John Spillane is an Irish folk singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland, born in 1961. He graduates from University College Cork with degrees in Irish and English, and his work is closely associated with Irish-language songwriting and folk music.

Career

Spillane starts out in Cork bands before becoming a solo artist, including spells with Stargazers and Nomos. With Nomos, he appears on the albums I Won’t Be Afraid Anymore and Set You Free. He later performs and records under his own name.

Solo recordings

His solo releases include The Wells of the World, first issued in 1997 and re-released in 2000, Will We Be Brilliant Or What in 2002, and Hey Dreamer in 2005. In 2006, he releases The Gaelic Hit Factory, on which he sings some songs in Irish. The album also includes poems read by Irish-language poet Louis de Paor, who receives the writing credits. My Dark Rosaleen & the Island of Dreams follows in 2008.

Writing and collaborations

Spillane co-writes songs with Louis de Paor, whom he refers to as “Louis de/the poet”. His songs are also recorded by artists including Karan Casey, Christy Moore and Sharon Shannon.

Recognition

In 2003, Spillane wins a Meteor Music Award in the Best Folk/Traditional Act category.