Jon Sanders and Eoin Duignan

First met in Dingle, Co Kerry, seven years ago. There was an immediate musical rapport between them, which led in time to the formation of ARÚ (meaning both before and after in the Irish Language).

Since then, they have been writing, recording and touring their unique blend of melody and rhythm pitted against the spirit and mystery of Irish Traditional Music. Both musicians are very well established in the Irish Music scene, both at home and abroad and their individual recordings – Coumineol, Ancient Rite and Geantrai have been critically acclaimed.

Jon Sanders

Inspired by his grandmother’s career playing orchestral violin, Jon Sanders took up the guitar aged 12 and soon made his mark in and around London playing electric and acoustics in rock and folk bands in the 80’s, including Hot Banana and Three Wise Fools.

Then, in the mid 80’s Jon switched to a more organic grassroots approach to his music, developing a modal, acoustic, style of recording and playing guitar. He relocated to Ireland in the early 90’s and has since continued to develop this style of backing and playing with some of the best traditional players in the country including Eoin Duignan, James Begley, Vinnie Kilduff, Steve Cooney, Gerry ‘Banjo’ O’Connor, Liam O’Connor and the “Sessions from the Hearth” musicians.

He has toured the US and Europe extensively and his TV appearances include LWT’s “This Is Your Life”, RTE’s “Open House”, and TG4’s “Sibín” and “Ardán” programmes. He produced the “Geantraí” album in 1999; his film score credits include “Connamara” (2000) and TG4’s “Scoil leis an gCaid” and “Ní Beatha go Bás” (1999). His session work includes “Geantraí” (2000), “Sessions from the Hearth” (1999), Eoin Duignan’s “Ancient Rite” (2000) and Tony Small’s “Galway” (2001). He is currently producing the new CD for singers Áine Uí Laoithe and Eilín Ní Chearna and can be heard later in the year on Eilís Ní Chinnéide’s new CD.

Eoin Duignan

Equipped with a set of Uilleann Pipes fashioned by the late Leo Rowsome, Dublin born Eoin Duignan toured Europe with the wild Geese before releasing his debut album, Coumíneol "an Irish album that should appeal to anyone who appreciates high quality, refined and delicate music” (Hot Press). He created the music for the National Folk Theatre's show Immrama and composed several pieces for John Boorman's film Angela Mooney Dies Again, starring Mia Farrow and Brendan Gleeson

Influenced from an early age by master pipers Leo Rowsome and Seamus Ennis he went on to study and learn from both in later life. He has developed his own distinctive musical style, original in a traditional mode which ranges from haunting slow airs to lively percussive reels and jigs which have enchanted audiences world wide.

His latest album Ancient Rite is the result of a genuine labour of love that was over a year in the making. The album is collection of original compositions for pipes and low whistles, which takes the listener on a captivating musical journey, through a late night drive on the road from Vienna (Budapest), into the mid tones of memory and feeling (Ancient Rite), or catching the mood of the present moment into a sunburst of delight. The journey continues in the company of good friends among them Steve Cooney on Hammond Organ, Percussion and Guitar, Máire Breathnach on Viola and Violin, Keith Donald on Soprano Sax,Robbie Harris on Bodhrán and percussion and Robbie Overson on Guitar.

Living in West Kerry with his partner Ilonka and their family, Eoin has been a key figure in developing the music tradition locally. He brings that sense of Ireland with him on regular tours of the continent and occasional excursions further East to China and Taiwan .