WHERE DID THE NAME FARÓ COME FROM?

Derived from an ancient Irish evocation of strength.
At 18, studying English in Maynooth, Fergus heard a story about poet Edmund Spenser, participating with Lord Grey in the Siege of Smerwick, a massacre of Irish people in co. Kerry, 1580. Spenser claimed the “native savage” charged at the superior armed forces to cries of  "pharoah, ferragh, ferrogh".

But unlike Spenser’s 1596 pamphlet which called out to destroy the native Irish language and culture in an attempt to ‘pacify’ its people, the vision for FARÓ is to celebrate Irish music and bring its language and  melody to life for a new audience through a fusion of ancient styles and contemporary arrangements.

WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR CRAFT?

Growing up, Fergus played in a rock band from school days, gigging in Dublin venues that didn’t check ID if you carried enough music equipment and misplaced confidence.
After a few years of scratchy fiddle lessons in Comhaltas, Fergus avoided Irish music for some time, listening obsessively to Hip Hop and Led Zeppelin. But always in the background was his dad’s influence as a mandolin player. Listening to the like of the Bothy Band changed Fergus perspective on the electrifying potential within Traditional Irish Music.

Before creating FARÓ, he toured extensively across the U.S, China, Europe and regularly across Ireland as a multi-instrumentalist singer and presenter with Grammy nominated, international vocal ensemble ANÚNA. He spent 7 years working with and learning from the group and was introduced to a catalogue of musicians and singers from across the world all exploring what makes Irish music, people and culture an enduring phenomenon. 

Fergus loved to introduce songs and bring foreign audiences into the experience, as though they were playing alongside with us. During that time he became a founder member of the Irish-Icelandic male ensemble M’ANAM where he became involved as a co-arranger with Michael McGlynn on the song “The Sheep Stealer” and performed with the group in Scandinavian and Celtic languages.

WHAT KINDS OF EVENTS HAS FARÓ BEEN INVOLVED IN LATELY?

FARÓ just perfomed to a crowd of 3000 at St Patrick’s Day festival. As FARÓ with special guest Denise Chaila on the main Halla Mór stage at Collins Barracks Dublin for St Patrick’s Festival 2024 - then topped the night off by joining headline act Denise Chaila with her special guests including members of Saint Sister, Wyvern Lingo and Zaska to perform a few of her own hits as well as give a nod to Sinead O’Connor with our collaboration of “The Foggy Dew”.