Australian band formed by Mullingar man release debut album

A traditional Irish music band founded in Australia by a man from Mullingar have released their first album.

Mollimor were formed by Ginnell Terrace man Frank O’Dowd in the early 1990s in Traralgon, about two hours from Melbourne, and the members are from Australia, Ireland and Scotland.

They travelled to Mullingar to perform on the Gig Rig during Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2022.

The band are now well-established in southeast Australia, having played at numerous festivals and venues, and are popular with expats and locals alike.

Mr O’Dowd said the new album, called Trad Time Live, has been on their agenda for a long time.

“We’ve been trying to get to it for so long, but sometimes in a band, it’s like trying to herd cattle,” he told the Westmeath Examiner.

“It’s something we’ve always wanted to do, but it’s just been about getting everyone available.

“We’ve been busy doing this and that. So, we decided we would just knuckle down and finally record it because there’s lots of original stuff we wanted to get on the record.”

The album was recorded in front of a live audience in January and its officially launch was at the ARC Switchroom in Yinnar, Australia, on 5 July.

It features 13 tracks inspired by Celtic music from Ireland, Scotland, and Spain, all tied together with an Australian twist.

Mr O’Dowd said the album also pays tribute to his Westmeath roots.

“Some of the trad tunes were written so long ago that no one knows who actually wrote them,” he said.

“But track seven is called The Windway, which was written by Enda Seery from Streamstown.

“He’s so famous and so good, we love his music. We’ve got his permission to record it, and we’ve mixed it with two other tunes.”

The Mullingar man said other tunes feature trad music through an Australian lens.

“A lot of the Anglo-Saxon-Irish settlers in Australia have carried on their musical traditions in the form of bush ballads,” he said.

“You’ll hear a tune and know it came from Scotland or Ireland, but different words have been put to it.”

Mr O’Dowd said one track on the album tells the story of Dublin man Henry O’Farrell, who was the first person to attempt a political assassination in Australia.

“He was born in 1833 and emigrated to Australia in 1841,” he said.

“He initially trained for the priesthood but had a work dispute and moved to Ballarat to work with his cousin, but his mental health declined due to heavy drinking.

“In 1868, when Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria’s son and the first royal to visit Australia, arrived, O’Farrell travelled to Sydney, armed himself, and shot the prince at Clontarf Park.

“Even though Alfred survived and attempted to intervene, O’Farrell was deemed insane and hanged a few weeks later.

“I don’t think there’s been any other songs in Australia written for him so it’s a bit of folklore.”

The Mollimor guitarist and vocalist said Australia is now experiencing a new wave of Irish immigration.

“It has picked up again in the last few years and there’s thousands spread over our region of Gippsland now,” he said.

“Over the years, we’ve had some younger families, people in their early 30s coming out too. The Irish like the sport, of course, and they play on soccer teams around here with the likes of the Italians, the Greeks and the Dutch.

“There would be Gaelic football in Melbourne and the cities but we’re a bit more rural here, so they end up playing soccer and it’s a social opportunity to integrate.”

The membership of Mollimor consists of Frank O’Dowd (vocals, guitar), Pete Foote (bass, bouzouki), Kate Haines (flute, accordion, vocals), Ben Sim (fiddle, vocals) and Steve Schultz (djembe, percussion).

You can listen to their new album, Trad Time Live, on streaming platform Bandcamp and follow Mollimor’s Facebook and Instagram pages for the updates.