Tribute to Conor in Ballina

Conor Walsh tribute in Ballina A minimalist Mayo composer who died tragically aged 36 in 2016 will be remembered in a new film showing during Ballina Fringe Festival.

Conor Walsh, from Swinford, took his musical influences from his environment, particularly the nearby placid waters of the River Moy, where he loved to fish.

Conor would take note of his surroundings, introducing these dramatic scenes into his deeply expressive melodies, conveyed through piano and electronic instruments.

The music of the composer and pianist has an Einaudi quality which transcends the often harsh journey of life, transporting the listener to a place of calmness.

In his short life, the Swinford musician performed at major festivals including Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Another Love Story, and Other Voices in Dingle and Derry. He also opened for Hozier on a sold out Irish tour in Waterford, Cork and Limerick in 2013.

Conor’s music depicts the windings of the River Moy, the human traffic of Swinford, the migratory movements of swallows, the creaking 200-year-old O’Connor’s Hotel in his hometown and the maternal melodies of his childhood.

Classical influences predominate throughout, but other genres are easily identifiable in his works too, as Conor drew on the sounds of experimental American rock band Tool and the electronic dance music sub-genre IDM. After his death as a result of a heart attack, his only album ‘The Lucid’ was released posthumously, while his mesmeric composition ‘The Front’ has accumulated almost three million plays on Spotify alone.

Ballina Fringe Festival has set about to shine a light on Mayo-born artists and creatives with a local connection. 'Conor Walsh: Selected Piano Works' is the title of the documentary to be shown in Ballina, directed by Keith Walsh and produced by Enniscrone native Jill Beardsworth, The film received its premiere at the 2024 Dublin International Film Festival.

The screening in Ballina Civic Offices during this year’s Ballina Fringe Festival will take place on Wednesday, October 9, and the director will do a Q&A afterwards.

Keith Walsh’s work has screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and picked up several awards, most recently the Torc award for his documentary ‘Bloody Sunday 1920’ (Best Historical Documentary) His critically acclaimed ‘When All is Ruin Once Again’ (2018) won best film at Kerry International Film Festival, best cinematography at the Galway Film Fleadh and was IFTA nominated for best feature documentary in 2020. It was described as ‘a masterpiece of cinema’ by RTÉ Entertainment.

His documentaries include ‘I Was You’ (2004), ‘Children of Allah’ (2006) and ‘Apples of the Golan’ (2012), which explored the survival of a community in the Israeli occupied Syrian Golan Heights in the face of a 47-year occupation.

He has also edited and filmed for some of the country’s finest documentary makers, including Pat Collins (‘Henry Glassie: Fieldwork’ and ‘The Dance’) and Ruán Magan.

With its first showing in Mayo, Keith Walsh’s film 'Conor Walsh: Selected Piano Works' is certain to bring a special poignancy.

Ballina Fringe Festival will run from October 4 to 13.