Live Report: David Rooney at Dolmen Theatre, Dublin

A somewhat unusual location for a gig, some might think - the sleepy village of Cornelscourt in South Dublin isn’t exactly known as a hotbed of musical activity. On the contrary however, this cosy little theatre happens to be attached to The Magic Carpet pub where local heroes The Thrills first honed their live chops. More pointedly, it’s just a few doors down from the building that hosted the legendary Foxrock Folk Club where, in the early 1970s, almost every Irish folk, roots and trad act performed – including members of Horslips, Planxty, The Chieftains and Luke Kelly among many others.

As such, it’s the perfect setting for Wicklow-based David Rooney - best known as an award-winning illustrator for Hot Press and elsewhere but who has turned his creative talents to song-writing and performing in recent years. With accompaniment from Jay Wilson on piano he performed songs from his recently released debut album the Declan O’Rourke-produced Bound Together.

While his style is very much in the traditional singer songwriter vein – lyrical songs backed by his acoustic guitar and rich clear voice - a tendency towards jazzy chord progressions and dreamily meandering melodies lends the songs added interest and at times, intrigue. They go down a treat with the full house tonight and you could hear a pin drop during the exquisitely poignant ‘Madeleine’ and the more upbeat recent single ‘Moondust’. Arguably his best song, the nostalgically evocative ‘Ladder To The Sun’, is a highlight with Wilson’s mellifluous piano fills adding texture, while a new song (whose title I didn’t catch) inspired by the plight of migrant workers in the southern US states, augers well for his next album.

Rooney’s self-deprecating between-song banter is almost as entertaining as the songs and the laugher helps make the atmosphere even more enjoyable while we are also treated to a Bach interlude and, an appearance by one-time Wicklow TD, Mildred Fox on vocals. A magical evening.