Declan O‘Rourke in Kinvara

Declan O‘Rourke in Kinvara

Author: Matthew Bannister December 17, 2021 Duration: 59:32

The acclaimed singer and songwriter Declan O’Rourke takes us for a scenic walk near his home in the beautiful fishing village of Kinvara on the west coast of Ireland, singing songs inspired by the area as he goes.  Declan’s grandfather, an artist, was born and brought up in Kinvara. On our walk, Declan reflects on his first performance at an open mic night in Dublin where he suffered “an instant addiction” to singing live, on his fascination with the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s and 50s and on the exhibition of his grandfather’s paintings he staged in the village.

---

Access exclusive films of Declan performing along our walk, along with over 150 other performances from dozens of artists, by signing up to Folk On Foot On Film: https://www.folkonfoot.com/watch

We rely entirely on support from our listeners to make Folk on Foot. So please consider becoming a patron. You’ll make a small monthly contribution and get great rewards. Find out more at www.patreon.com/folkonfoot.

Sign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.com

Follow us on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Imagine stepping out for a walk with a friend who happens to be a brilliant musician, the path unfolding through the very hills, coastlines, or woods that shaped their songs. That’s the essence of Folk on Foot, a multi-award-winning podcast created by Matthew Bannister. Each episode is a gentle fusion of conversation, landscape, and live performance, recorded outdoors while walking with some of the most compelling voices in folk music. The format is beautifully simple yet profound: as they traverse a place of personal significance, the guests discuss their connection to the land, their creative process, and the stories behind their work, often pausing to play a tune or sing a song right there on the trail. Listeners are invited into an intimate, thoughtfully crafted soundscape that feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s been praised as a restorative listening experience and is noted for its impeccable production. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's an auditory journey that celebrates the deep, often unspoken bond between artist, music, and environment. The resulting podcast is consistently engaging, offering a unique blend of natural history, cultural insight, and, of course, fantastic music. It provides a genuine sense of accompaniment, as if you’re right there beside them, sharing in the quiet moments and the melodic ones, all woven together into a wonderfully calming and enriching hour.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 122

Folk on Foot
Podcast Episodes
Frank Turner on the Holloway Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Frank Turner is a man of contrasts: the old Etonian who became a punk; the heavy metal fan who became a folk-influenced singer songwriter. On this walk through his old haunts on the Holloway Road in North London he revea…
Bonus Episode: Front Room Festival 2 Highlights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59:54
On Monday 25th May – Spring Bank Holiday in the UK – we staged the Folk on Foot Front Room Festival 2 with an astonishing line up of artists. The show lasted for eight hours – but we have distilled it down to two hours o…
Bonus Episode: Su-a Lee at the Isle of Skye Festival of Small Halls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
Su-a Lee is a classically trained cellist who loves breaking down musical barriers. With the group Mr McFall’s Chamber she’s played contemporary classical music in night clubs and she regularly collaborates with Scotland…
Rachel Newton at the Isle of Skye Festival of Small Halls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:00
The Edinburgh-born harpist, fiddle player and singer Rachel Newton sings in both English and Gaelic and is a member of The Shee, The Furrow Collective and the Lost Words Spell Songs. We walked with her on the Isle of Sky…
Bonus Episode: Front Room Festival Highlights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12:45
On Easter Bank Holiday Monday, April 13th 2020, we organised the Folk on Foot Front Room Festival - seven and a half hours of wonderful folk music from 15 top artists playing in their front rooms, linked by Matthew Banni…
Bella Hardy in Edale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:17
The singer, songwriter and fiddle player Bella Hardy takes Matthew for a rain-sodden walk through the majestic countryside of the Edale Valley in the Peak District where she was brought up and has now returned to live. U…
Peggy Seeger in Iffley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:12
After a life on the road, folk legend Peggy Seeger has settled in the village of Iffley on the outskirts of Oxford. In this episode she talks poignantly about her mother, a talented composer who died when she was fifty-t…
Kris Drever on Orkney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:27
The guitarist, singer and songwriter Kris Drever was born and brought up on Orkney, the archipelago off the Northern coast of Scotland which is steeped in history. The walk starts in the main town of Kirkwall with its hu…