Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Next month marks 25 years since the launch of Cian Ó Cíobháin’s flagship alternative radio show, An Taobh Tuathail. The Kerry native has been a fixture of Galway music since the early 90s, working on the then-newly established Flirt FM before finding his home for ATT in Raidió na Gaeltachta.

One of the longest-running programmes on Irish radio, ATT offers a vital platform for underground artists across genres – starting the week more laidback and ambient before ramping up the club tracks as the weekend approaches.

Though it is often described as experimental, no genre is off limits as long as it provides a means for connection.

In celebration of the anniversary, Cian is welcoming a week of exclusively new, unheard, and unreleased music on ATT. This means a mixture of original songs from artists he admires, and a host of unorthodox cover versions designed with the show in mind.

To cap it off, on Saturday May 5, he will play Cuba on Prospect Hill in a special edition of his club night Disco Dána.

“The most important work I think that I do on the show is going through the deluge of digital and physical releases that are out there,” Cian explains.

“And picking out what I consider to be the best from albums, singles, EPs, Bandcamp releases. I listen to an awful lot of music, and I hear an awful lot of bad music – or music that I just can’t connect with.

“So, I can’t imagine what it’s like for an average, casual listener of music who has Spotify and streaming services… Where do you start? You kind of need somebody to negotiate it for you and I think the listeners that come back to the show are people who just trust that I’ve done some of that work for them.”

The listener Cian targets on ATT is the lone driver at night, seeking the company of a curated playlist from a real person behind the speaker. His audience has been built on a trust in his taste, and his curiosity with new music began in Galway.  To cap it off, on Saturday May 5, he will play Cuba on Prospect Hill in a special edition of his club night Disco Dána.

Pictured: Cian Ó Cíobháin…25 years of An Taobh Tuathail.