I was born in Ireland in 1976 and moved to Melbourne Australia in 2011. Up until then the path in life was writing, recording, and touring a succession of albums, six in total, most funded by the exhibition and sale of my artwork. In Australia I became a Dad, studied, graduated, and worked as a graphic designer.

Working for a number of years in that role and the pull back to music forever gnawing at me, I packed in design, moved to the hills, began writing and crowdfunded the means to record and release my 7th album 'Wolf Counsel' (2015). While immensely proud of that body of work, the fact remained, my own music had reached comedic levels of financial return. 

Needing to make a living while keeping my voice in shape left limited options. My current role, cleaning a school in the Dandenong Ranges, had sustained the basics of living through the making of 'Wolf Counsel', yet it's dizzying heights gave way to the Irish Pub circuit around Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Sidenote; When leaving the design job, I remarked in the exit interview that "I'd be much happier cleaning toilets and making music". And there was to be, no toilet on earth like that of a primary school, to test the conviction of one's word.

I was happier. 

"Though he went on to simultaneously..."

APOLOGIES!!! I momentarily slipped into a past life of third-person chest beating in an attempt to get that festival application, radio slot etc..YAWN (shudder emoji)

I also lived in South-West Victoria for 14 months, selling my art at the markets in Port Fairy and the coastal surrounds, while continuing to gig the bars. A push from the coast back to Melbourne came in various forms but a successful job interview to milk buffalo alongside an offer of a two night residency in the city meant" the stroking of buffalo udders was never meant to be for Roesy - The Irish Times."

Fast forward too many 'Khe Sanh' requests to mention, I quit the pub-gigs, pulled pints behind the bar, studied to be a care worker and drove Uber.

As a farewell to that chapter in life, I recorded a bunch of Irish ballads which I'd made my own and released 'The Day Before The Fair' (2018), which was recorded in both Australia and Ireland. The album features some of my favorite musicians from back home including Donogh Hennessy who produced the album into one of my favorites to date. When the alienation of homesickness hits like a tonne of bricks, these songs from my youth take me home and singing them makes geography irrelevant.

Living in Melbourne at the back of a movie prosthetics studio, with my own space to create between Uber alerts was gold. A fare could take me out locally for a short run or all over the city and surrounds. In a lottery of location and time I'd often merge into the 5am airport run, sleep it off, wash, rinse, and repeat. Some of those 1000+ trips are like short movies in my head, vast ranging the gammit of human being and beast. 

In the same week I completed my placement at an aged care facility, the art studios where I lived and the pub where I worked, sold. The Pub's owner was to manage a kitchen in a small country town two hours North of Melbourne.
 "When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose" whispered Bob and I asked if they needed a barman. "Tell me how does it feeeeeeeel"  

With suburban life well and truly tested to a remarkably impressive level of depression achieved each and every-time, Myself and my daughter spent a number of days and nights exploring what is now, two years later, a happy home in the countryside.

I initially worked as a barman (which was paramount in getting to the know the community) transitioned into Care Work for an Aged Care Community Provider until January 2019 when I set up my own business 'Rogha' as an Independent Support Provider and finally after a decade of searching, found purpose.

In 2020 lock-down I built a home recording studio in order to offer a music service to my existing clients which has now grown to capacity post lock-down. I am not trained as an art or music therapist, nor do I ever promote myself to be. I am back at the beginning of my own journey, using creative exploration in spontaneous and exciting ways to explore, communicate, and connect with another. 

In the online space I'm releasing 'The Gold of Solstice June' on January 26th 2021 with more singles coming throughout the year when they're ready to shine.

Tuesdays 8PM AEDT at my Twich Channel will be a mix of original and cover songs. You can request something, if I know the song I'll try it, if I don't, I've either forgotten how to play it or I just no longer resonate with the songs I wrote when I was 19. (The booby prize of the interpersonal songwriter)

I've met a local mandolin/pedal steel guitarist too and formed a band 'The Hayseeds' (webpage coming soon) doing old country/folk ballads. He'll drop by at some stage for a night of tunes and chat.

I think that gives a good scope of where life has taken me to date.

Welcome/Welcome Back