A nine-year-old singer from west Belfast has attracted worldwide attention after a performance at Belfast’s inaugural Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann prompted offers of a guitar and free singing lessons.
Daniel Kavanagh’s performance of the traditional Irish folk ballad “Spancill Hill” was shared widely online, with footage watched by thousands of people around the world. Members of the public and businesses then contacted his father, Dan Anthony, to offer practical support as Daniel develops as a singer.
Some people who got in touch also encouraged Daniel to keep the money he had earned while performing. His original plan had been to busk in Belfast city centre to raise enough money to buy a guitar.
Busking during Fleadh week
Daniel had repeatedly asked to sing on Belfast’s streets before his mother helped gather a small crowd to hear him perform. He returned throughout Fleadh week, singing to audiences and performing alongside more experienced adult musicians in some of the event’s main tents.
His father said Daniel’s busking performances raised hundreds during the week. The experience allowed the young singer to meet people from across Ireland and beyond, turning his effort to save for a musical instrument into a story that reached audiences far beyond Belfast.
The video that prompted the offers of support was recorded during the inaugural Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast. The festival gave Daniel a platform to perform, while the online reaction brought his singing to viewers around the world.
Family influence and future hopes
Anthony described his son as an “old soul” in a young body and said Daniel sings with passion. He recalled Daniel reading song lyrics and quickly singing them back, saying he had recognised his son’s ability with words for some time.
Daniel said his “daddy, nanny, mummy and granda” had sung to him when he was younger, helping to inspire his interest in music. Asked about his ambitions, he said he wanted to become a hurler, a Gaelic player and “probably a musician”.
The family is already looking towards next year’s Fleadh, when Daniel is expected to return with a microphone. Anthony described the week as an “unreal experience” and said it was the best thing that had happened to Belfast.
Armagh Journal note: This story concerns Belfast and west Belfast, not Armagh. No Armagh-area event or development was identified in the supplied material.
