“One of the island’s all-time songwriting greats” (The Thin Air), Junior Brother is an idiosyncratic, challenging, and richly lyrical singer/songwriter from Co. Kerry. Born Ronan Kealy, Junior Brother has amassed a growing, rabid following both at home and abroad, thanks to thrilling, unmissable live shows, and a trio of highly acclaimed albums.
Boldly balancing a musical style which takes traditional Irish instrumentation and makes it “sound like birdsong or Armageddon” (KLOF Magazine), with a powerfully distinctive voice that is “sometimes a deranged howl, sometimes a bedazzling babble” (The Quietus), Junior Brother is, according to The Irish Times, “one of Ireland’s most compelling voices”.
His RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated third album, The End, was released on September 5th on Strap Originals to overwhelming critical acclaim, reaching number 7 on Time Out’s Best Albums of 2025 among several other 2025 year-end lists. The End is the “defining folk document of 2025” (Time Out), and marks yet another exciting, ground-breaking chapter in Junior Brother’s ever-evolving career.