Concertina player Caroline Keane shares ‘Three Sisters‘, the first single from her forthcoming album Rise, a powerful musical tribute to women, place, and the living traditions of West Kerry.
Composed by Keane as part of a creative project supported by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, and featuring the artistry of Steve Cooney (guitar, bass, keyboard), the piece draws deeply from the musical heritage of Corca Dhuibhne, where Keane lives and is raising her family. Immersed in a landscape where traditional music is part of daily life, she weaves the rhythms, stories and local traditions of the region into this vibrant new work.
Rising above the Atlantic at the northwestern tip of the Dingle Peninsula, the Three Sisters, Binn Hanraí, Binn Meánach and Binn Diarmada, have long watched over generations of coastal communities. For Keane, they symbolise, qualities embodied by the women whose lives and labour uphold the cultural fabric of the region.
“The Three Sisters are always there. I love to think about how they have witnessed generations of women living, working and making music in this place,” Keane says. “For me they symbolise resilience, strength and continuity.”
“Steve Cooney has been a massive influence on my music over the years and I’m honored to have him contribute.”
A first glimpse of ‘Rise‘
The single introduces the central themes of Rise, an album shaped by motherhood, legacy, and the vital role of women in Irish traditional music. Dedicated to Keane’s mother and grandmother, the record honours the lineage of women whose resilience and creativity continue to carry the tradition forward.
Accompanying the single is a new film shot in the rugged landscapes of West Kerry, portraying three generations of sisters moving through the rhythms of everyday life. The film – directed by Keane with videography and editing by Michael Kelly – reflects the quiet continuity between past and present, where heritage, landscape and music shape each new generation.
With Three Sisters, Keane offers a compelling first look at Rise, an album marking a defining moment in her artistic journey. Rooted in the traditions of Irish music yet guided by a confident contemporary voice, the record reflects a musician working with purpose, conviction and profound connection to place.
Speaking about the upcoming album, she says:
“Becoming a mother changed the way I hear music. It sharpened everything. It made me more urgent, more prolific, and more certain of my voice. This album feels like a turning point, not just creatively, but personally.
It’s dedicated to the women who shaped me, especially my Mam and my Granny. Their strength, resilience and quiet determination live in every note I play. As a female instrumentalist in traditional Irish music, I’m deeply aware of the shoulders I stand on, and of the responsibility to stand up and be counted myself.
I want this record to mark a moment, a celebration of motherhood, of working women, of female artists in our tradition, and of creating something that will outlive me.
I’m not interested in playing small. I’m here to make my mark and to create music that the next generation can grow up hearing as part of their inheritance.”
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