Meet Róis: The Mysterious Voice Reviving Ireland’s Ancient Mourning Songs

Róis, whose real name is Rose Connolly, is an Irish singer from Newtownbutler in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. She grew up in a family where music was a big part of life. Her father, sister, and brother were all talented singers, but Róis was shy and did not want to sing in front of others at first. She learned to play the piano and enjoyed Irish traditional music, but she kept her singing voice to herself. It was only after learning Paul Brady’s version of Arthur McBride and performing in her school’s Beauty and the Beast play that she started to feel more comfortable singing.

After high school, Róis went to the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and later studied at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands. While studying abroad, her teachers encouraged her to explore her Irish heritage more deeply. She began learning the Irish language with the help of friends, sometimes trading meals for lessons. Róis was inspired by other Irish musicians who were starting to sing in Irish again, and she wanted to help bring back the language that had been lost over time.

Róis’s music is unique because it is inspired by keening, an ancient Irish tradition where women sang sad, emotional songs at funerals and other important events. Keening was once a common practice in Ireland, but it started to disappear in the 18th century. Róis listened to old recordings of keening and used those sounds in her album Mo Léan, which means 'my woe. ' She even included a funny clip from her local radio about death notices to add some humor to her otherwise serious music. Critics praised her album, calling it powerful and moving, and she won two awards at the Northern Ireland Music Prize. Róis says that making music has helped her overcome her fears, and she hopes her songs encourage others to face their fears and enjoy life.