Sullivan

Mairéid Sullivan has been singing since her childhood in West Cork, Ireland. Mairéid (rhymes with 'parade') was born on a farm at Lisheens, Kealkill, about four miles from Bantry Bay. "Music was everywhere. My father was a master horseman and a wonderful tenor who encouraged me to sing. My mother taught me traditional songs."
Mairéid has received excellent reviews for her solo recordings: Never Drift Apart (2002/3), For Love's Caress - a Celtic journey (1998) and Dancer (1994). She appears on several best-selling Celtic music recordings, including a duet concert recording, A Celtic Evening, with Derek Bell, the harper with the Chieftains. She is the author of Celtic Women in Music (1999). The second volume is due for publication in 2003. Ancient Self - Memoirs, a poetry collection, was published in 1997. Her latest work, A Young Woman of High Years, stories drawn from life in Ireland with her mother, will be published in 2004. Mairéid is currently producing a documentary film on the spirit of Irish musical culture, while creating an accompaning book and DVD. Go to her website, www.maireid.com. for a short Quick Time film clip and the photo-journal, click on Filming in Ireland.

Mairéid is a student of history, with a special interest in Celtic culture. Her poetry, essays and articles have appeared in many publications, including Hugh Downs’ My America (2002). Her website, www.maireid.com features samples of her writing.
Mairéid is the eldest of seven brothers and sisters. "I grew up in the Irish countryside but I feel that I am a part of every place I have been around the world. My home is everywhere. It has been said that memory is the first theatre. Memories of exploration in places of great beauty mark my life journey. Sitting quietly in sacred places, by a waterfall or a stream, against ancient stones or under ancient trees, we can ask nature and our ancestors to speak to us, and they will. When I was a child in Southwestern Ireland, there was a hidden grotto above a stream at the bottom of our farm, known as Lady's Well. I remember gazing at the expression on the faces of the many statues of Mary there. That expression of deep peace calls to me still and I've seen it on the faces of other sacred statues and icons all over the world. Early childhood memories seem to dominate my personal memories. I vividly recall singing aloud in the open air, out on misty, lush green fields.
As a young woman in Australia, I loved to walk through the rainforests, especially at first light, searching for Lyrebirds; to watch and listen as the Lyrebird shaped his mound and then danced and sang exotic melodies, mimicking the voices of other birds. The Lyrebird became my "totem" and I still carry a large Lyrebird feather with me. When I think of Asia, I recall exotic tropical forests, quaint isolated villages, the large monastic centers, and the welcoming teachers who shared their insights on the glorious heritage of ancient Asian cultures. Bike riding in France, Belgium and Holland has etched a kaleidoscope of enthralling memories and tastes, especially for Dutch mayonaise, French wine and Belgian chocolate. The profound stillness I experienced while canoeing on Desolation Sound in Canada inspired my first full poetry cycle.
I'll never forget the many road trips, off the main highways, from coast to coast across the United States: magnificent views from mountain tops at sunset, steaming deserts at dawn, the endless majestic plains, and the long shadows cast across the valleys at dusk. We were often mesmerized by hours spent studying water birds as they soared over the wetlands and the Pacific in Southern California.
After all of my travels, and meetings with people all over the world, I know that with humanity's abundant emotional resources, and the tools at our fingertips, we can cooperate in maintaining peace in the world. Music helps us thrive in the chaos of the world