Eleanor Shanley
Biography
Brief Biography (Courtesy of the Artist's site, 2007)
Eleanor hails from Keshcarrigan in County Leitrim in the North West of Ireland. She still spends much of her time there. Eleanor grew up listening to music.
Her mothers family were all very musical and childhood was spent learning songs from her extended family. She was learning all kinds of ballads and had a substantial Irish traditional repertoire long before it was hip !
Having finished school she moved to Dublin to and worked in FAS, the state recruitment agency, but continued to be involved in music and drama. Eleanor studied drama with Betty Ann Norton and joined the "Leitrim Wild Roses" Tops of the Town group. She also sang in various sessions, the most common being the sessions in Ned O'Sheas "Merchant" and it was here that Frank Cooney and Ned O'Shea introduced her to De Danann. That changed everything. Dolores Keane had just left the band. Eleanor met Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn and two weeks later was touring Wales, Finland and Sweden. The day job was gone and for the next five years she toured the world with De Danann and recorded two albums with them - "Jacket of Batteries" and "Half Set in Harlem".
Working with De Danann was a huge life changing step for Eleanor and one she appreciates.
� I learned so much about music and the music business in the five years. It's a time in my life I have very fond memories of and am eternally grateful for. I am happy also that I have remained friends with the band and have returned from time to time to play various gigs with them and also with Alec Finn and Frankie Gavin as solo artists.�