in this work…” – Adrian Scahill, Journal of Music

STREAMING LINK: https://s.disco.ac/uemhssmyntuw

ABOUT FÍORUISCE – THE LEGEND OF THE LOUGH

Welcome to the otherworld, beware human, here is where the fairies and other underworldly creatures play…

Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough is a three-act Gaelic folk opera composed by Irish artist John Spillane. It is a macaronic or bilingual work. The work is an imagined re-Gaelicization of the Victorian Cork fairytale Fior-usga collected by Thomas Crofton Croker in the 1800’s and published in his book Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland (1828). The story is a surreal tale culminating in a drowned kingdom, which as lore tells us, becomes The Lough in Cork city as we know it today. They say, you can see the tops of the underworld towers on a clear day and hear the music of their big party on Midsummer’s night.

Enter this world through Spillane’s hugely ambitious concept album which features the voices of some of the most talented folk and sean nós singers of the age including Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, John Spillane himself of course, and more.

Watch this short documentary on “The Making of Fíoruisce”

THE STORY

The story is of a princess whose name is Fíoruisce, she is prophetic, a complicated character with one foot in the real world and one in the other world, the ancient underworld. She is light and dark. She foresees a great drowning and tries to warn her parents, the king and queen about this.

The king, Corc, is an arrogant man who surrounds himself with sycophants, he constantly needs reassurance but only from his gang of yes men. The main event of the story is when King Corc closes access to the well for the people under his reign, therefore cutting them off from water. The queen Eadaoin is the voice of reason, she tells the king that this is a bad idea.

They are visited by a prince Cian Ó Céin but he is a trickster and is in fact the Irish sea god Manannán in disguise, he plays music for the party and they all go into a frenzied trance. Meanwhile he captures Fíoruisce and takes her to his world, the otherworld. Then he drowns the kingdom.

The lesson here is an allegory that crops up in Irish mythology all the time. The idea is that Kings and Queens in ancient Ireland had a duty to their people, if they defied their people and turned their back on them, they would be punished.

Fíoruisce – The Legend of the Lough has it all, shapeshifting tricksters, princes and princess, kings and queens, two jesters and a whole lot of drama all put to the background of interweaving melodies sung and played by the best singers and musicians of folk music today. This, with the signature John Spillane artistry.

Enter the world at your peril, human!

ALBUM CREDITS

Cast

Fíoruisce – An Bhanphrionsa/ The Princess, visionary, weird and beautiful – Niamh Farrell
Corc – An Rí/ The King, Corc Mac Dáire Mhic Láire of the Deirgthine, Érainn – Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin
Éadaoin – An Bhanríon/ The Queen, powerful and wise – Ríoghnach Connolly
Cian Ó Céin – Reacaire/ Minstrel /Prince/ Mananaan Mac Lir – John Spillane
Milbhéal – Banbhard/ Honeymouth the Bard in the Ancient World – Nell Ní Chróinín
Golaí Bá and Muiris Mar Dhea – Na Crosáin/ Two Fools, Bodhrán Jesters. One is crying, the other laughing – Liam Heffernan agus Giordaí Ó Laoghaire
Daighre Duanach – An Draoi/ The Druid – Gearóid Ó Duinnín
Bean Sí / A Fairy Woman – Aisling Urwin
An Chosmhuintir/ The Chorus – Gavin Moore, Thaddeus Ó Buachalla, Nell Ní Chróinín, Gearóid Ó Duinnín

Ceolteoirí/ Musicians

Giotár Spáinneach/ Spanish Guitar – John Spillane
Séidteoir Adharc/ Hornblower, Bullroarer – Billy Mag Fhloinn
Fliúit/ Flute – Alan Doherty
Cnaguirlisí/ Percussion, Sticks and Stones – Andrew O’ Sullivan, Fionn Hennessy Hayes
Dordveidhil/ Cello – Lea Miklody
Cláirseach/ Harp – Aisling Urwin
Guthanna Breise/ Additional Vocals – Brian Casey, Aisling Urwin
Uirlisí Breise/ Additional Instrumentation – Brian Casey

Album artwork and design: Megan Clancy Creative

Produced by John Spillane and Brian Casey at Wavefield Recordings, Clonakilty in 2023 and 2024.