Dukes Productions

This is an audio portrait I made of the very talented artist and portrait painter James Hanley RHA. His story is told through the eyes of sitters, fellow artists, buyers, family, friends and even one of his paintings. It’s a story of being creative, connecting and making a life in the uncertain world of the arts. Above is a promo and the full piece (45 mins) is available to listen to here: https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/clips/22337951/

Link: Here's a few words I wrote about making it for RTE.

‘In the Name of the Son’ is a compelling and poignant documentary that captures the story of Mags Riordan, a woman from Dingle, Kerry, who builds an NGO in Malawi to honor her son Billy Riordan’s memory. First broadcast on RTE 1 television on Thursday March 23rd.

Agency: Bang Bang Teo

Here is a short clip from ‘Disappearing Islands’ – a beautiful theatrical experience, staged around Belmullet tidal pool, with a fabulous team put together by The Performance Corporation. I designed the sound working closely with composer Ellen Cranitch, director Jo Mangan and writer Tom Swift. The show was performed by the very talented singer Naomi Louisa O’ Connell, and the brilliant dancers Isabella Oberlander and Sarah Ryan, along with Ellen and the 7 piece Male Vocal Group CODA.

Produced by Once Off Productions
Costume Design – Sinead Lawlor
Stage Manager – Michael Greene
Sound Engineer – Kevin Hughes
Script Advisor – Sorcha Hegarty
Producer – Maura O Keeffe`
Line Producer – Tara Clarke
Funded by the Arts Council. Supported by Mayo County Council & Creative Ireland Mayo.

Agency: The Performance Corporation

‘The Man with the Moving House’ documents Breandáin Begley’s fifteen year journey to build a small traditional home in his ancestral village on the Dingle Peninsula, as he highlights his plight and the much broader fight to save our culture, music, heritage and language. He says the soul of communities are being decimated as locals can no longer afford to buy homes that are being snapped up for holiday homes and Air Bnbs.
He travels to other Gaeltacht communities and overseas finally bringing his protest to the Dáil, in a bid to bring light to a global issue – that of native people being allowed to live in their own communities and to maintain their culture and languages. Directed by Mark McLoughlin, the documentary was first broadcast on Thursday, 25th August at 10.15pm on RTÉ ONE.

Agency: Bang Bang Teo

I had the great pleasure of working with my dear old dad on this as part of the 2022 centenary of the publication of Ulysses. We made this audio tour in an attempt to celebrate the breadth and ambition of James Joyce’s Ulysses while walking some of the streets of its pages. It features the wonderful actors Denise McCormack and Marty Rea and it was funded by Dublin City Arts office and the Shelbourne hotel. A version also was broadcast as Lyric FM’s Bloomsday feature. Above is the promo. Below is a link to download the tour map. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jfxtqr06wx489vh3tuw0n/SaunteringWithJoyce_Guide_DOWNLOAD.pdf?rlkey=9312rf2kh1ib0e8b0gi4tvlwn&dl=0

Link: Listen to the tour here.

I had fun writing the music for this, leaning in and out of “scary” music before finally finding the tone. First Date features Aisling O’Sullivan, Carrie Crowley, Johanna O’Brien and Daithí O’Donnell and was directed by Clara Planelles, written by Áine Ryan and produced by Pete Moles. Tina, a recently widowed farmer, doesn’t want her daughter to move back to the city and leave her alone. When Seamus arrives on the farm talking about a date, she decides to intervene. Here’s the trailer.

A new Headgear album ‘Omphalos’ was released on May 20th 2022. The word Omphalos brings together for me a multitude of ideas, conceptual, personal and musical. I hope these translate. Above is the opening track. Thanks to all who helped to bring the album together –
Voices: Chris, Jo and Katinka Beamish, Ailie and Róisín Blunnie, Kevin Brew, Tom Chetham, Clíona, Frazer and Saul Dukes, Patricia and Sal MacCurtain, Tim and Diane Magee.
The voice of Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, from the 2021 Doomsday Clock announcement was used with the Bulletin’s permission.
Bass, Guitars, Piano, Synths, Samples, Beats: Daragh Dukes
Pedal Steel: Sean Harrold
Saxophone: Pat Shortt
Drums: Ray Murphy
Mastered by Richard at WAV Mastering Limerick City.

Link: Listen or Buy Omphalos and more Headgear tracks

Here’s the trailer for Warts and All, which is on the festival circuit at present. Directed by Pat Shortt and produced by Lee Crowley and starring Michelle Lehane and Danny McCafferty, its an old fashioned love story with a twist of sorts and features lots of Headgear music.

Agency: Avenue `productions

Myself, Kevin Brew and Eoin O Kelly made a radio memoir about our young lives trying to find our way and to be creative in the early 90′s world of indie rock music. Our programme seems to have struck a chord as we won a special commendation at the 2022 Prix Europa, a silver medal at the NY Festival awards and were finalists at the Prix Italia. Above is the radio promo and below is a link to listen.

Link: Listen to Digging for Fire here

Exhibitionists: Road to the RHA (RTE), is an hour-long documentary following seven artists who are hoping to have work selected from the competitive open call. For the first time ever, cameras have been allowed behind-the-scenes at the 196-year-old Royal Hibernian Academy, including access to the judging process for the exhibition which is fondly known as ‘The Annual’.
The show reveals the dark art of the RHA selection process, chaired this year by its first ever female President, renowned artist Abigail O’Brien, as well as observing the controlled mayhem of the install as the gallery team race against time to create this art marathon of a show in time for Opening Day.

Directed by Hilary Fennell for Bang Bang Teo
First broadcast Thursday 27th June, 10.15pm, RTÉ One

Link: watch the documentary here

Since the 1970s the vigour of a vibrant close knit community, and it’s ancient folk culture have vanished, now life itself is disappearing from the village to the point it seems 21st century Ireland holds no place for it in its future. From the 1850s through to 2004 the population of the village always hovered around the 80 to 100 mark, but since 2004 the population has dropped to 50 and only 20 of those are under the age of 60.

In this documentary director Seán Ó Cualáin tells the plight of his village as he follows a year in the life of the people of Loch Con Aortha. Understanding that the Gaelic civilisation to which they belong to has disintegrated, they strive to protect and preserve their identity as they come to the realization that if they themselves cannot save their village, perhaps they can save its heritage. First broadcast on TG4 on December 27th at 9.30pm.