A MILTOWN MALBAY family are to be honoured this weekend with the prestigious MÓRglór award.
Malbay Studios under the direction of Martin, Anne and Sean O’Malley on Saturday will receive the annual accolade.
With the vista of the Atlantic as a backdrop, Malbay Studios is an integral part of the musical landscape of Clare. Under the careful and patient stewardship of Martin O’Malley, Malbay Studios has a reputation of distinction in recording, production and mastering since its establishment in 1997. Malbay Studios hosts music makers from many musical traditions, and from many places; most especially, it has contributed immeasurably to the community of traditional music in County Clare.
O’Malley musical genes run deep in West Clare and the studio builds on those solid foundations in the 21st century. By way of Dublin roots and Boston travels, settling in Miltown Malbay was a homecoming for Martin and his wife Anne, his partner in the business. Joined by his son, Seán O’Malley, Malbay Studios is truly a family enterprise.
With almost thirty years’ experience, Martin’s distinction as a sound engineer is matched by his standing as a songwriter and musician. That musicianship is key to his success as a sound engineer, bringing technical and musical mastery to recording and live event engineering.
Though on the edge of Clare, Malbay Studios is central to the music community and includes an enviable roll call of artists, including the Kilfenora Céilí Band, Tommy Peoples, Josephine Marsh, Donal Lunny & the Atlantic Arc Orchestra, and Cherish the Ladies, among many others.
Martin’s vision for a first-class studio space where any fiddler, singer or piper would feel welcome and thrive, has been fully realised. Malbay Studios is a testament to Martin’s dedication to excellence, to place and to traditional music.
This Saturday, musicians across the country along with the people of Clare will come together to acknowledge a depth of gratitude to Malbay Studios for their enormous contribution to traditional Irish music with a concert in glór featuring the family, friends, and extended family, along with some of the most renowned traditional musicians and singers in the county and the country.
The line up includes PJ Murrihy; The Kilfenora Céilí Band; Eugene Donnellan Set; O’Brien Family; Edel Fox & Neil Byrnes; Padraic O’Reilly; Tommy McCarthy & Louise Costello; Josephine Marsh; James Cullinane & Carol Talty; Eoin O’Neill & The Fiddle Case; Christy McNamara; Francis Cunningham & Eimear Coughlan; Therese McInerney & Marian Curtin; Doireann Healy; Conor Keane; Martin & Sean O’Malley; Murty Ryan & Siobhan Peoples; Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue; Bone Machine – Jon O’Connell, Jack Healy, Adam Shapiro, Steo Wall.
