Memories of spending time with his grandfather, Tom McGuire, on the family farm have inspired Co. Galway musician Dylan Connolly – known as Cono – to write and record his new single TOM (That Old Man), which will be released on 29 May.
The indie rocker and songwriter, who is a digital media producer at Galway Bay FM, remembers that his maternal grandfather, who is in his fifth year with dementia, had a Massey Ferguson 135.
“We would go around the village and from field to field together. We would count the cattle and pick up any stone walls that had fallen,” the Korovin musician said.
“He lives near us and he would call his friends who lived around the village and drink tea and listen to old stories.
“This generation was very welcoming and had great conversations. It’s sad that that’s something we’ve lost.”
He added that he is lucky, at the age of 31, because his grandparents are alive.
“My memories of Tom are that he was a very young person, a small man but very strong.
“He was always very open. He never judged anyone.”
Dylan said: “Unfortunately, since my dementia, everything has been lost. I set out to compile all those memories into a song, and that’s what I did.”
Music journey
He explained that he has been producing music for the past five or six years professionally.
“Two years ago, I took a final step to release my own music. This will be my fourth song,” he said.
“I’ve opened for Sawdoctors in the UK and Ireland a few times.
“I played with a friend, Darragh Odia, in his band. He co-wrote my new single.
Dylan Connolly
“By the end of the summer I hope to release a 6-track EP and I will be releasing an EP and hopefully it will be my first proper gig.”
Dylan has been playing music since he was 10 years old.
“I play guitar, drums and bass, and I record and produce my own music in my studio which used to be a grass shed and it’s a really cool studio now.
“It doesn’t get any further west of Ireland than that,” he laughed.
Eleven years ago, Dylan produced a documentary about his grandfather Tom and his life.
“He had a great story about when The Quiet Man was filmed at the railway station up the road from his house, where he met John Wayne,” Dylan explained.
“My grandfather was a teenager at the time, and the director asked him if he would move the cattle out of the back of the shot because they were getting in the way. So he gave him £5 to keep the cattle out.”
Future path
“Looking to the future, the big milestone is the release of the 6-track EP.
“I’m really proud to finally be able to release music that I’ve been listening to for a long time.
“The goal is to keep writing and releasing, and hopefully I’ll get a few gigs. Next summer, I’d like to do a festival or two, that’s the plan.”
