From my earliest memories of growing up in County Clare, summer meant "Carrigaholt", a small coastal village at the western tip of Ireland. My parents Buadhach and Ita Tóibín presided over Coláiste Eoghain Uí Chomhraidhe, a residential summer school in Carrigaholt, founded to teach the Irish language to young children, and to foster and nurture in them an appreciation of the Gaelic language, culture and traditions. At the start of every summer our whole family would cram into the Morris Oxford, depart our hometown of Ennis, (kitchen sink style) and make the marathon journey to our rural idyll for the whole summer. Carrigaholt meant fun and games with the students, swimming on the beach, and long nights of ceili dancing, all through the medium of Irish. Deirín Dé was of one of those childhood games we used to play. My strongest memories are of my eldest brother, MacDara, my sister Morna, and myself singing the songs my father was teaching to the students. They have left haunting and wonderful memories. In 2000, before moving to Boston, MacDara encouraged me and eventually convinced me to record some of those songs. We got together in Ennis and laid down the first few tracks. Over the next few years, we finally completed this transatlantic project, and here it is - Deirín Dé Deirín Dé brings back to life my wonderful early memories of Carrigaholt. It tries to re-live my father's passion for the Irish language and music. Deirin Dé would not have been possible without the endless help, encouragement and musical assistance of my brother, to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude. Míle buíochas MacDara ! Some reviews: Ennis born and now Boston based singer, Fiona Tyndall (previously Toibin), has undertaken a labour of love in recording this collection of songs, siphoned from her childhood summers in Carrigaholt, where her parents presided over the local Irish summer school. She is brave enough to venture towards innovative arrangements of such standards as An Buachaillin Ban, and An Cailin Gaelach, with sax and piano offering a distinctive skeleton to Tyndall's lonesome vocals, and yet wisdom prevails in the traditional setting of Fainne Gael an Lae.. Deirin De whispers of a rare and welcome childlike innocence and naivete. Subtle guitar lines from MacDara Toibin root this collection very much in it's place and time. Siobhan Long, The Ticket, The Irish Times A fascinating treatment of very traditional songs in the Irish language. Tyndall has essentially kept the lyrics and style of singing in tact with a beautiful voice and her own interpretation, but the packaging and accompaniment she has chosen is unexpected. It is rich and truly jazz. Such collections often experiment, Deirin De succeeds. Brian O Donovan, A Celtic Sojourn, National Public Radio Boston (WGBH)