UK Review

Michael Banahan, from Roscommon, is well known in Ireland as a solo singer of traditional music and a member of Rig The Jig but mostly as a promoter and manager. However, Broken Heart is a departure, being his debut album of original material. Michael plays guitar, bodhran and harmonica and is supported by Andrew Holesworth (who also mixed the record) on keyboards, and percussion but mostly by Bill Shanley doing everything else including production. There is a timelessness about the album – I’m tempted to say “old-fashioned” just because it takes me back to the listening of my youth.

The first track, ‘Winter In The City’, paints us a rather gentler picture than Alan Hull did but beneath that veneer is a hard edge that recalls the notion of winter roaring in. ‘The Tango’ suggests a personal story from Michael’s past as does the title track a couple of steps down the road. ‘Ballad Of Mikey Carthy’ is probably a piece of fiction but you can never tell with Irish songwriting. It has a tongue-in-cheek chorus which leads into ‘Hit The Road’, a song that begins with the same chorus, this time as an intro.

‘Leaving On Your Mind’ is another song of lost love but now I’m beginning to wonder how many sad love affairs that Michael has suffered. ‘The Busker’ is an updated take on Mikey Carthy’s story set in an unkind world and I can’t help but think that there is a nugget of truth in this tale. Don’t tell me if I’m wrong, I’d rather cling to my dreams. ‘Walking On Eggshells’ is an almost funky song returning to unhappy love affairs while ‘Find My Own Way Back’ sees Michael coming out the other side.

‘Closing Time’ is a metaphor for regrets and yet another unhappy love affair told with the wisdom of the older man, The final track takes us back to 1935 when “De Valera ruled our land” and from the opening you’re led to thinking that this is about a major historical event down there in County Mayo. In fact, it’s the story of the building of ‘Pollavaddy Dance Hall’ which must have been a big thing back then and it’s great that Michael Banahan has chosen to celebrate it. Take it out of Ireland and it would make a great country and western song.

Broken Heart is a gentle album, mostly of reminicences turned into songs – some wistful, some joyful bur always listenable.

Dai Jeffries

MICHAEL BANAHAN - Broken Heart

Own Label, 11 Tracks, 34 Minutes

Michael Banahan is a well-known figure in music circles in the midlands of Ireland, both as a gigging musician, and also as a manager and promoter who has worked with many well-known artists, including Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Paul Brady and Eleanor Shanley.

Originally a solo performer, he was a founder member of the acclaimed band Rig The Jig. He has also recorded a number of solo albums, but his latest release Broken Heart is comprised entirely of his own compositions.

The album reflects his personal life experience, and the authenticity of the themes shines through - The Tango was released as a single last year with a reflection on unrequited love, while the title track explores the impact of a failed romance on someone else. These emotional subjects are treated with an honesty and candour that is reflected in the country ­tinged music, which is delivered under the stewardship of Bill Shanley, who co-produced the album with Michael, and plays a variety of instruments along with Andrew Holdsworth.

His empathy with those less fortunate is reflected in songs such as Ballad of Mikey Carthy and The Busker, showing a deep understanding of the challenges they face. His vocal style has echoes of some of our great Irish male singers, and he colours his delivery with some tasteful harmonica work. It's hardly a surprise that this album has been feted by such luminaries as Charlie McGettigan, Mick Hanly, Mike Hanrahan and Eleanor Shanley.

Bill Shanley's contribution to the music and arrangements will only enhance his stellar reputation as a first-class producer - the songs are placed in settings which allow the lyrics to shine through, with themes that will strike a chord with many of us.

Michael Banahan has clearly established himself as a fine songwriter on this album and performs throughout with aplomb.

Mark Lysaght

Singer-songwriter in reflective mood. 8/10

Ex-member of Rig The Jig, Roscommon-based Michael Banahan can carefully craft and sing highly-personalised songs, which are not only snapshots of the human condition, but depict the broadly downbeat mood of the modern era.

So, the aptly-titled Broken Heart opens with ‘Winter In The City’ and suitable harmonica. It’s a timely, reflective song depicting the miseries of modern city life, with its mix of inclement weather, traffic, bad temper, homelessness and the absence of snowy landscapes. Not exactly your jolly Christmas ditty, though there’s a gleam of optimism amid the heartache.

The soul-baring and partly autobiographical ‘The Tango’ is a country-lite song about the uncertainties of romantic courtship, while ‘Hit The Road’ addresses the exploits of a serial charmer and the freedom his motorbike brings him. ‘The Busker’, meanwhile, is a graphic portrayal of a homeless Dublin singer, delivered in a style that recalls Mike Hanrahan.

Throughout the record, Banahan’s dark, melodic voice is bolstered by mighty musical and production support from the revered Bill Shanley. Together, they’ve created a work of conviction that doesn’t shirk the dark side. Yes, it’s a jungle out there to be sure – but let’s applaud Banahan for having the honesty to remind us that we could be so much better.

Jackie Hayden

RnR Magazine (UK) - January 2026

A founder of Rig The Jig, with whom he toured extensively and recorded several albums, and a established interpreter of Irish traditional ballads, this is nonetheless Michael Banahan’s first solo album of his own compositions With a voice like warm velvet- and a particularly beautiful harmonica tone – Banahan accompanies himself on guitar, alongside Bill Shanley and Andrew Holdsworth on everything else, to produce a warm sound that will put its arm round your shoulder when the cold wind’s too sharp.

With songs touching on love lost and found, and the daily trials of the down-on-their-luck, this belongs to that deep lineage of country-tinged Irish balladry wearing its heart unashamedly on its sleeve. For some the sentiment of songs like ‘The Busker’ may be a little too unvarnished. Equally, however, this is precisely what will draw others to the album. Indeed, the lyrics of ‘Leaving on Your Mind’ address head-on the fact that sometimes a cliché can be the best thing for the job.

Polished and beautifully performed, Broken Heart is resonant with that curiously comforting melancholy that invites you to sit, listen, and take things a bit easier for a wee while.

Oz Hardwick