Padraig Lalor : Ismay's Dream- Belfast Singer / Song Writer

Padraig Lalor’s fascination with his country's musical history and a love of the stories that permeate its culture, bring an engaging authenticity to his songs. Capturing the passion and contradiction of the people and places of Belfast has seen him earn the reputation of a modern day Seanachaí.

His music has featured on TV & radio across the world. He has opened shows for Finbar Furey, the Dubliners, Craobh Rua and has recently taken his individual brand of Irish music to audiences in France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and the Channel Islands,. On June 17th 2012 his titanic themed songs drew an audience of over 3500 people at the Bonne Nuit Harbour Festival in Jersey.

His current album 'Ismay’s Dream' is an evocative journey through Ireland's Titanic history that will appeal to anyone who loves great stories and great songs. Here is what the press had to say:

"almost like a musical version of James Joyce's Dubliners, this is an album of well-written songs which is bound to appeal to those with an interest in the Titanic". Shelley Rainey Bright Young Folk

"In Ismay's Dream he has created a world peopled by complex Irish characters and I look forward to seeing the live show". Aidan O’Hara Irish Music Magazine.

"Padraig Lalor is set to become one of the foremost folk singer/songwriters of his generation". Alison O' Riordan Irish Post

"All the songs reveal Lalor’s gift as a storyteller, with intriguing lyrics woven around instantly appealing melodies that stick in the mind after just one hearing". Pat Kehoe Irish Music Forever

You can listen here to a BBC radio interview with Padraig which was broadcast on April 15th.
Click here.

The story of Jerome Burke is documented in this video featuring Padraig

Jerome Burke: a young man from Glanmire near Cork City boarded Titanic at Queenstown. Before his departure, a neighbour, came to the Burke house with some holy water. Jerome's mother filled some of this water into a small distinctive bottle his sister Nora had brought back from a trip to Lourdes and gave it to him.

Fourteen months after the disaster, a man walking with his dog along the shoreline near Dunkettle, found the bottle which contained the message goodbye to all the Burkes of Glanmire. The bottle seemingly found its way back almost 3000 miles through Cork harbour into the very Parish where Jerome was born.

Click here to view in itunes