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Praise for Paul McDermott’s Documentaries

Sean O’Hagan – Microdisney/The High Llamas
“Paul McDermott is the cultural historian who had the foresight to document a period in Cork’s musical journey which seemed to be the present, but of course crept on us as history. Us being the Fives, the Stumps and the Disneys, we, a collection of men now in our 60s who would never have captured a sense of what it was to be making new music in 80s Cork. Paul was young enough to oversee from a distance, and old enough to realise that this work had to be done. We have lost a few, but Paul was there to capture some living moments. I doubt if the Microdisney reunion would have happened if it was not for Paul's preparatory documentaries. We are a happy proud bunch now, partly because Paul has enlightened us to what we had.”

Brendan O’Connor – Sunday Independent
“Paul McDermott’s series of fantastic documentaries.”

Mike McGrath-Bryan – The Echo
“Celebrated music historian and journalist Paul McDermott, renowned for his trilogy of Cork post-punk oral histories.”

“Paul McDermott’s outstanding audio documentaries serving as powerful reminders of the idiosyncratic power of Leeside post-punk of the 1980s - distinctly working-class, spat out in Northside accents and possessed of a dry, eclectic humour.”

An Draíocht – the music of Sliabh Luachra

Mick Heaney – The Irish Times
“The engagingly meandering quest that follows is as much temporal, historical and even spiritual as it is physical, with diversions into everything from the flying columns during the War of Independence and the geography of Sliabh Luachra to the 1990s indie scene in Cork city. Above all, McDermott seeks to discover the peculiar magic – an draíocht – evoked by the hypnotically raw music captured on the LPs he so craves. Ultimately, the specialist premise serves as a starting point to take the listener on an idiosyncratic but fascinating journey: it’s one of those rare occasions where the overused J-word seems appropriate. An Draíocht is an evocative reminder of the magical role music can play in our lives.”

Declan Lynch – Sunday Independent
“An Draíocht is a Lyric Feature made by Paul McDermott - a powerful piece on the music of Sliabh Luachra.”

Siobhán Long – The Irish Times
“An Draíocht - a great documentary tracing the elusive, seminal Sliabh Luachra recordings of Julia Clifford, Denis Murphy, Patrick O’Keeffe et al. An odyssey beautifully recounted by ⁦Paul McDermott.”

David Long – Into Paradise
“Bostik, a donkey that doesn’t need directions, a deaf and brilliant music teacher, a trip to the Crawford gallery, and some beautiful music are just some of the things you will come across in this great music documentary.”

Dancing in the Disco –  the story of The Sultans of Ping

Mick Heaney – The Irish Times
“Dancing in the Disco - the story of The Sultans of Ping (RTÉ 2XM, Monday) recounts their tale in comprehensive manner. The documentary’s producer, Paul McDermott, adopts an unapologetically fan’s-eye perspective, his own reminiscences sitting alongside those of group members and others. If the intricacies of the 1990s Cork music scene are laid out in exhaustive detail, the anecdotes evoke the grimy, loose-limbed feel of the era, while re-creating the unlikely, if brief, ascent of a band whose best-known song involves the loss of a jumper in a nightclub. Much like the Sultans themselves, it’s a shaggily idiosyncratic affair, fun and immediate. It’s deja vu to spark joy rather than despair.”

Declan Lynch – Sunday Independent
“Paul McDermott has for some time been doing the important cultural service of compiling the history of bands of Cork in the 1980s and 1990s - a time of towering figures such as Finbarr Donnelly, Cathal Coughlan and Mick Lynch, all of whom have gone on ahead. Tomorrow at 6pm on RTÉ 2XM there’s Dancing at the Disco - the story of The Sultans of Ping, in which I learned for the first time that ‘Where’s Me Jumper?’ was mixed in his own studio by Frank ‘Late Late’ McNamara. Impossibly strange as this might seem, we are after all talking about a 1990s Cork band. “Where’s me Jumper?”… Frank McNamara? Yeah, I can see that.”

Morty McCarthy – The Sultans of Ping
“If there’s one person you want doing a documentary on your band it’s Paul McDermott. We have listened to his fantastic detail-filled documentaries over the years and they never disappoint. Paul shines a light on parts of Irish music that are often hidden and he brings the past to life with his attention to detail. The Sultans of Ping were thrilled when Paul contacted us about doing a documentary and we are delighted to see him tell our story - warts and all.”

Niall O’Flaherty – The Sultans of Ping
”I had to be cajoled into participating but did so because of Paul’s reputation. We really want to thank Paul. He’s done a great job with this documentary, he really pulled out all the stops to capture the spirit of the band.”

Pat McGrath – C60 (RTÉ 2xm)
“It’s a brilliant documentary and well worth an hour of your time.”

David Coughlan – Irish Mirror
“The band’s rise and fall is brilliantly told in Paul McDermott’s RTÉ radio documentary Dancing in the Disco.”

Philip O’Connor – journalist
“This is magnificent, as is the whole series. Well worth your time.”

Fail We May, Sail We Must – a tribute to Andrew Weatherall

Ed Power – Irish Examiner
“McDermott’s documentary is about Weatherall and about his journeys with Sheehy, who drove him to and from Skibbereen to Cork Airport in exchange for a ticket to the festival. However, it is also about the wisdom of “Fail We May, Sail We Must” aphorism – and how that the truth to which it speaks only becomes obvious once you’ve been knocked around by life a little. And it is a pilgrimage of sorts, as McDermott travels to meet Sheehy in his home of Baltimore. Afterwards, the narrator stops off at the famous white-painted stone beacon overlooking the harbour. And he reflects on all that has happened in his life since he last visited it at age seven, with his parents.”

Colm Tobin – screenwriter and television producer
“Paul is one of my favourite audio makers and he has outdone himself with this little gem of a documentary about Andrew Weatherall with a rather unusual but poignant connection to West Cork.”

Cian Ó Cíobháin – DJ & broadcaster
“Utter audio gold, Paul McDermott take a bow.”

Leagues O’Toole – promoter, curator, writer
“I recommend this moving radio doc by Paul McDermott. The story of the mysterious tattoo on the arms of the late great Andrew Weatherall that became a mantra of strength and wisdom during Covid. For fans of club culture, Cork and the sea.”

No Journeys End – the story of Michael O’Shea

Mick Heaney – The Irish Times
“The recently broadcast No Journeys End has producer Paul McDermott retracing the picaresque life of innovative street musician Michael O’Shea to fascinating effect.”

Stuart Bailie – journalist, broadcaster and author
“Great work from Paul McDermott for the Michael O’Shea documentary. A fantastic radio documentary about the musician, his self-made instrument and that lovely, strange album. Well done Paul.”

Harry Sword – ‘Monolithic Undertow (In Search of Sonic Oblivion)’
“Paul McDermott’s brilliant, sprawling oral history of O’Shea.”

Mookid
“While Michael O’Shea was something of an enigma, McDermott’s project is the closest thing the world has to the definitive story in a brilliant new RTE Lyric FM documentary and an impeccably detailed Oral History on Medium as a companion piece. Producer and writer Paul McDermott spoke to an exhaustive cast of musicians, writers, collaborators and critics and he has captured the essence of one of Irish underground music’s most cherished artists.”

Leagues O’Toole – promoter, curator, writer
“Paul is a wonderful radio documentarian and the late Michael O’Shea one of our most intriguing and exciting experimental musicians.”

Iron Fist in Velvet Glove – the story of Microdisney

Cathal Coughlan
“An excellent documentary”

Hot Press
“The stellar work of post-punk historian Paul McDermott.”

Sean Campbell – ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’
“A great documentary, the definitive account of the band.”

Pádraig Collins – The Guardian
“And then, in 2017 came the brilliant Iron Fist in Velvet Glove radio documentary about the band.”

Andrew Mueller – Monocle
“A terrific documentary”

Richard Balls – ‘A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan’
“Superb one-hour documentary”

Niall McCann – director (Lost in France, The Science of Ghosts)
“This is a great documentary about a great band.”

Lights! Camel! Action! – the story of Stump

Charlie Connelly – broadcaster and author
“Although the ending is inevitably sad after the death of Mick Lynch, this is a great radio documentary about Stump.”

Rhodri Marsden – writer and musician
“This lovely hour-long documentary about the band Stump is a fitting tribute to Mick Lynch, who died last month.”

Irish Nuggets
“Another excellent Paul McDermott excellent radio documentary.”

Get That Monster Off the Stage – the story of Finbarr Donnelly

Hot Press
“The essential Get That Monster Off the Stage documentary.”

Declan Lynch – journalist and author
“A very important piece of work about a very important man, the late great Donnelly.”

Colm Tobin – screenwriter and television producer
“One of my favourite documentaries”

Irish Nuggets
“Paul McDermott’s excellent radio documentary which explores the life and music of Finbarr Donnelly.”

Des O’Driscoll – Irish Examiner
“Essential listening for anyone into the history of Irish music.”

Jim Carroll – The Irish Times
“Get that Monster off the Stage is Paul McDermott’s fine, fine work on Donnelly and his bands Nun Attax, Five Go Down to the Sea and Beethoven.”

Radio Production of the Year (2002 Smedia Awards): Myles Dungan – chairman of the judging panel
“This is a fascinating snapshot of the vibrant Cork music scene of the 80s. The producer went after (and got) contributions from the main players and constructed a compelling account of cult rock hero Finbarr Donnelly. The programme itself is an excellent weave of music and the spoken word, and is unobtrusively informative.”

Kieran Hurley – former Station Manager of UCC93.8FM and Sound Supervisor on Get That Monster Off the Stage
“Get That Monster Off the Stage was the big one, Paul McDermott and myself, I can remember making that with three Mini-Disc machines, two playing and one recording. I don’t know how we got away with it. A brilliant documentary and it still stands the test of time.”

To Here Knows When – Great Irish Albums Revisited

Aisling Walsh – film director (My Cultural Life in the Sunday Independent, 26 March 2023)
“I’m also listening to Paul McDermott’s To Here Knows When - a podcast about iconic Irish albums. It’s so interesting to look back at some great Irish bands whose gigs I would have gone to. Paul, who I know, narrates, so it’s like listening to a friend telling you a story about his favourite albums.”

Paul Page – Whipping Boy
“I have done a lot of interviews recently, but this was one of the most interesting. Paul knew stuff about the band that I didn’t even know”

Zara Hedderman – The Last Word with Matt Cooper on Today FM: “Best Podcasts of 2022”
“To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited is a really brilliant podcast. It’s entertaining and it’s very educational. I learned so much about Ireland’s musical history through this. Paul McDermott is just so great at setting the scene, he’s a huge music fan himself and he’ll talk in depth about seeing gigs, support slots, he’ll set the scene. I do feel like I was there and I do feel like I lived it.”

Eoghan O’Sullivan – The Irish Examiner
“The best new Irish podcasts of the year 2001”

Steve Wall – The Stunning
“Paul really has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Irish music scene from the late 80’s onwards. Check out some of the albums listed. What an amazing resource for future generations!”

Eoghan O’Sullivan – The Irish Examiner
“A music podcast about iconic Irish albums. Paul McDermott is the wisened guide as he reflects, with respective members of each act.”