Musical inspiration Roisin O reveals she wrote a song with her brother Danny O'Reilly during lockdown in Kerry

Irish singer Róisín O has described spending lockdown in Kerry as ‘magical’ as she also opened up about songwriting with her brother - The Coronas frontman Danny O'Reilly.

The Dublin musicians - children of singer Mary Black - travelled down to Kerry after Christmas and have fallen in love with the Kingdom.

Speaking to Dáithí Ó Sé and Sinéad Kennedy on RTE’s The Today Show,The 33-year-old joked that although she feels like a “real local” down in Kerry, she’s “still a big Dubs fan” at heart.

“We came down on Stephen’s Day and were planning on just staying for New Year’s but obviously never left. Why would you leave?”

“It’s a magical place. I think anyone who’s Irish needs to come to this part of the world.”

“It’s not like any other part of Ireland and I think it’s definitely a big artistic home.”

“I’ve always written most of my best songs here and have felt really at home here. Definitely my second home.”

“Lockdown here is unbelievable. We’re so lucky to be here really.”

The 33-year-old joked that although she feels like a “real local” down in Kerry, she’s “still a big Dubs fan” at heart.

Róisín joined the The Today Show to discuss her new single Heart + Bones. She revealed that she composed the song with the help of brother Danny, front man of The Coronas.

“I was actually down here writing with Danny and we were supposed to be writing songs for the Coronas.”

The singer explained they had been working on a song but it wasn’t going anywhere.

“It was about 1 o’clock in the morning and Danny was like ‘Here, have a listen to this other thing.’

“It was just a loop of four chords, and I was like ‘Wow there’s something really special about that.’”

“I went up to my bedroom and I just started singing a melody and some lyrics over it. I had the song finished in about 20 minutes.”

“I sang it for him the next day and it was obvious then it that moment that this was definitely not a Coronas song. This was a Róisín O song.”

“It was really amazing to write it with him.”

“I think it’s a song that I had been waiting to write for a while,” she continued.

“I think everyone can relate to that feeling of losing someone in some form or another.”

The singer-songwriter also said that writing music together has allowed the siblings to develop a strong relationship. She praised her older brother Danny.

“I’m lucky to have a brother that’s such an amazing songwriter. He brings ou tthe best in me.”

“We’re lucky we don’t kill each other like brother and sister when we’re writing.”

“He’s such a great song writer and performer.”

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Online Editors