About
Hailing from the picturesque west coast of Ireland, Boxing Banjo have quickly become one of the hottest musical properties around. Comprising four of the most accomplished Irish musicians, brothers Darragh and Mícheál Healy along with Joseph McNulty and Sean O’Meara have amassed in excess of 20 Irish Championship titles on various instruments in traditional Irish music and singing along with 4 World bodhrán titles.
Having made their debut in the U.S. in 2019, they have acquired a legion of devoted followers who have been spellbound by their energy, charisma and musicianship. Described by the Irish Echo as “complete naturals on stage”, their live shows exude a feel-good factor which persuades the inner dancer and vocalist in every audience member. This has also been recognized internationally, seeing them awarded “Up & Coming Band of the Year” in the 2020 American Listener Supported Radio Celtic Music Awards. Combining a myriad of instruments including button accordion, tenor banjo, guitar, fiddle and bodhrán, their sound transcends musical boundaries bringing listeners on a truly captivating musical voyage like no other. Striking vocal arrangements from these “four gifted vocalists” (Folk World) afford the listener an opportunity to sit back and appreciate the nuances while equally allowing them to propel the band’s infectious choruses. In the words of The Irish American News “the time will go too quickly as the variety entertains.”
The band have toured extensively around the globe bringing their shows to countries including Germany, Belgium, France, Holland and the United States of America. Their debut album, described by Bill Margeson (LiveIreland) as “thoroughly delightful”, was released to critical acclaim in February 2018. Similarly, The Irish Music Magazine described their music as possessing “a startling degree of accomplished maturity.” Boxing Banjo released their second studio album in May 2022 which is jam-packed with original material. The opening track, ‘Bright Side of the Moon’ was the first single and music video released from the album and penned collectively by the four members of the band. Similarly, ‘The Road’ germinated from the shared memories of the group touring together over the past number of years. Round 2 is also peppered with original instrumental tracks including ‘Pleckin’ About’ which provides the triumphant finale to the album and embodies the energy which Boxing Banjo bring to their live performances. The band were also invited to appear on Ireland’s most viewed television programme, ‘The Late Late Show’ on Irish national television, RTÉ1 in January 2022 to showcase the very best of Irish music.
The Band
Dara Healy
As a versatile and vibrant multi-instrumentalist, singer, dancer and composer, Dara Healy stands out among professional Irish traditional musicians of this generation. Equally at home playing Irish traditional music as well as classical music and other genres, his musical maturity and competency belies his years. Originally a trained primary school teacher, Dara also holds a first class honours degree in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Limerick.
Born in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Dara’s musical ability was carefully nurtured from an early age. He quickly progressed on various instruments while also illustrating his flair for Irish dancing and singing. Dara’s natural musical talent was further developed through playing classical violin and piano. He now holds a classical teaching qualification on both instruments. A multi All-Ireland winning musician and singer, Dara is now a much sought after performer and teacher both at home and abroad.
He has contributed to various recordings such as the critically acclaimed ‘Pleckin’ About’ and ‘Shuffle the Deck’. Dara’s music also featured in the IFTA award winning film ‘Noble’ in 2014. He has multiple TV appearance to his name including performances on ‘Saturday Night with Miriam’ (RTÉ), ‘Geantraí’ (TG4), ‘Féilte’ (TG4) and ‘Fleadh Cheoil’ (RTÉ).
Joe McNulty
Joseph McNulty is an accomplished musician on fiddle, bodhrán and guitar. He is a five times All-Ireland champion and also holds four world titles on bodhrán. He has toured extensively in countries including Holland, Belgium, Germany and the United States of America with various productions including Ragús and Millenium Forum Productions. At the age of 15 he moved to Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Arann Islands off the West coast of Ireland, where he spent three years immersed in the Irish language and culture, and is now a fluent Irish speaker.
Mick Healy
Mick Healy is now established as one of the finest young exponents of Irish Banjo. Hailing from Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Mick grew up in a family steeped in traditional Irish music. From a very young age, he gained his love for music from his siblings, Sinéad, Dara and Gráinne. Having quickly excelled on banjo, he mastered multiple other instruments including mandolin, guitar, piano, bodhrán, drums and cajon and has a plethora of All Ireland titles to his name.
Alongside his love for traditional Irish music, Mick developed an appreciation for classical music, singing and Irish dancing. He spent many years of his childhood taking examinations on the piano with the Royal Irish Academy of Music and he holds a Teaching Diploma from the Victoria College of Music, London. Mick also regularly competed at provincial level as an Irish dancer in both solo and group competitions.
His virtuosic musical talents are displayed on his debut solo album, released in 2012 at just nineteen years old, entitled Pleckin’ About with the renowned Steve Cooney on guitar. The album showcases Mick’s creative talents as a composer, having penned many of the tracks himself and his production skills at the desk are also creatively displayed on the album. He is much sought after as a teacher and performer both at home and abroad, having played in many stage productions including ‘The Legend of Gráinne Mhaol’. Mick is also no stranger to the television, having featured in many televised productions including RTÉ’s ‘The Fleadh Cheoil’ and ‘Saturday Night with Miriam’.
Mick graduated from the University of Limerick in 2016 and holds a Bachelor of Education in Materials and Architectural Technology.
Sean O’Meara
Sean O’Meara is one of the most dynamic and exciting guitarists on the Irish music scene. He began playing music from an early age with his natural curiosity gaining him an interest in various musical genres including rock, pop, classical and Irish traditional music. Sean has considerable international touring experience and has performed and toured with various productions and artists including David Gray and The Olllam.