Celtic Music Net

Brothers Oisín and Conal Hernon are two young musicians from the Aran Islands who, although just sixteen and thirteen years of age respectively, display the musical ability and skills of musicians twice their age. They began playing music when they were very young, both starting out on tin whistle, with Oisín moving to button-accordion at the tender age of six and Conal taking up banjo at the age of nine. It wasn't long before they began playing in competitions and they have amassed a long list of prizes over the years, including All-Ireland titles on button-accordion and banjo. They have performed music on many stages, with one of the highlights being a performance for visiting EU ministers and dignitaries during Ireland's hosting of the EU Presidency in 2004. The brothers' musical talents come as little surprise because their mother, Marion, is also an accomplished musician who has won the All-Ireland title for button-accordion, as well as prizes for singing in English and Irish. Her own parents are also musical - her mother is from Milltown Malbay in west Clare, a town renowned for traditional music, and her father is an accomplished box player who toured Ireland with his band, The Inky Craven Dance Band. This exceptional family can boast seventeen All-Ireland titles between them, spread over three generations, and all three generations can be heard playing on Up and Coming - Ó Ghlúin go Glúin.

The tunes on the album include two of Conal's own compositions - ‘The Renmore Jig', named after the place where his grandparents live, and ‘Philomena's Fancy', named after his grandmother as well as a song by Marion, ‘Sean-Phádraic'. The brothers turn their music skills to a different genre of music for the final track, an instrumental version of ‘The Way I Are' by Timbaland!