Susan O’Neill at Winterval Waterford (Photos)

A Voice for the Season: Susan O’Neill Brings Soul to the Heart of Winterval Waterford! Performing in the soaring nave of Christ Church Cathedral for the third and final installment of Waterford’s Winterval LIVE Series, Susan O’Neill lifted the hearts and raised the roof. The Gothic Masterpiece of Christ Church was arguably again the crown jewel. The natural acoustics of the 18th-century cathedral were formidable, turning O’Neill’s gravelly, soulful whispers into something that seemed to vibrate through the very pews. Draped in festive lights and surrounded by the hush of a winter night in the Viking Triangle, the setting provided a perfect "sacred" backdrop for her genre-defying sound. The Clare native has a rare ability to shift from a delicate folk trill to a gut-wrenching blues growl in a single breath. The singer/songwriter, also professionally known as SON, is frequently described as having a voice that is "equal parts balm and blowtorch," and this set proved why. Moving effortlessly between a soulful, gravelly rasp and delicate folk whispers, she commanded the room without ever needing to shout.

The choice of Christ Church Cathedral as a venue was again inspired. The high stone arches and natural reverb provided a "holy" backdrop for O'Neill’s genre-blurring style. In a festival often defined by the bustle of Christmas markets and bright lights, this concert felt like a necessary sanctuary—intimate, quiet, and intensely focused.

A highlight of the night was Susan's multi-instrumental mastery use of loop pedals. Watching her layer live vocal harmonies and trumpet swells created a rich, orchestral wall of sound that felt impossible for a solo performer to achieve. This was further enhanced with the divine prowess of Killian Browne on keyboard.

Drawing heavily from her 2024 solo album 'Now in a Minute', she also paid homage to her roots with nods to her collaborative work with Mick Flannery, though the night was firmly a showcase of her evolution as a solo artist.

While most of the Winterval festival targets family fun and spectacle, this was the "grown-up" soul of the event. For anyone who appreciates the intersection of blues, soul, and Irish folk, O'Neill proved once again that she is one of the most vital voices in contemporary Irish music.