Michael's Story
Listen: Michael Moran The Old Ballad of Roger Casement |
Listen: Michael Moran The Ballad of Co Longford |
Michael Moran
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Michael Moran Photo Longford Leader 21 August 1998 |
Born in Longford in the Irish midlands, Michael Moran has led a remarkable life despite losing his sight at the young age of 10. Michael moved to Dublin to attend St Joseph's School for the Blind in Drumcondra and his family emigrated to England shortly thereafter. His mother failed to maintain contact and Michael's only family for the next few years was to be his grandmother in Dublin.
Despite his loss of vision, and the loss of his family at such an early age, Michael carved out a name for himself in the tough world of Irish music in a career that spanned more than 50 years.He has entertained generations of Irish on radio, TV, dancehalls, cabaret, weddings and funerals.
Michael established himself at a young age on the national stage, releasing many singles and five albums of traditional music as the internationally renowned 'Micheal Moran Shamrock Ceili Band' and later as one of Ireland's leading solo artists. His musical journey began after he joined St Joseph's School for the Blind in Drumcondra, Dublin. There he was surrounded by "some brilliant musicians in the school at that time" with whom he later formed the Michael Moran Shamrock Ceili Band.
At an early stage, the band had a successful audition with RTE and started broadcasting regularly on RTE's 'Ceili House' with the late and the great Sean O'Morchu. Michael spent many years as a permanent fixture on the Dublin music and dance scene "In 1961, he got his first engagement in the Irish Club, Parnell Sq, Dublin, where his band played every Monday night from 1961 to 1973,
As the Ceili scene in Ireland bowed to the march of 'Pop and Rock', Michael's career moved increasingly away from the traditional dancehall and into non-dance venues.
Michael was born in Longford town in the mid-thirties and despite the poor conditions he says "I have very happy childhood memories including plenty of children's fun games, which unfortunately don't exist today". He has written and performed many of his own songs, something he dearly loves and has devoted his life too. In the late 1990's Michael featured on Radio 1 in Audioscope, a programme dedicating to highlighting the amazing feats of the visually impaired in Ireland and providing a valuable information service for the blind. The honour is reserved only for the very best of visually impaired Ireland.