The original lineup of the band was Rossa Ó Snodaigh (whistle,
bones);
Rónán Ó Snodaigh (
bodhrán); Eoin Dillon (
uilleann pipes);
Colm Mac Con Iomaire (fiddle); Karl Odlum (bass); and
David Odlum (guitar). In 1988 one of Rossa and Rónán's older brothers, flute player Colm Ó Snodaigh, joined the band. Rónán, Rossa, and Colm Ó Snodaigh are brothers of
TD,
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, and sons of writer, publisher and historian
Pádraig Ó Snodaigh and writer, artist and sculptor Clíodna Cussen.
In their first year, they busked on
Grafton Street nearly every week and played 44 concerts, most of them at their father's publishing company's book launches, their mother's art exhibition openings or their brother's political campaign launches. Their first paying concert was upstairs in the Baggot Inn and was attended by only three people, one of whom was the broadcaster
Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh.
In 1988 they went abroad to play at their first festival, in Germany, and made their first recording. Since then, Kíla have played in 35 countries on five continents and at some of the world's biggest festivals, including the
Montreux Jazz Festival,
Cambridge Folk Festival, Vorneo's
Rainforest World Music Festival,
Electric Picnic,
Womadelaide,
Glastonbury Festival, Hungary's Sziget festival, Stockholm Water Festival, Scotland's Hogmany Festival, and Irish and Celtic music festivals in the US, Canada and Spain. They performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003. They have composed music for film and TV, have been nominated for Oscars, and have won awards for their music.
In 2003, in a BBC review of their album Luna Park, Kíla's blend of Irish traditional music and world music with a modern rock sensibility, was credited by Malachy O'Neill with breathing new life into contemporary Irish folk music.[1]
In late 2011, Kíla published Book of Tunes, containing over 100 of their compositions, photos, poems and prose. The book was described as "a masterpiece" by Seán Laffey in Irish Music Magazine.
In 2015 the band collaborated again with
Bruno Coulais on the music for the
Oscar-nominated animated feature,
Song of the Sea, and they received an
Annie Award nomination for 'Outstanding Achievement in Music in an Animated Feature Production'. They also received an
Emmy nomination for their work on the 'Crossing The Line' production called '
The Secret Life of the Shannon'.
In 2020, Kíla recorded music for two more films: Cartoon Saloon's Oscar-nominated, award-winning
Wolfwalkers; and
Tomás Ó Súilleabháin's debut film
Arracht, which was
IFTAs entry for the Oscars. Arracht was nominated for 11 IFTA awards and won two, with Kila awarded 'Best Original Score'.
During the two Covid lockdowns, the band performed six online lockdown concerts, culminating in a Wolfwalker's-themed St Patrick's Day broadcast, live to all the Irish consulates across the world. After lockdown they went on tour and produced three larger shows: Kíla & Tumble Circus (Sept 2021); Kíla le Prás - (New Year's Eve 2021); and Kíla & Cairde for Tradfest in the National Stadium (Jan -2022).
Members
Kíla's line-up saw many changes between 1987 and 2024. In 1988, flute player and singer Colm Ó Snodaigh joined; in 1991 fiddler
Colm Mac Con Iomaire and guitarist Dave Odlum left Kíla to join
Glen Hansard's band
The Frames; Dee Armstrong replaced Colm on fiddle and guitarist Eoin O'Brien and lead guitarist Dave Reidy joined; (Reid emigrated to San Francisco a year later). In 1994; Karl Odlum left and joined
Mick Christopher's band
The Mary Janes: he was replaced by jazz bassist Ed Kelly, who left in 1995 along with Eoin O'Brien after the release of Mind The Gap. Drummer and rhythm guitarist
Lance Hogan took Eoin's place and Laurence O Keefe filled in on bass until Brian Hogan became bass player prior to recording Tóg É Go Bog É (1996). In 2009, Donegal guitarist Seanán Brennan joined the band to replace Hogan, who was on a sabbatical. In 2010 drummer Dave Hingerty was invited to join the band. In 2015, piper Eoin Dillon left and James Mahon replaced him.
Dee ArmstrongDee Armstrong is from a musical family. She is a self taught musician and began playing with Kila in 1991. She plays fiddle, banjo, hammered dulcimer, bodhran and tuned percussion. Dee studied film and wrote and directed “Changelings” short film in 1993. She has been working on film soundtracks ever since. Notably writing with Kila the score for three animated feature films with Cartoon Saloon. Dee has a first-class honours degree in Performing Arts and a Masters in Set Design. She also plays with Free Speaking Monkey and The Armagh Rhymers.Dee designed and directed many of Kíla's visual shows in Vicar St, Olympia and other theatres. She has four children and a grandson.
Current members
Rossa Ó Snodaigh: Mandolin, Whistles and percussion (1987 - to date)
Rónán Ó Snodaigh: Bodhrán and Singer (1987 - to date)
Colm Ó Snodaigh: Flute, Singer (1988 - to date)
Brian Hogan: Bass (1996 - to date)
Seanán Brennan: Acoustic and electric guitar, bass and
mandola(2009 - to date)
Dave Hingerty: Drums (2010- to date)
James Mahon: (2015 - to date)
Dee Armstrong: Fiddle Percussion, Hammered Dulcimer (1991 - to date)
Former members
Eoin Dillon: Uileann Pipes (1987 - 2015)
Lance Hogan: Guitar, Djembe and Drum kit (1995 - 2009)
Laurence O'Keefe: Bass (1995 - 96)
Eoin O'Brien: Acoustic and Electric guitar (1991 - 1995)