It was through performing in Dublin that she met her husband Shaun Davey. For many years they worked together on recordings and TV and radio commercials, eventually broadening their horizons to include theatre and film. Rita has recorded songs for many films including 'Waking Ned' and John Boorman's most recent film 'The Taylor of Panama'.

Rita has performed in many venues including London's Albert Hall, The Stade de France and the Chicago Symphony Centre, and many countries including England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain and the United States of America.

As well as collaborations with Shaun Davey - 'Granuaile', 'The Pilgrim', 'The Relief of Derry Symphony' and 'May We Never Have to Say Goodbye'- Rita has also recorded two solo albums: 'Rita Connolly', and 'Valparaiso'. She recorded a new anthem for the Special Olympics in 2003 composed by Shaun Davey, which was performed at the opening ceremony in Dublin in June 2003 and topped the charts for 5 weeks.

One of Rita's most requested songs, The Deer's Cry,  was originally recorded for the closing titles of the Granada film 'Who Bombed Birmingham', a film which was instrumental in obtaining the release of the Birmingham Six. The song was later included in Shaun Davey's 'The Pilgrim' which has been performed widely.

Rita's first solo album, simply titled , Rita Connolly, was released in 1991. The album served to underscore her ability to cross musical borders effortlessly. On it she included songs ranging from a sea shanty, through The Beatles to classic blues linking them all together by the simplicity and purity with which she sings. "The Vocal and instrumental accompaniment - from such luminaries as Liam O'Flynn, Davey Spillane, Mairtin O'Connor, The Voice Squad, Noel Eccles and Eoghan O'Neill - certainly strengthens and enriches this recording. While a truly great singer like Connolly could doubtless rise above uninspired accompaniment, when she's joined by Ireland's finest, well, it's simply the difference between a good album and a fantastic one."

Valparaiso, her second solo album, reaches out to the world and draws themes and musical influences from far off places but always returns to Ireland as home. It highlights her versatility as a singer and a songwriter and features some of her own compositions, such as the title track Valparaiso, as well as some songs specially written for her by Sebastion Barry and Shaun Davey and songs by Sonny Condell, Leo O'Kelly and Irving Berlin. It also features a re-recording of the Granuaile's 'Ripples in the Rockpools' and Shaun's 'The Quite Land of Erin'. As with all of her work Rita delivers with a natural ease and clarity that never fails to please an audience.

 

QUOTES

"She is without doubt one of the finest female singers in Ireland today. Her clear true and unforgettable voice and versatility as a singer and songwriter make her virtually impossible to categorise. This uniqueness has now become the trade mark of Rita Connolly."

"Rita Connolly is one of the great guarded treasures of Irish music. An immensely gifted and evocative singer, she scarcely gets mentioned in the roll call of greats in the idiom along with Mary Black, Dolores Keane and Mary Coughlan. This is partly due to her detachment from the usual De Dannan/Planxty Irish folk hierarchy, and partly due to the relative rarity of her public adventures."

"On her first solo recording, Rita Connolly has shown herself to be a skillful producer/arranger, an adept lyricist, and a soulful interpreter of songs. But in the end it all comes down to The Voice. Hers is alternatingly commanding, caressing, revealing, soothing... but always magnificent."

"Rita Connolly's voice was a sheer delight to listen to."

"Specially written for Rita Connolly, this work (Granuaile) sets off her spellbinding voice."

Recordings

Year	Title	Artist	Cat. No.
2006	May We Never have To Say Goodbye	Shaun Davey	Tara 4017
1998	Waking Ned Devine	Shaun Davey	London/Decca
1996	Sur les Quais de Dublin	Giles Servat	Columbil 484151
1995	Valparaiso	Rita Connolly	Tara 3033
1992	Out To An Other Side	Liam O'Flynn	Tara 3001
1991	Rita Connolly	Rita Connolly	Tara 3029
1990	The Relief of Derry Symphony	Shaun Davey	Tara 3024
1986	Granuaile	Shaun Davey	Tara 3017
1984	Ride On	Mary Coughlan
1984	The Pilgrim	Shaun Davey	Tara 3032
1982	Arc of a Diver	Philip King
1980	Scullion	Scullion
1980	Sean O'Casey Songbook	Paul Brady
1978	Give a Little Love	Stagalee
1978	Pride of the Heard	Shaun Davey
1977	Ten Years On	Universal Folk Club

Films

Year	Title	Music By
2001	The Tailor of Panama	Shaun Davey
1998	Waking Ned Devine	Shaun Davey	London/Decca
1995	The Hanging Gael	Shaun Davey
1987	Who Bombed Birmingham	Shaun Davey
1984	Eat The Peach	Donal Lunny & Paul Brady
1978	Tears	Donal Lunny & Jimmy McCarthy
1977	Catchpenny Twist	Shaun Davey