Testimonials from leading figures in the Traditional Irish Music World

Clare is one of those people who has a natural alignment with music. A custodian of her native culture, she is generous with her craft and the songs come easily. She has that capacity to silence a room with her song where all present join her on that journey. Bean Uasal.
Liam O Maonlaí of Hot House Flowers

Clár Ní Argáin is a musician of distinction, possessing extraordinary artistic ability with a deep connection to the ancient art form of sean-nós singing from a childhood in her native Uibh Ráthach, in Kerry. I support without reservation her determination to carry these songs across the seas.
Mick Moloney
Global distinguished professor in the Irish Studies and Music Department at New York University, USA

Clár shows excellent skill and musicality as well as a deep love and respect for the traditional music of her childhood.
Máire Ní Chéileachair.
Gradam Ceoil TG4 Singer of the Year award in 2018 and Winner of Corn Uí Riada in 2018.

I heartily recommend Clár Ní Argáin (Clare Horgan) as an excellent singer and musician and one of the foremost exponents of the traditional 'Sean-nós' singing tradition of the Uíbh Ráthach area in the South of Kerry. Her album 'The Stolen Child' is a masterpiece and I was honoured to play many tracks from it on my radio show 'Rogha John Spillane' on Radio na Gaeltachta, Ireland’s Gaelic Radio Station.
John Spillane
Singer/Songwriter TV and Radio Presenter. Irish language advocate with Double platinum selling album Irish Songs We Learned at School

Clare Horgan is a musical, clever and imaginative musician and singer who could undertake many different musical projects.   Is amhránaí maith í Clár Ní Argáin.  Tá sí cliste, ceolmhar agus lán de shamhalaíocht agus ábalta ar tabhairt faoi mórán éagsuil saghasanna ceoil.
Peadar Ó Riada
Composer, Musician, Director of Cór Chúil Aodha, Cork
Son of the legendary Seán Ó Ríada

Clár has a lovely personality and will travel far to bring this unique and under exposed music to audiences at home and abroad. I am certain that her audiences will gain immense pleasure from the songs and from her very personal delivery of these.
Máirtín Tom Sheáinín
Presenter on National TV and Radio RTE TG4, Ireland
Master-Singer of Connemara style Sean-Nós. 1983 and 1988
Winner of the Oireachtas competition Corn Uí Ríada

What particularly impresses me in Clár’s rendering of the sean-nós songs of her native peninsula of Uíbh Ráthach/Iveragh, is her faithfulness to this tradition, now almost no more.
Breandáin O Cíobháin
International expert scholar in Irish language and folklore.

Clare is a versatile and polished performer with a particular and natural talent with the sean-nós songs, with which she was born and reared.
Jim Welsh
Director of the Cork Folk Festival and the Cork Singers Club

Feedback from fans

As I was listening to her Stolen Child album, I again enjoyed the beauty of her voice. Whatever the genre, the purity of her voice is constantly there. There is no exposition of virtuosity, no overacting or in any other way, aiming for effect. Clare remains instead very focused on the song. Her work is strong yet fragile and always beautiful.
Jan Peter Bats
Baritone Classical singer who attended a concert of Clare’s in Tech Amergin, Co. Kerry, July 2010

Having heard Clare play a number of gigs at the Cahersiveen Arts festival in 2013, we invited Clare Horgan to come and perform for us in Germany. One weekend in early 2015, in the Lower Rhine area of Western Germany, with venues in Mönchengladbach, Wegberg and Dusseldorf, she left audiences delighted. Clare read her audience well, connecting immediately to their mood with her sense of humour and her ability to lose herself in the song, while delivering an eclectic twist on traditional Irish singing, with a voice to break hearts and heal them just as quickly.
Hanns-Georg Rybak
Professional Jazz and Blues clarinettist and fan of Irish Traditional
Niederkruechten, Germany

Clare, I am buzzing since last night. Please know that you are incredible. Really know it...in your heart. Your performance in Dillons last night gave me a totally new appreciation of 'the voice'. Your talent awakened something in me, something that was 'stuck'. Innate talent aside, your passion for music and song is infectious. Your personality is witty, colourful and beautiful. And finally, your respect, appreciation and encouragement for other performers/singers is something quite special. You have it, by the bucketful! Thank you!... for one of the best, most memorable nights ever. Mgt.Anne. X
Margaret-Anne
A member of the audience, (a semi-professional singer) in Dungarven Singers Club, on 16th February 2015.