Home

Mike Hanrahan Full and Short Biog

Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer, MIKE HANRAHAN was Born in ENNIS CO.CLARE
1977 began professional career with Maura O Connell in a duo called TUMBLEWEED performing a mixture of American Country songs from, Gram Parsons ,Willie Nelson , Emmylou Harris , Richard and Linda Thomson , Neil Young and a few of Mikes own compositions. Tumbleweed toured the Irish Folk Circuit and appeared at the first Lisdoonvarna Music Festival.
1979 Helped Stocktons Wing on the recording of their second Album TAKE A CHANCE the title taken from one of Mikes songs .
1980 Joined Stocktons Wing in April and toured extensively throughout Europe and US with Stockton's Wing.
1982 Wrote all six songs on Stockton's Wing’s ground breaking and critically acclaimed Album LIGHT IN THE WESTERN SKY including hit songs BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR and WALK AWAY.
1983/4 Stockton's Wing appeared at all major European Folk Festivals. Collaborated With Bella Fleck, The Dubliners and Maura O connell and even Val Doonican on recordings, live shows and TV specials. One of the highlights was a Nashville Network show with Bella Fleck and members of New Grass Revival..
1985 The wing release their best selling album to date Stockton's Wing Live “TAKE ONE” again featuring Mike’s songs.The Album was recorded at the TV club in Dublin's Harcourt Street with additional material from the Great Southern in Galway.
1986 AMERICAN SPECIAL a collection of Stockton's Wing classics special release for North America and Canada. Followed by major US and Canadian tours which brought the band to a new audience.
1986 FULL FLIGHT featuring Mikes hits Why Wait Until Tomorrow , Avondale and So Many Miles.
1988 CELTIC ROOTS REVIVAL Produced by Steve Cooney . Collaborating with the other members of the band on all compositions. In the summer of 1988 they shared the stage with Michael Jackson in Cork for two nights as part of Jacko‘s World tour..
1989 Sammy Davis Junior invites the band to perform at Lansdowne Road shows in Dublin. They made a guest appearance with Sammy Davis Jnr. in Dublin as part of his world tour with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. In 1990 Stockton's Wing went on location to take part in the Noel Pearson/Jim Sheridan film production of the John B. Keane play "THE FIELD" which featured Oscar nominee Richard Harris and John Hurt.
Other minor chart hit songs with Stockton's Wing: Avondale, One Step Closer, Hey Marsha, Why Wait until Tomorrow, So Many Miles Away.
Festival Appearances: Calgary, Lisdoonvarna, Cambridge, Milwaukee, Chicago Irish Fest, Chicago Navy Pier Fest. Ballisodare, Chiropody, Neon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Australia Folk Festival, 86,89,91., Brosella festival Brussels, Roskilda, Copenhagen, Belfast, Holland, Germany, France, etc etc.
1990 THE CROOKED ROSE produced by Bill Whelan (Riverdance) featuring six new songs from Mike. The band depart from the Drums Bass line up and revert to more acoustic sound which brings them to the attention of the UK theatre circuit.they continued touring the States and Europe.
1994 Mike leaves Stockton's Wing to pursue solo career and also tour with Finbar Furey throughout the UK. Records with Finbar on his solo project.
1995 “SOMEONE LIKE YOU” Produced by Mike and Peter Keenan. His first solo album is released in Germany, Switzerland and Holland.
1996 Someone Like you released in Ireland on Crashed Records to critical acclaim.
1997 RONNIE DREW invites Mike to perform with him on his one man show RONNIE I HARDLY KNEW YA.
The show proved great success beginning with a seven week run at Andrews Lane Theatre in Dublin followed by appearances throughout the Ireland and the UK including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 1998, Israel, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and the USA.
Elected Deputy Chairman Irish Music Rights Organisation IMRO
1998. With his Brother Kieran on his recording IRISH TENOR BANJO
1999 Produced and Arranged Ronnie Drew CD THE HUMOUR IS ON ME NOW. featuring Mikes song “We had it all”
2000 Elected Chairman Irish Music Rights Organisation. IMRO
Musical Director for Ronnie Drew Eleanor Shanley collaboration “ A couple More Years” Touring Ireland , Germany, Denmark, Holland and Belgium.
2001 Ronnie Drew and Eleanor Shanley release live Cd “ A COUPLE MORE YEARS “featuring “ We had it All”
Boy Band “REEL” record “Beautiful Affair”
Beautiful Affair voted into TOP 75 IRISH SONGS in the history of RTE radio.
2002 New CD produced by Sonny Condell called “WHAT YOU KNOW” released in July to critical acclaim. Dinky records ,his own independent label is created. Web site www.mikehanrahan.com created. Mike concentrates on more solo work in Holland and Germany.
2003 Garden of Roses text included in Jackie Haydens book “IN THEIR OWN WORDS dedicated to victims of abuse and rape and published on behalf of the Wexford Rape Crisis Centre.
2003 Returned to tour Ireland as a solo artist and collaborates with Dutch musician Siard De Jong.
Featured artist in Alan Swans book, FROM THE CRADLE TO THE STAGE released on Poolbeg.
STOCKTON'S WING REUNION concert for Charity. in Ennis is a resounding success.
2004 Stocktons Wing Reunion at Vicar Street is a major success. Plans for a few more shows in 2005. Ronnie and Mike release a long awaited live set called An Evening With Ronnie Drew and Mike Hanrahan.Successful tours of Holland, Belgium, Germany , UK and two critically aclaimed runs at The Irish arts Center New York.Ronnie and Mike sign up with Abhan production Company to perform at The Andrews Lane THeatre , Dublin for a three week run in March 2005.
Dec. 2004 Mike was elected Chairman of IMRO for an uprecedented third term.
Jan 2005 An Evening with Ronnie Drew and Mike Hanrahan is released exclusively to the internet.
Feb Formed a delegation of EU Authors and composers to the EU parliament in a bid to persuade EU commissioner Charlie McCreavey that Authors rights would be greatly diminished should his recent soft law proposal become practice and The Commissioner was urged to listen to the voice of the Author.
AN EVENING WITH RONNIE DREW at ANDREWS LANE THEATRE March 2005
Aug. 2005 Mike along with good friend and musician Paul Ashford produces a Vicar Street show to commemorate the lives of The three Miami Showband musicians murdered while coming home from a gig in 1975 The evening featured many of the top stars from the era and funds raised go to a permanent memorial to be erected in Dublin in honour of their lives and their contribution to Irish music.
Aug. 2005 Mike organises the first Ronnie Drew Golf Classic at Royal Tara Golf club which earns in excess of 20K for Temple Street Childrens hospital.
Aug. 2005 The legends of Irish Folk featuring Finbar Furey, Ronnie Drew, Liam Clancy . Jim McCann and Paddy Reilly fill a week at dublin's Gaiety Theatre. Mike Hanrahan musical director.
2006 New Ronnie Drew Eleanor Shanley Cd El Amor Da Mi Vida produced by Mike and released on Daisy Discs. Followed by successful Nationwide tour.
2006 Nov. First series of Live shows with Leslie Dowdal and currently working on recording with a Feb 2007 release date followed by Irish dates.
Spoke in Brussels debate with EU commissioner Charlie McCreavey as a voice for European Authors on the protection of rights and cultural diversity in the on-line world.
2006 Mike resigns from the board of IMRO
2007Leslie Dowdall and Mike finish their first track , Learning to let it go,. Irish tour april May. Ronnie returns to Stage at NCH Dublin with The Legends of Irish Folk.
Ronnies biog is released with a chapter from Mike
Mike leaves the music business to pursue a career in cooking and completes intensive course with Darina Allen at Ballymaloe Organic Cookery School. Later he joins Darina's team to teach at the school.
2008 August. Ronnie Drew RIP
2010 Stocktons Wing reunion gigs and a few gigs with Tommy Hayes, Kieran Hanrahan.
Sept 2010 Head chef at Pat Shortts Bar in Castlemartyr Co Cork
2011 Shortts receives rave reviews from Darina Allen and Huffpost International travel. Mike and Pat perform and Demo at Middleton Food festival.
2012 performs with Folk The Resession and Leslie Dowdall
2013 Stocktons Wing sell out show at The National Concert Hall Dublin. Plays some songwriter gigs with Roy Buckley
2014 Stocktons Wing reunion at Temple bar fest and Celtic Connections in Glasgow
2015 Researching and writing a stage show with Brendan Begley, Dublin Burning An anthology of songs, poems, tunes and anecdotes relating to the 1916 rising.
2016 Dublin Burning with Brendan Begley launched at Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin to critical acclaim followed by a nationwide tour including key dates in the UK.
2016/17/18 Toured with Eleanor Shanley
2016 Stocktons Wing return to their home town Ennis to headline the Fleadh at a sell out concert at The Dome.
2016 Mike releases a new single with Leslie Dowdall You are my sister and starts touring with Leslie, Luan Parle and Clive Barnes
2017/18 . Stocktons Wing celebrate 40 years opening at Temple Bar Trad Fest. Mike Hanrahan Leslie Dowdall Clive Barnes and Luan Parle perform St. Werbourghs church at Temple bar Trad Fest.

2018 begins work on his back catalogue of songs with acclaimed Cellist Sharon Howley and fiddler Tara Breen. Two appearances aqt the Fleadh in Ennis. Tours and recording planned for 2018

2018. Stocktons Wing record mikes song We Had It All and add further dates around Ireland. Touring with Eleanor Shanley, and a few shows with Leslie Dowdall.. Mike Hanrahan with strings attached in rehearsal for a new show due out in 2019.

July/August produced a version of On Raglan Road for Temple bar Tradfest
Currently writing a memoir of a life in food and music.

TRACK RECORD
Mike Hanrahan
1994 Festival of Irish Folk Wundertutte Germany
1995 "SOMEONE LIKE YOU" Wundertutte Germany, Crashed Music 2002 What You Know Dinky Records
With Leslie Dowdall
2007 Learning to let go ( Download Single)
2016 /17 You are my sister
With Stocktons Wing
1980 TAKE A CHANCE Tara Records
1982 Light in the Western Tara Records
1985 Take One" Stocktons Wing Live Revolving Records
1986 American Special Tara Records
1986 Full Flight Polygram
1987 The Collection Tara records
1988 Celtic Roots Revival Polygram
1990 The Crooked Rose Tara Records
With Ronnie Drew
1999 Producer performer The Humour Is On Me Now Dara Records
2005 Producer An Evening with Ronnie Drew and Mike Hanrahan Dinky
2002 Single Tell me ma dance mix Holland
With Ronnie Drew /Eleanor Shanley
2001 Producer/Performer A Couple More Years
2006 - Producer/ performer El Amor da mi Vida
2006 Take One 1985 Live CD reissue Tara Records

OTHERS
1994 Finbar Furey The Gathering
1996 Bohinta Grandmothers eyes Producer
1998 Kieran Hanrahan Irish Tenor Banjo
2000 Reel Beautiful Affair
2005 The Legends Of Irish Folk Dolphin Discs Compilation
2006 1916 commemoration CD/ DVD Dolphin Compilation.
2006 Parcel of Rogues Dolphin Discs Compilation.

SHORT BIOG
1977 began professional career with Maura O Connell in a duo called TUMBLEWEED 1980 Joined Stocktons Wing as guitarist, singer and songwriter and recorded the album Take a Chance.
Wrote the songs on Stockton's Wing’s ground breaking and critically acclaimed Album LIGHT IN THE WESTERN SKY (1984) including hit songs BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR and WALK AWAY and toured extensively with the band for 15 years.
1989 Sammy Davis Junior invited the band to perform at his Lansdowne Road shows in Dublin. They also played support to Michael Jackson and Prince at their Cork gigs. In 1990 Stockton's Wing went on location to take part in the Noel Pearson/Jim Sheridan film production of the John B. Keane play "THE FIELD" which featured Oscar nominee Richard Harris and John Hurt.
Mike Left Stocktons Wing in 1994 to tour with Finbar Furey and pursue a solo career in Europe recording his first album for German label Wundertutte Someone like You. His second album what you know was released in 2002.
Spent ten years with long time friend Ronnie Drew in 1997 as performer, producer and co writer of the critically acclaimed Ronnie I hardly knew ya.
Music Director for The Legends of Irish Music featuring Ronnie, Liam Clancy, Finbar Furey, Johnny McAvoy, Jim McCann and Paddy Reilly as The Legends of Irish Folk.
Producer performer with Ronnie Drew/ Eleanor Shanley
Writer performer with Brendan Begley on Dublin Burning, an Anthology of songs and stories from 1916
Tours and records with Leslie Dowdall of In Tua Nua
Tours with Eleanor Shanley.
Mike left the music business for a number of years to pursue a career in food at The Ballymaloe cookery school where he eventually worked as a teacher. Later he created the very successful food destination pub with his friend Pat Shortt at his bar Pat Shortt’s bar in Castlemartyr East Cork before returning to set up the highly acclaimed kitchen deli The Artisan Parlour in Ringsend. These days he is currently writing a memoir of a life in food and music to be published in 2019 Stocktons Wing perform a series of gigs to celebrate 40 years in music.