Leitrim folk singer Eoin Kenny charts a heartfelt path from ‘Here to There’

Eoin Kenny might be an emerging name on the Irish folk scene, but his rise over the past 18 months has been anything but quiet. The Leitrim singer-songwriter has built a loyal following of more than 5,000 people across social media, played packed rooms around the country, and earned praise from some of the most respected ears in Irish music.

Rooted in the storytelling tradition of rural north-west Ireland, Kenny’s music is shaped by the place he grew up. Carrigallen’s local theatre, long-running folk clubs and a strong traditional music culture laid the groundwork early on, with tin whistle and flute giving way to guitar and vocals as a teenager.

“I try to tell stories in my songs — sometimes my own, sometimes ones that have been shared with me,” he says. “Sometimes they’re very direct, sometimes they come through conversations or imagined perspectives, but it’s always about trying to say something honest.”

Although he performed regularly for years, the Covid-19 pandemic marked a turning point. A four-year break from live music followed, before personal revelations and encouragement from local musicians led him back to the stage in February 2024 — this time with a renewed focus on his own songwriting.

Since then, momentum has come quickly. Kenny has performed at venues including Whelan’s, the Four Provinces Folk Club and the Corn Mill Theatre, alongside festival appearances at Anam Festival in Kerry and the Ambient Music Showcase in Cavan. His gentle, intimate live sets have helped him connect with audiences nationwide, from Dublin rooms to rural theatres.

His latest single ‘Here to There’, released on Friday 19 December, is a deeply personal reflection on uncertainty and generational wisdom. The song centres on a young man feeling lost, sitting down with his father to ask whether he once felt the same — and hoping that understanding how his father got from “here” to “there” might offer reassurance that he will too.

Produced locally in Vibes Studio in Leitrim, the track stays true to Kenny’s folk roots. Vocals and guitar are supported by harmonium, fiddle, mandolin and double bass, creating a warm, stripped-back sound that allows the story to breathe.

The single follows ‘London’, released two weeks earlier, and continues a productive period that has already seen Kenny release the single ‘Tell Me’ in April — picked by Hot Press as one of its favourite releases at the time — and the EP ‘About June’ in May. His music has also received airplay on BBC Scotland, Midlands Radio and Ocean FM.

Perhaps most notably, Kenny has been recommended on social media by Christy Moore as an artist to watch, while one listener summed up his appeal simply: “A beautiful voice and even more beautiful lyrics — Eoin will have you swooning like a kitten after a fish on a rope.”

With themes of love, loss, life and emigration woven through soft melodies and descriptive lyrics, Eoin Kenny’s songs tap into something quietly universal. As more new music is set for release in the coming months, his journey from here to there is one many listeners will be glad to follow.

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