Music
22 Jul 25

Lankum’s Ian Lynch: "Frank Harte was a massive influence on us when we first started becoming interested in traditional singing"

Frank Harte (left) and Ian Lynch (right, photo by Miguel Ruiz)

As part of a special Frank Harte anniversary feature – available to read in full in the current issue of Hot Press – Lankum's Ian Lynch reflects on the influence of the Chapelizod-born singer and song collector.

Ian Lynch
Lankum

Frank Harte was a massive influence on us when we first started becoming interested in traditional singing. Daragh had a CD of his first two albums and we almost played the thing to death.

I was particularly taken by Frank’s wide-ranging view of what traditional song could be, from children’s street songs, to ballads about all aspects of Irish history and social life, to Dublin music hall songs, and everything in between.

Later, when I was able to afford his albums, I was completely entranced by his extensive song notes, which I would read over and over again as I listened to them. They reveal a man completely fascinated by traditional song and his enthusiasm was nothing short of infectious. They served as a great introduction to the topic and led me further down into the rabbit hole of traditional song, which I still have not escaped to this day.

Stylistically, I love to hear how his voice changed over the years, from the high-pitched, defiant style of his earlier work, to the softened, emotionally-laden approach of later albums such as There’s Gangs of Them Digging.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the death of the deeply influential singer and song collector Frank Harte, a special collection, When Adam Was In Paradise, has been re-released – curated by his daughter Orla, and engineered by Dónal Lunny.

Orla discusses the album, and her father's phenomenal legacy, in the new issue of Hot Press – out now: