Offaly duo to showcase work at Film & Folk event in Birr Theatre
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Birr native musician Mark Lyndon will return to his hometown this week for a special 'Film & Folk' event alongside filmmaker Nicky Larkin, offering audiences a preview of his upcoming album 'Silhouettes'.
The event will take place in Birr Theatre on Friday, March 13, a 7.30pm, and will celebrate the long-running creative collaboration between the two Offaly artists.
Lyndon, who has been composing music for Larkin’s film projects for more than a decade, said their professional partnership grew naturally from family ties.
“We’re first cousins and both originally from Birr. Nicky is about a year and a half older than me,” he said.
“I’ve been composing music for Nicky for over 10 years now for various short films and documentaries.”
While Larkin pursued filmmaking studies in Galway, Lyndon left Birr in the early 2000s to study music in Cork. The pair began collaborating professionally around 2011 and have continued to work together on a range of projects since.
Among Larkin’s recent work is 'Punt', an Irish Film and Television Academy award nominated film featuring one of Lyndon’s songs.
Another project set to feature at the event is Sumoland, a short documentary about Northern Ireland’s first sumo club, which Lyndon scored.
Larkin has also completed a four-part documentary exploring the origins of Ireland’s first multidisciplinary dance movement, LUAIL, which is expected to appear on the film festival circuit soon.
For Lyndon, performing in Birr remains deeply meaningful despite living in Cork for many years.
“It’s still all about Birr,” he said. “I took piano lessons there all my life, went to Birr Community School, and my first gigs were in Birr. I still have lots of friends and family there, so I feel almost obliged to go back and perform at what I consider home first.”
The evening will also give audiences an early look at Lyndon’s debut album 'Silhouettes', which he plans to release in May. Copies of the album will be available for sale at the event as a preview ahead of the official release.
The album grew out of Lyndon’s time living in Ballyhooly in north Cork, where he began exploring local history while walking his adopted dog through the Blackwater Valley.
“I started noticing old formations like ringforts and other historical features,” he said. “That led me to interview people about local folk stories that are nearly lost.”
Inspired by those conversations, Lyndon wrote a series of songs based on the folklore and history of the area. The songs were written in 2022 and recorded over the following two years.
Although he considered waiting for the “right moment” to release the album, Lyndon said he ultimately decided it was time to share the music.
“I probably should have released it six months ago,” he said. “I realised there’s no time like the present. I’ve already started writing my second album.”
Lyndon has been performing the material live while supporting established Irish artists including Susan O’Neill, Donal O'Neill, Andy Irvine, Seán Keane, and Birr's own Mundy, introducing audiences to the stories behind each song during performances.
“The stories act as a hook,” he said. “People don't know me yet, but they can connect with the songs as they bring those stories to life.”
Releasing 'Silhouettes' will mark the end of one chapter for Lyndon, allowing him to move forward creatively.
“It will be freeing to let it go,” he said. “My newer songs are becoming more introspective and reflective, but there will always be a bit of the Midlands in them.”
Tickets for the 'Film & Folk' event are priced at €15 (+booking fees), and can be purchased at https://birrtheatre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873683445