“… Born in south Derry I had a fairly typical Irish country upbringing and didn’t really discover my love of music until my early teens. My first introduction to playing music was with the tin whistle and the fiddle although neither of these really caught me the way the drums do.

I was forever making a racket at home, doing my best to get a 4/4 beat on tables, chairs, cushions… anything that would make some noise. By the age of 15 I had finally convinced my mother to let me take up the drums. Thankfully we had the space and lack of neighbours to annoy so I was able to really throw myself into learning the drums and have never looked back since.

I look to guys like Buddy Rich, Danny Carey, Chad Smith and Dave Grohl as my personal inspirations and a constant reminder that I’ll never be finished learning. So far in my career as a musician, although I’ve not reached the heady heights of any of the men listed above, I have met some of the best and most interesting people and had some amazing experiences all over the world through music.

Having a teacher for a mother, a career in music was not always perceived as a realistic option and I still get asked from time to time if I’ll ever get a “real job”, but I think that’s something every musician faces at some point. I can only hope the journey I started back in my school days can continue for many years to come and that many more of you out there feel as good about the music we make in Blackwater Conspiracy as we do!…”