Hi and welcome to my Fanclub site. Building as we go along.
These days….
Back performing with a reinvigorated Stockton’s Wing who signed with Tara/Universal Ireland and released a back-catalogue collection of 42 tracks in Jan 2020, some hidden or lost for years. A joy to put it all together. Stockton’s Wing Beautiful Affair A Retrospective went to number one in sales and download charts. We hit the big time. Then we all had to stay at home for a while. A live album Hometown was released February 2022.
When we stayed at home for a while, I wrote A River roll on inspired by mums’ final journey though dementia, released in May 2021 featuring my friends Lisa Lambe, Sandy Kelly and The Forgetmenots choir. All recording and filming by my pal Aldoc. All proceeds to help develop creative projects for those living with memory loss. You can still download at the choirs Bandcamp site.
Chase the moon, first solo single, released Oct 2021.Top ten hit.
Spindrift a collaboration with Gavin Glass was released in April
Inside I’m Dancing was released in July
The Ballad of The Crimson Warrior, a short music film inspired by the Irish Cultural Revolution was presented at MKE Milwaukee Fest and Temple Bar Tradfest 22. Filmed and recorded with Aldoc. Going to Phoenix Arizona in September to showcase and host a Q&A on this wonderful project. I had help from Seana Davey on Harp, Sive on vocals, guitar and a co write and Norah Constance Walsh on piano and strings. What a great band.
A new album with producer Gavin Glass ‘Songs from the box room’ co-produced and arranged with Gavin Glass is due for an autumn release.
I also love working with Leslie Dowdall and Eleanor Shanley
Possible few gigs in the pipeline with Pat Shortt
2022 Ambassador Clare Age Friendly
2022 Writer in Residence Áras Chronáin Clondalkin Irish centre

Back in the days ….
1977 began professional career with Maura O Connell in a duo called TUMBLEWEED
1980 Stockton’s Wing guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Wrote all songs on Stockton's Wing’s ground-breaking and critically acclaimed Album LIGHT IN THE WESTERN SKY (1984) including hit BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR and WALK AWAY.
The Wing Toured extensively around the world collaborating with many artists developing a soundscape taking our influences from various world music genres, traditions, and fellow artists to create the inimitable sound that was and still is Stockton’s Wing.
1989 Sammy Davis Junior invites the band to perform at his Lansdowne Road shows in Dublin. One of my highlights. Such a lovely man and we got to hang out with him for three days.
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. That was amazing.
Played at both Michael Jackson gigs in Cork 1988.No, never met him but had some fun with the band.
Left Stockton’s Wing in 1994 to tour with Finbar Furey. I loved working with Finn. The consummate pro and great friend.
Then got my first solo album deal with German label Wundertutte Someone Like You.
My favourite years were with Ronnie Drew on his theatre show ‘Ronnie I hardly knew Ya’ We developed a wonderful friendship on a music journey that would last until Ronnie’s death in 2008. We had several runs in Dublin, a successful Off Broadway run and countless tours across Europe. I produced four albums for Ronnie including two with Ronnie and Eleanor Shanley which gave us the iconic duet ‘A Couple More Years.’
Being musical director for the critically acclaimed theatre show Legends of Irish Music featuring Ronnie along with Liam Clancy, Finbar Furey, Johnny McAvoy, Jim McCann, and Paddy Reilly will go down as a life privilege.
I recorded a few tracks with Leslie Dowdall
My favourite production was Eleanor Shanley and Ronnie Drew El Amor da mi Vida

A life with Food
When we had to stay at home for a while I started #Cookingupastorm on Facebook and I went live every lunchtime at 1.07 for about 10 months in total. It was so good to connect with a global audience who loved food and music and lots of stories.

In 2006 I changed career to study and later teach at The Ballymaloe Cookery School. I ran two memorable kitchens at Pat Shortts Bar (yes that one) in Castlemartyr in East Cork and The Artisan Parlour in Ringsend Dublin. We cooked interesting food from local producers and received many awards, reviews, and accolades for our efforts. I had great people working with me at both places.
In October 2019 Harper Collins published my memoir which was short listed to top four for A Post Best Irish Published Book 2019.

They said….
Beautiful Affair - A Journey in Music, Food and Friendship
Chronicles the early days growing up in Clare, his entire music career, and the sudden change of step to train and work as a teacher at Ballymaloe Cookery School, spending ten years in kitchens before returning to his music and writing. Food and music have been parallel lines that have kept Mike Hanrahan on track his entire life.

• ‘If you love food and music, this book is compulsory for Christmas. My favourite cookbook’ – Paul Flynn, TV chef/ writer - Head Chef of the Tannery, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
• ‘Beautiful Affair is part memoir, part recipe collection, and a total joy to read. full of funny stories and wry observations on the music and food worlds, along with some fascinating detail. With hand-drawn watercolour illustrations by Charlotte O’Reilly Smith, and recipes from friends, family, and professional kitchens, this is a book to savour and cherish.’ – Marie Claire Digby, Irish Times
• ‘A mixture of wonderful stories. We made the Irish stew… and nearly licked the plates!’ – Sean O’Rourke, RTE Radio 1
• ‘This book… it’s literally a beautiful affair. … I thoroughly loved this. It’s a very special piece of work.’ – Marty Whelan, RTE Lyric FM
• ‘Mike manages to do the impossible – create something which is an honest account of his life, as well as a heart-warming feast for the senses.’ – Hot Press
• ‘[A] brilliant and often joyful book.’ – Sunday Independent
• ‘The book is absolutely beautiful. It’s called Beautiful Affair, and it’s a very apt name for it … the illustrations, the recipes, lovely warm stories of a time in music and friendship, and a life’s journey… I loved every moment of it.’ – Tom Dunne, Newstalk
• ‘[A] moving and insightful book’ – Irish News
• ‘…through a sequence of picture postcards, Beautiful Affair coalesces to provide a pleasing montage of one man’s life-journey, the sociality of his musical world and the coming-of-age of Ireland as a musical nation within a globalised world… And, of course, there are the recipes too.’ –The Journal of Music



Links

https://www.instagram.com/mikehanrahanmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/dinkyhanrahan/
https://www.facebook.com/mikehanrahan46
https://twitter.com/mikehanrahan58

https://mikehanrahan.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_j8ficIJ3bH2wK-91-xxmg

https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/mike-hanrahan

https://www.kennys.ie/bargain-books/bargain-music/Beautiful-Affair-A-Journey-in-Music-Food-and-Friendship-Hanrahan-Mike


www.mikehanrahan.com