New Single: The Banks of the Abbey Out July 5th 2026
 
Following the radio success of Sometimes It Takes A Dutchman, Siobhán O'Brien returns with a deeply personal new single, The Banks of the Abbey — a heartfelt tribute to her father, the late Brian O'Brien.
 
Long before he became known throughout Ireland as "Briano", the rugby player, coach and manager, Brian was simply a boy growing up on Athlunkard Street in Limerick. The Abbey River was his playground. He spent endless days swimming, rowing boats and exploring its banks, forming a lifelong connection with nature and with the close-knit community he affectionately called "The Parish".
 
Born into a family with deep roots to the area, Brian's maternal family, the Reids, were well-known pig buyers in what was once famously known as Pigtown. Yet it wasn't the business of the city that stayed with him most. It was the people. Throughout his life he delighted in telling stories of Athlunkard Street and its colourful characters, recalling them with warmth, humour and admiration. The memories of neighbours, friends and local legends remained vivid in his mind, and he passed those stories on to his children, ensuring that a unique piece of Limerick's history lived on through the generations.
 
Brian's love of nature never left him. He could identify and mimic the calls of countless birds, a skill that fascinated those around him. In a remarkable and poignant moment, a blackbird sang for hours outside his window on the day before he died. Siobhán recorded that birdsong, and with the help of Jon O'Connell, it now frames The Banks of the Abbey, appearing at both the beginning and end of the recording — a gentle reminder of the natural world that brought Brian so much joy throughout his life.
 
While many will remember Brian for his extraordinary contribution to Irish rugby — becoming the first Shannon player to represent Ireland in 1968 before going on to coach, select and manage at the highest levels of the game — this song tells a different story. It remembers the man behind the achievements: a storyteller, a lover of music and nature, a proud son of Athlunkard Street, and a father whose memories of the Abbey River never faded.
 
The Banks of the Abbey is both a celebration of one man's life and a tribute to a place that shaped him. Through its lyrics, Siobhán captures the sights, sounds and spirit of the riverbank where her father's story began.
 
Siobhán will officially launch the single at Radcliffe's Bar on Athlunkard Street on 9 July 2026. All Parishioners, friends and lovers of Limerick's rich history are warmly welcome to join in celebrating a song that honours both a remarkable man and the place he called home.