Junior Brother
Junior Brother | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronan Kealy 1993 (age 32–33) Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Origin | County Kerry |
| Genres | alternative folk |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | guitar, tambourine |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Label | Strap Originals |
| Website | juniorbrother |
Ronan Kealy (born 1993), known as Junior Brother, is an Irish alternative folk singer-songwriter from County Kerry.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Kealy grew up in County Kerry. He attended St Brendan's College, Killarney and studied English in University College Cork and Ballyfermot College of Further Education.[3]
Career
[edit]Junior Brother moved to Dublin in 2014 to begin his career.[4] His stage name is taken from a character in the Elizabethan play The Revenger's Tragedy.[5] He was named as one of RTÉ's Rising Irish Stars of 2018,[6] and as one of The Irish Times' "Irish music contenders ready to break through in 2019".
His first album, Pull The Right Rope, was nominated for the Choice Music Prize.[7] In a 4-star review for The Irish Times, music journalist Tony Clayton-Lea wrote: "...the tales told here are full of wide-eyed wonders and keen observations. Between the clatter of one and clarity of the other, Junior Brother’s songs are the real deal."[8] Music website The Last Mixed Tape wrote of the album: "An album of pure expression, Pull The Right Rope is a masterclass in the sheer joy of creation."[9]
In March 2019 he appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show,[10] and in April 2020 on Other Voices (Irish TV series).[11]
His third album The End was nominated for the 2025 Choice Music Prize. [12]
Discography
[edit]EPs
[edit]- Fuck Off, I Love You (2016)
- PowPig / Junior Brother (2019; a 4-A-side single with fellow artist PowPig)
Studio albums
[edit]Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Pull The Right Rope | Album of the Year | Nominated[15] |
| 2025 | The End | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Pull The Right Rope | Best Folk Album | Nominated[16] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Junior Brother | Clonakilty International Guitar Festival | 16 – 22 September 2019". clonguitarfest.com.
- ↑ "Junior Brother To Release 'The Back Of Her Hand'". IMRO. 7 December 2018.
- ↑ "Former BCFE Rock School student Ronan Kealy (aka. Junior Brother) making waves in Ireland, the UK and beyond this summer". BCFE. 27 August 2019.
- ↑ O'Sullivan, Eoghan (6 February 2019). "Junior Brother brings his off-kilter alt folk sound to Cork festival". irishexaminer.com.
- ↑ "Junior Brother". thelist.ie.
- ↑ "Ones To Watch: Rising Irish Stars of 2018". RTÉ. 18 March 2018.
- ↑ "Junior Brother on Breaking Tunes". breakingtunes.com.
- ↑ Clayton-Lea, Tony (23 May 2019). "Junior Brother: Pull the Right Rope review – The real paradoxical deal". irishtimes.com. The Irish Times.
- ↑ White, Stephen (17 June 2019). "Review "An album of pure expression" Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope". thelastmixedtape.com. The Last Mixed Tape.
- ↑ "Behind the music: Junior Brother". 12 November 2021.
- ↑ Clark, Stuart (9 April 2020). "Junior Brother, Anna Mieke, Alex Gough, Thumper & A. Smyth appear tonight on Other Voices". Hot Press.
- ↑ RTÉ (19 January 2026). "RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2025 - Shortlist Announcement". About RTÉ. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ↑ Wilson, Danny (12 June 2019). "Sound: Junior Brother". Totallydublin.ie.
- ↑ Porzio, Stephen (22 May 2019). "Kerry folk singer makes excellent debut". Hotpress.com.
- ↑ "Choice Music prize 2019". Choice Music Prize. 2019.
- ↑ "RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Award Winners Announced". Journal of Music. 25 October 2019.
External links
[edit]
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