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Ten Questions with singer, musician and podcaster Dan Murphy

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Dan Murphy pictured above in action with Hermitage Green

Ten Questions with singer, musician and podcaster Dan Murphy

Dan Murphy is the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for Hermitage GreenDan has an exceptional talent for music and plays the guitar, piano, harmonica, dobro, banjo, and didgeridoo. Apart from music, Dan is passionate about travelling and runs a travel website called www.globalvillagetours.ie where he takes people on guided trips to places like North Korea, Chernobyl, Iran, Cuba and Antarctica. He also has his own podcast called ‘The Chat with Dan Murphy’.

We chatted with him about his life and love for Limerick.


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Tell me about your childhood in Limerick 

I grew up in Corbally. I have a lot of fond memories of building bonfires on the banks of the River Shannon. I went to school in Scoil Ide and later Munchin’s College. There were some very funny characters in MunchinsMy entire sense of humour is based on the messing that we did in that place! I took up music quite late and didn’t start playing until I was fifteen, I then went on to study music and media at UL 

 Who inspires you?  

I think I draw inspiration from a lot of different things. Limerick has had a big impact on the type of music I make with Hermitage Green and the things we talk about. Travelling has inspired me in the past. My four bandmates inspire me too.  

Tell me about your Podcast? What is the niche of your podcast and what made you want to do the podcast? 

My podcast is called ‘The Chat with Dan Murphy’, which started in 2018. I just started with the simplest of intentions to interview anyone. The podcast has given me the freedom to interview some varied guests such as athletes, musicians, comedians, and even Irish folklore expert Dr Billy McGlynn!  

I see you have had some great guests so far, what are the funny/interesting moments you remember? 

Keith Barry performed one of his black magic tricks on me during an episode last year and blew my mind! I also went to Seattle to hang out with one of my biggest musical mentors, Lee Oskar of Lee Oskar Harmonicas in 2019. I also chatted with Michael Murray who worked as the state solicitor for Limerick for 30 years throughout the Limerick feuds. He put his life on the line to make Limerick a safer place and I was honoured to talk to him.  

How do you find podcasting during the Pandemic? 

The pandemic has given me the push that I needed to start interviews over skype. Up to March of last year, I had always just done face to face, but once I embraced doing interviews over Skype, it opened up a whole other world of guests. I have chatted with Desmond Child who has co-written some of the biggest hit songs in music history with bands like Bon Jovi, Kiss and Aerosmith. 

Who are your dream interviews? 

I have met Mike Tyson a couple of times and he’s a fascinating guy, I would love to interview him sometime. I just finished reading the autobiography of Rob Halford from Judas Priest, he’s led a crazy life and I would love to hang out with him. 

Who are some of your favourite podcasters and why? 

Tommy Tiernan is a national treasure! His insight and sense of humour are boundless. He has an amazing ability to disarm people and sometimes asks questions that reveal a side to a person that the people are not expecting to see.  

Any advice for new and upcoming podcasters? 

This may sound like a cliche but be yourself! Listeners want to hear people being their most relaxed and uninhibited. The phenomenon of the podcast is a reflection of audiences getting a bit tiresome of the squeaky clean tv/radio presenters of old. Most podcasts are going direct to the audience without the filter of producers so what you get is a more honest chat.  
 

Other than podcasting, are you working on anything else at the moment? 

I also run an adventure travel company called Global Village Tours so we are gearing up for tours to recommence later this year. I am hoping to travel to North Korea next year as part of a study I am doing on songwriting there. 

What do you love most about Limerick? 

I love the sense of humour. I love the River Shannon. I love pints and dinner with friends at The Curragower Bar. Coffee in the market on a Saturday morning. Gigs in Dolans Warehouse. And walking onstage in King John’s Castle is the best feeling in the world! 

 
For regular updates on Dans Podcast, follow @thechatwithdanmurphy on Insta to keep up to date. 

 

To listen to Dan’s Podcast go HERE 

For more stories on Hermitage Green go HERE

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.