Sharon keeps busy to cope with her tragic loss

THE kitchen in Sharon Shannon’s Galway home is warm and inviting and has the air of a room that’s well lived in. The range is designed for cooking, the kettle is boiling and dogs and cats roam around freely.Sharon and her manager John Dunford are sitting at the kitchen table, laptops in front of them, planning their next campaign.Theirs is one of the most fruitful professional relationships in the music business, with Sharon having been at the top of her game for nearly 20 years now. She has brought traditional music in new directions through her sense of adventure and eagerness to collaborate with other performers, something which has helped keep her music fresh.Sharon and her 24 strong Big Band – featuring Shane McGowan, Mundy, Dessie O’Halloran, Richie Buckley and other top names in Irish music from across the spectrum – are at The Royal Castlebar on December 27 and Leisureland, Salthill on December 30 as part of a special Christmas tour.It’s just over a year since Sharon and her band first teamed up with Shane McGowan for what she described as 'punked up versions of Irish songs’ and, she says, their shows are getting better all the time. “We’re all more used to playing with Shane and Mundy and to playing with each other so it will be like last year, but a lot better!”While everything is rehearsed totally, there is always room for spontaneity and the atmosphere on stage is very much a party one. Those who saw their Christmas show in Galway last year will know that’s true, as they almost lifted the roof off Leisureland with countless tunes, and songs such as Fairytale of New York, Galway Girl (Steve Earle’s song which he recorded with Sharon and she subsequently recorded with Mundy), Courtin’ in the Kitchen and Say You Love Me.It’s been a busy year for the Clare born musician who lives in Salthill. It’s also been a ...