Hozier stops to support Grafton Street busker Martin McDonnell

Martin McDonnell can often be found busking on Dublin's famous Grafton Street. Today was different, however, as the young singer-songwriter and busker was caught off-guard while covering 'Take Me to Church' by Hozier.

Hozier himself happened to be strolling past, dropping some change into the 18-year old's guitar box. An alumnus of the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions, the past 12 months have seen McDonnell building up an impressive international following. Earlier this year, the busker made an astonishing debut with a headliner at a packed-out Whelan's – upgraded from Upstairs to the main venue due to popular demand.

Hozier's 'Take Me To Church' has a fabled reputation as the song that skyrocketed a then-fledgling artist to international acclaim, reaching No. 2 in both the US and the UK as a single, amassing nearly 400 million views on YouTube, and later taking flight as an LGBTQ+ anthem. In his most recent Hot Press interview, Hozier told Lucy O'Toole: “When the song came together, I was seeing it from that angle. It’s there in the ‘born sick’ lyric – and reflecting on the Church’s habits of pontificating over who, and how, we should love."

So popular is the song that it would be a natural for any busker to sing – except that it makes demands on the vocalist that exceed the capabilities of most buskers. Not so Martin McDonnell, who is a very fine singer indeed – and a proficient busker.

McDonnell uploaded a full cover of 'Take Me To Church' to his Instagram, in response to the visit. Watch it below.

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Thanks for stopping by today @hozier, feel free to join in next time bro🔥 🤟🏼 Shares really appreciated!! #TakeMeToChurch #Hozier #DCT #Music #Dublin @rubyworks @caroline_downey1

A post shared by Martin McDonnell (@martin_mcdonnell_music) on Oct 12, 2020 at 7:17am PDT