Jimmy Monaghan (Irish: Seamus Ó Muíneacháin) is a musician from Belmullet, Ireland. He has released music as a solo artist, and as a member of the anti-folk band Music for Dead Birds. He was listed as one of the top ten Galway-based musicians by The Irish Times in 2011. Irish music website Nialler9 has referred to him as "one of the more singular and quietly prolific voices working in Irish electronic music right now."
Early life
Monaghan was born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, and moved to Ireland at the age of six. He is of Irish and Italian descent.
Boxing
As a teenager, he was an amateur boxer, winning four Irish national titlesArchived from the original , and representing Ireland internationally. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Four Nations tournament and received the Western People Sports Star award the same year.
Music career
Music For Dead Birds
In 2007, he formed Music for Dead Birds with drummer Dónal Walsh in Galway city. Their debut album, And then it rained for seven days, was released in 2009 by the Irish record label Rusted Rail. This was followed by the independently released The Pope's Sister, a concept album about the influence of the Catholic church in Ireland, in 2011, Vitamins in 2014, and Pagan Blessings in 2018.
Solo Work
In July 2012, Psychonavigation Records released his debut solo album Seamus O'Muineachain. The Irish Times reviewed the album positively, calling it a "tremulous if tranquil success." To promote the album he performed at Electric Picnic and Whelan's, Dublin.
He followed this up with Cloves (2017), City of Lakes (2019), Blue Moon Set (2020), Different Time Zones (2022), Isthmus (2022), Liminality (2024), Cage of Time (2025), and Island of Flowers (2026). His work has been featured on BBC Radio 6 Music, KEXP,Archived from the original and in international publications including Rockerilla,P.81 The Irish Post, and All About Jazz.
The Connacht Tribune has described his music as "ambient, instrumental soundscapes with piano melodies, gentle guitar, percussion and field recordings."
Other musical projects
In 2012, he released an album with Aisling Walsh under the name Christian Bookshop. Hot Press wrote that the project was "an acoustic folk duo in the classic mode, with a decidedly lo-fi approach." Also during 2012, he played the drums for the Galway-based folk band Yawning Chasm.
From 2013-2014, he released a trilogy of lo-fi punk albums under the name The Crytearions. Irish website Thumped called the project "Uncompromising, entirely unpolished and, in places, not entirely pleasant."Neil Dougan
Musical Influences
Monaghan has stated that his early musical influences were Irish traditional music and nu-metal. He has also noted Elliott Smith, Sebadoh, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Pink Floyd, Enya, and Conor Walsh as influences.
Writing
In 2011, his radio drama Thumb was shortlisted for the RTÉ PJ O'Connor Award.Archived from the original
In 2022, he began writing under the pseudonym Jay Honeycomb.Archived from the original Working primarily in music journalism, he contributed to the webzine PopMatters, interviewing musicians including Mike Scott and Eiko Ishibashi.
In June 2022, he self-published the novella Post-Bliss.
Personal life
He is an amateur chess player. In 2024, he was awarded the title of Arena Candidate Master by FIDE.
As of May 2026, he is based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Discography
As Seamus O'Muineachain
Albums Seamus O'Muineachain, 2012 Cloves, 2017 City of Lakes, 2019 Blue Moon Set, 2020 Different Time Zones, 2022 Isthmus, 2022 Liminality, 2024 Cage of Time, 2025 Island of Flowers, 2026
EPs Stamford, CT. Circa 1941, 2014 Blood Apple, 2015 Unnamed Cafe, Hoang Hoa Tham, 2018 Sycamore EP, 2021
With Music for Dead Birds
Albums And then it rained for seven days, 2009, Rusted Rail The Pope's Sister, 2011 Vitamins, 2014 Pagan Blessings, 2018
EPs Black Tides Falling, 2010 Your Brand New Life, 2015 Nail & Tooth EP, 2017
Singles English Weed/What A Waste, 2015. Summer in Suburbia/Untied, 2020.
As The Crytearions
Albums The Crytearions, 2013, Dramacore I See What It Is And I Am Scared, 2013 These Songs Hate You, 2015
Compilations The Crytearions: Selected Recordings from the Album Trilogy, 2016
Other Christian Bookshop, Owl & Hat Records, 2012 Spain, 2019
Compilation Appearances
An Taobh Tuathail Vol. 7, RTE, 2015
Bibliography
External links Seamus O'Muineachain on Bandcamp Seamus O'Muineachain on IMDB
References