Jimmy Monaghan

Jimmy Monaghan
Monaghan performing at Hanoi Social Club, Hanoi, 2018
Monaghan performing at Hanoi Social Club, Hanoi, 2018
Background information
Born
James Monaghan

(1988-02-25) 25 February 1988 (age 38)
Danbury, Connecticut, United States
OriginBelmullet
Genres
Instruments
  • vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • drums
WorksThe Pope's Sister, Cloves
Years active2007–present
LabelsGhost Home Recordings, Rusted Rail, Psychonavigation, Dramacore

Jimmy Monaghan (Irish: Seamus Ó Muíneacháin) is a musician from Belmullet, Ireland. He has released music as a solo artist, and as a member of the anti-folk band Music for Dead Birds. He was listed as one of the top ten Galway-based musicians by The Irish Times in 2011. Irish music website Nialler9 has referred to him as "one of the more singular and quietly prolific voices working in Irish electronic music right now."

Early life

Monaghan was born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, and moved to Ireland at the age of six. He is of Irish and Italian descent.

Boxing

As a teenager, he was an amateur boxer, winning four Irish national titles, and representing Ireland internationally. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Four Nations tournament and received the Western People Sports Star award the same year.

Music career

Music For Dead Birds

In 2007, he formed Music for Dead Birds with drummer Dónal Walsh in Galway city. Their debut album, And then it rained for seven days, was released in 2009 by the Irish record label Rusted Rail. This was followed by the independently released The Pope's Sister, a concept album about the influence of the Catholic church in Ireland, in 2011, Vitamins in 2014, and Pagan Blessings in 2018.

Solo Work

In July 2012, Psychonavigation Records released his debut solo album Seamus O'Muineachain. The Irish Times reviewed the album positively, calling it a "tremulous if tranquil success." To promote the album he performed at Electric Picnic and Whelan's, Dublin.

He followed this up with Cloves (2017), City of Lakes (2019), Blue Moon Set (2020), Different Time Zones (2022), Isthmus (2022), Liminality (2024), Cage of Time (2025), and Island of Flowers (2026). His work has been featured on BBC Radio 6 Music, KEXP, and in international publications including Rockerilla, The Irish Post, and All About Jazz.

The Connacht Tribune has described his music as "ambient, instrumental soundscapes with piano melodies, gentle guitar, percussion and field recordings."

Other musical projects

In 2012, he released an album with Aisling Walsh under the name Christian Bookshop. Hot Press wrote that the project was "an acoustic folk duo in the classic mode, with a decidedly lo-fi approach." Also during 2012, he played the drums for the Galway-based folk band Yawning Chasm.

From 2013-2014, he released a trilogy of lo-fi punk albums under the name The Crytearions. Irish website Thumped called the project "Uncompromising, entirely unpolished and, in places, not entirely pleasant."

Jimmy Monaghan performing at 93 Feet East, London, 2012

Musical Influences

Monaghan has stated that his early musical influences were Irish traditional music and nu-metal. He has also noted Elliott Smith, Sebadoh, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Pink Floyd, Enya, and Conor Walsh as influences.

Writing

In 2011, his radio drama Thumb was shortlisted for the RTÉ PJ O'Connor Award.

In 2022, he began writing under the pseudonym Jay Honeycomb. Working primarily in music journalism, he contributed to the webzine PopMatters, interviewing musicians including Mike Scott and Eiko Ishibashi.

In June 2022, he self-published the novella Post-Bliss.

Personal life

He is an amateur chess player. In 2024, he was awarded the title of Arena Candidate Master by FIDE.

As of May 2026, he is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Discography

As Seamus O'Muineachain

Albums

EPs

With Music for Dead Birds

Albums

EPs

Singles

As The Crytearions

Albums

Compilations

Other

Compilation Appearances

An Taobh Tuathail Vol. 7, RTE, 2015

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ McGovern, Oisin (29 September 2022). ""A Simple Embrace of Space"". The Mayo News. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "Rise of the Tribes". The Irish Times. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Byrne, Niall (29 May 2026). "Best New Albums This Week: Boards Of Canada, Feeble Little Horse, AE MAK, Kurt Vile, Matias Aguayo and more". Nialler9.
  4. ↑ "Music For Dead Birds to release debut mini-album". Advertiser.ie. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  5. 1 2 O'Connell, Cian (18 August 2022). "Multi-instrumentalist draws inspiration from west coast". Connacht Tribune.
  6. ↑ "Erris Echoes". The Mayo News. 7 May 2003. p. 28.
  7. ↑ Archived from the original "Geesala Boxing Club History". Geesala Boxing Club. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Mooney, Brendan (9 January 2003). "Lee back in action against German". Irish Examiner.
  9. ↑ "Ireland Vs Germany 2003". Amateur Boxing. 3 January 2003.
  10. ↑ "Mayo Boxers Excel at four nations". The Mayo News. 2 June 2004. p. 96.
  11. ↑ "Western People Sports Star Awards". Mayo Pics. 3 March 2005.
  12. ↑ "Across the Line". BBC. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "Raidió na Gaeltachta to release session compilation". hotpress.com. 15 August 2007.
  14. ↑ "Music for Dead Birds - And Then It Rained For Seven Days". Ondarock. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Andrews, Kernan (17 November 2011). "Music for Dead Birds release new album". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Watch: Music for Dead Bird's song, Magic Witch". RTÉ. 6 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "New music from Jimmy Monaghan". Advertiser.ie. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  18. ↑ "Seamus O'Muineachain – Seamus O'Muineachain | Release Information, Reviews and Credits". AllMusic. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Seamus O'Muineachain – Seamus O'Muineachain". The Irish Times. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Clashfinder General :: Electric Picnic 2012 Clashfinder". Clashfinder.com. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  21. ↑ "Plan your route to Psychonavigation". The Irish Times. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone". BBC. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  23. ↑ Archived from the original "Seamus O'Muineachain". KEXP. 2025. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  24. ↑ P.81 "Rockerilla Album Review". Rockerilla. April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  25. ↑ Clayton-Lea, Tony (26 June 2026). "On the record: The best Irish music releases of the past month". The Irish Post.
  26. ↑ Thakara, Geno (20 November 2025). "Seamus O'Muineachain's World of Sound". All About Jazz.
  27. ↑ O'Hare, Colm (5 October 2012). "Christian Bookshop". Hot Press.
  28. ↑ "Talented Folk Acts at Passionfruit theatre Tonight". Westmeath Independent. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  29. ↑ "The Crytearions - Selected Recordings From the Album Trilogy". thethinair.net. February 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  30. ↑ Neil Dougan "The Crytearions - I See What It Is And I Am Scared". thumped.com. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  31. ↑ "Interview with Seamus O'Muineachain". nomoreworkhorse.com. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  32. ↑ "Music For Dead Birds: "Unfortunately I can never really stop writing. It's like a ball and chain"". goingcoastal.ie.
  33. 1 2 Corr, Alan (29 May 2026). "Behind the music - Seamus O'Muineachain". RTE.
  34. ↑ Archived from the original "PJ O'Connor Awards for Radio Drama 2011". RTE. 2011. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  35. ↑ Archived from the original "Jay Honeycomb". No Transmission. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  36. ↑ Honeycomb, Jay (5 May 2022). "THE WATERBOYS' MIKE SCOTT ON THE DELIGHTFULLY STRANGE 'ALL SOULS HILL'". Popmatters.
  37. ↑ Honeycomb, Jay (18 April 2022). "COMPOSER EIKO ISHIBASHI VEERS OUTSIDE CONVENTION WITH 'DRIVE MY CAR'". PopMatters.
  38. ↑ Donovan, Diane (1 March 2022). "Midwest Book Review". midwestbookreview.com. Midwest Book Review.
  39. ↑ "Post-Bliss on Self-Publishing Review". selfpublishingreview.com. Self-Publishing Review. 10 January 2022.
  40. ↑ "James Monaghan FIDE profile". FIDE.
  41. ↑ "James Monaghan on World Chess". worldchess.org.
  42. ↑ "Music for Dead Birds Release new EP". Galway Advertiser. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  43. ↑ "Music for Dead Birds to open October Citog Gigs". Galway Advertiser. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  44. ↑ "Music for Dead Birds - Tooth and Nail". thethinair.net. The Thin Air. 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  45. ↑ "Watch: Music For Dead Birds – English Weed". The Thin Air. 10 August 2015.
  46. ↑ "Irish Tracks of the Week - September 4th". 4 September 2020.
  47. ↑ "The Crytearions". dramacore.com. 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  48. ↑ "I See What It Is And I Am Scared". The Fire Note. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  49. ↑ "An Taobh Tuahtail Vol 7". RTE. 20 July 2015.