Dáithí Sproule


Dáithí Sproule is a guitarist and singer of traditional Irish music. He is the grandson of Frank Carney and uncle of singer Claire Sproule.

Biography

Born and raised in Derry, Northern Ireland, at the age of 18 he moved to Dublin, where he attended university. Growing up, he listened to Bob Dylan, Bert Jansch, the Beatles, British folk songs and traditional Irish music. It was in Dublin that he entered the music scene which was prominent in Ireland at the time. As a teenager he had met the Ó Domhnaill family during trips to the Gaeltacht area of Rann na Feirste in County Donegal, and while in Dublin they formed a band, Skara Brae, who would go on to have a great effect on Irish traditional music.
Sproule is well known as a guitarist and was one of the first guitarists to use the DADGAD guitar tuning for Irish music after the originator Davy Graham. In 1992 he joined Irish supergroup Altan with whom he sings and plays guitar. Of his use of DADGAD tuning, Sproule says, it "just seemed to instantly gel with Irish music. The nature of the tuning meant that you didn't really produce anything that was terribly, drastically, offensively wrong to people. I was always a singer, but when I started playing with instrumentalists in sessions and pubs, I was able to develop a style by just playing along with them quietly and tactfully." He was deemed "a seminal figure in Irish music" by The Rough Guide to Irish Music.
Sproule is also a member of various other bands and has recorded further solo albums; he also teaches DADGAD guitar and traditional songs at the Center for Irish Music in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Discography

Solo albums

  • The Crow in the Sun
  • Lost River, Vol. 1
  • ''A Heart Made of Glass''

    with Altan

Other bands

  • Bright and Early
  • From Uig to Duluth
  • The Pinery
  • Seanchairde
  • Fingal
  • Snug in the Blanket
  • Overland
  • Trian II
  • A Thousand Farewells
  • Trian
  • Stranger at the Gate
  • The Iron Man
  • Carousel
  • Spring in the Air
  • Is it Yourself?
  • Skara Brae

    Guest appearances

  • Four & Eight String Favorites 2021 - Eric Mohring & Friends
  • Merrijig Creek - Fintan Vallely
  • Spinning Yarns 2015 - Norah Rendell
  • Heigh Ho, The Green Holly 2015 - Laura MacKenzie
  • Minnesota Lumberjack Songs 2011 - Brian Miller
  • Side by Side 2010 - Liz and Yvonne Kane
  • 40 Acre Notch 2008 – the HiBs
  • The Essential Chieftains 2006 – The Chieftains
  • Blue Waltz 2004 – Julee Glaub
  • Evidence 2003 – Laura MacKenzie
  • Over the Water 2002 – Ross Sutter
  • Little Sparrow 2001 – Dolly Parton
  • Lost in the Loop 2001 – Liz Carroll
  • Shine 2001 – Katie McMahon
  • Persevere 2000 – The Proclaimers
  • Water from the Well 2000 – The Chieftains
  • Tis the Season 1997 – Laura MacKenzie
  • Irish Women Musicians of America 1995 – Cherish the Ladies
  • Heartsongs 1994 – Dolly Parton
  • Mamma, Will you Buy Me a Banana? 1991 – Ross Sutter
  • Blue Mesa 1989 – Peter Ostroushko
  • Liz Carroll 1988 – with Liz Carroll
  • Sean O'Driscoll 1987 – Sean O'Driscoll
  • Capel Street 1986 – James Kelly
  • The Streets of My Old Neighborhood 1983 – Peter Ostroushko
  • Sluz Duz Music 1982 – Peter Ostroushko

    Compilations

  • A Harvest Home: Center for Irish Music Live Recordings, Vol. 5 2013
  • Strings Across the North Shore 2009
  • Young Irish Musicians Weekend Live! 2008 – with James Kelly and Paddy O'Brien
  • New Folk Records Sampler 2007 2007
  • Masters of the Irish Guitar 2006
  • The Independence Suite 2005 – with Randal Bays
  • Simply Folk Sampler 3 2005
  • Festival International des Arts Traditionnels de Québec 2004 – with Trian
  • The Ice Palace – Irish Originals from Minnesota 2001
  • The Last Bar – Irish Music from Minnesota 2000
  • Alternate Tunings Guitar Collection 2000 – with Trian
  • As They Pass Through 2000
  • Best of Thistle and Shamrock, Vol. 1 1999 – with Altan
  • Celtic Colours International Festival – the Second Wave 1999 – with Altan
  • A Winter's Tale 1998 – with Altan
  • Gaelic Roots 1997 – with James Kelly, Paddy O'Brien and Gerry O'Connor
  • Celtic Music from Mountain Stage 1997 – with Altan
  • Hunger No More 1997