Eleanor McEvoy - One of Ireland’s most influential musical storytellers.

Few artists in modern Irish music carry the quiet authority, emotional intelligence and enduring legacy of Eleanor McEvoy — a songwriter whose work has become woven into the very fabric of Irish cultural life. Best known as the composer of "Only A Woman's Heart" — the title track of the landmark album A Woman's Heart, still the biggest-selling record in Irish history — McEvoy is far more than a moment in time. She is a lifelong architect of song, a fearless musical explorer, and a performer whose artistry continues to evolve with grace, depth and rare authenticity.

Her journey began early. A prodigious musician, she took up piano at just four years old and violin at eight, before immersing herself fully in music at Trinity College Dublin. By day she studied composition and theory; by night she honed her craft in pit orchestras and smoky clubs, developing the instinctive musicality that would define her career. A spell busking on the streets of New York sharpened her storytelling edge, and a subsequent tenure with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra grounded her in discipline and precision — a duality that still shapes her work today.

The breakthrough came in 1992, when a chance performance of "Only A Woman's Heart" caught the ear of Mary Black, leading to its inclusion on a record that would become a phenomenon. Almost overnight, McEvoy was propelled onto the world stage, securing a major international deal and releasing her debut album from Dublin's legendary Windmill Lane Studios. Global touring followed — across the USA, Europe and Asia — alongside industry accolades for Best New Artist, Performer and Songwriter, confirming her as one of Ireland's most important emerging voices.

Yet McEvoy's story is not one of easy categorisation. Refusing to be confined by expectation, she has continually reinvented her sound — from the polished songwriting of What's Following Me? to the bold, sonically adventurous Snapshots, produced by the renowned Rupert Hine. Critics on both sides of the Atlantic praised her "sophisticated voice" and "compassionate, seasoned lyrics," while her fearless artistic shifts marked her out as a musician unwilling to stand still.

In the 2000s, McEvoy took creative control of her career, stepping into the independent world with the acclaimed Yola — a beautifully restrained, jazz-tinged record that many consider her finest work. What followed was a remarkable run of albums — Early Hours, Out There, Love Must Be Tough and beyond — each exploring new textures, from intimate acoustic minimalism to blues, jazz and reinterpretations of classic song forms. Along the way, she became a pioneer in high-fidelity recording, with her releases widely regarded as reference recordings in the audiophile world, earning multiple "Record of the Year" honours from Hi-Fi+ Magazine.

A true multi-instrumentalist, McEvoy is as compelling live as she is on record — often performing solo, seamlessly moving between guitar, violin, piano and mandolin, creating a sound that is at once orchestral and deeply personal. Her later work, including Naked Music and The Thomas Moore Project, reveals an artist in complete command of her craft — reflective, fearless and profoundly connected to both tradition and innovation.

Beyond the stage, her songs have found life in film, television and literature, while her iconic "Only A Woman's Heart" has been covered by artists across the world — from Emmylou Harris to Celtic Woman — becoming a generational anthem that continues to resonate decades after its release.

Today, Eleanor McEvoy stands as one of Ireland's most enduring and respected musical voices — an artist whose career spans symphony halls, global tours, intimate listening rooms and everything in between. Her music is not simply performed… it is felt, lived and remembered.

And now… that voice, that songwriting, that lifetime of music — arrives exactly where it belongs. Up close Just 60 souls in a room, breathing in every note. This is not just a concert — it's a rare audience with one of Ireland's true greats in the kind of setting her music was made for.

These nights don't come around often… and they don't hang around either.