It’s just not Christmas without Eamonn Walsh. For the last few years, Triskel Arts Centre has ushered in the cosy-socks season with a luminous, intimate performance by Walsh, full of Christmas favourites, classical gems, and popular tunes we all know and love. Elysia from our Box Office and Marketing Team sat down with Eamonn for a chat in the lead-up to his Nov 28 performance to find out what Eamonn has in store for his Christmas show and the year ahead.

Three words to describe your music?

Dynamic, Poignant, warm.

You have been performing since age ten; did you always want to end up an opera singer?

No. I started with a church choir background, and naturally choir, classical, and opera are linked, it’s a natural progression I think to start off in the choir world and end up in the same circles as opera and classical.

What genres of music do you listen to?

I don’t actually listen to that much opera. I find if I try to listen to opera, I start looking into the technicalities of it, what they did well or what they didn’t do so well. It almost feels like work, or a job, because it’s what I do. I find it more relaxing to listen to more casual music, so I tend to listen to a lot of American country, and I like some modern pop too.

What venue have you played that has been most significant to you? Do you have a dream venue you haven’t played yet?

I played in Wigmore Hall in London recently, which is one of the biggest venues for classical music, and it was an incredible experience. I would love to play somewhere like the Metropolitan Opera in New York, I went there not too long ago and got a nosebleed seat just to see what it’s like because the acoustics are apparently some of the best in the world, and it was absolutely amazing. It’s so perfectly done that you could practically whisper on stage and hear it throughout the venue.

What do you have planned for 2026?

So I’m planning to release some of my own music in 2026. I’ve always performed a mixture of opera and modern, but next year I’m finally going to release some of my own work to show I am not going to be pigeon-holed into staying in this one genre. Opera is great, but it’s not the only thing I can do, and I want to show that.

Is there anyone you would love to perform with?

There are a few for sure. Iarla Ó Lionaird who’s playing a show here at Triskel the week before me is one of my favourite musicians, so a collaboration with him would be fantastic, or there’s this wonderful young performer named Nadine Sierra. She’s only a few years older than I am but is taking the opera world by storm, and I’d love to do something with her, or someone I find vocally unique like the singer Aurora.

Any advice for aspiring young musicians in Cork?

Don’t be afraid to take chances, and don’t be afraid of a “no”. You never know unless you try, and a “no” isn’t the end of the world. You never know what doors will open if you just ask.

What has been the biggest change in the arts/music scene since you started performing up to now?

Definitely Tiktok. Nowadays you can’t just sell and market the music or the talent, you are yourself a product that needs marketing. It can be really hard to break through the noise and make yourself unique in a way that sells tickets, and it’s no longer solely about the talent you have. You need to be able to advertise yourself in a way that wasn’t around when we were younger.

Cats or dogs?

Cats! I love my dog, but I resonate more with cats. My cat passed away last year at the old age of twenty-one, so cats will always have a place in my heart. I prefer cats because they’re independent, so if I want to travel I don’t have to worry too much about what the cat’s up to, he’ll be fine while I’m gone!

Tickets to Eamonn Walsh In Concert are on sale now.