Cork musician announces debut EP and new single
The first release from Cork artist Muirġen (Muirġen O’Mahony) offers listeners a first glimpse into an artist stepping fully into her own voice. 'Loinnir' and its first single ‘Brushstrokes’, blend elements of Irish tradition with contemporary electropop textures and bilingual storytelling.
Born and raised in Cork, Muirgen’s musical life has spanned multiple worlds. Classically trained, she later worked as an actor-singer in the UK before joining Grammy-nominated ensemble Celtic Woman. She toured with them internationally for five years.
Her highlights with the group include performances at the Royal Albert Hall, The Kennedy Centre with the National Symphony Orchestra, and numerous appearances as a guest soloist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. These experiences have shaped a vocal style which is defined by melismatic lines, textured harmonies, and an inherently Irish sensibility.
After living in the UK for eight years, Muirgen returned to Ireland at the end of 2024. This move marked the beginning of a challenging but transformative period.
She says that a chance coffee morning with producer Cian Sweeney led him to come on board and help shape 'Loinnir'.
“What he created from fragmented demos and streams of consciousness completely changed the project. His belief gave me the confidence to release this music,” she said.
Collaboration and community sit at the heart of 'Loinnir'. With close friends and family involved across production, artwork, photography, design and PR, the project reflects “an incredible sense of belonging and makes me feel like I’m breathing new life with the people I love”, Muirgen says.
‘Brushstrokes’, the first single from 'Loinnir', was written by Muirgen, Cian Sweeney, and Laura Elizabeth Hughes.
Muirgen says that the song is “about feeling disconnected and desperately craving something more”.
“I spent much of my 20s kind of shapeshifting, depending on the scenario, and the result was a feeling of not knowing who I really was anymore. Being told to ‘trust my gut’ was a mystery to me - what I liked and disliked, what I wanted and didn’t want - and it was exhausting. I had a really strong image as I was writing this song, of jumping off of a cliff into water and that moment where you’re suspended mid-air before breaking the surface. I knew I would eventually need to meet the undertow and get to know myself again.
“This song is a commitment to going inward, reconnecting to my younger self and coming face to face with that which I’ve been ignoring for so many years,” she says.
'Loinnir' will be released on 15 May, with ‘Brushstrokes’ out now to stream and download.