It’s a new and exciting era for the world-renowned Sulán Studios in Ballyvourney as its owner,Tadhg Kelleher, recalls its history and the illustrious music icons who have passed through its famous doors.

ON entering Sulán Studios, just off the main road in Ballyvourney village and close to the new digital hub Campas Íosagáin, you get a real sense of musical history oozing from the pores of the two recording studios there in the bungalow building.

It really drew a who’s who of the music industry in the 80s and 90s from Irish artists Christy Moore, Paul Brady, Jimmy Crowley and Mary Black to international talents including Donovan, Emmy Lou Harris, Crowded House, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and even the iconic Welsh diva Shirley Bassey. Such was its appeal that the studio hosted 90s English rockers, The Quireboys. They enjoyed it so much they ended up recording there for six months.

Just last year, Cork’s favourite foursome, The Frank & Walters, laid down tracks at Sulán, becoming the first band to record there since it reopened in 2024.

Sulán Studios boasts two recording spaces, one which Tadhg describes as a budget studio where bands can easily record while there is also the option of recording audiobooks too.

‘I also have another much bigger studio at the other end of the building and at the moment I’m getting new equipment installed as well as decoration lighting and I hope to have that up and running by the middle of next month,’ said Tadgh.

Since its opening in 1986 with the help of funding from Údarás na Gaeltachta, Tadhg said he has been very fortunate to have had so many musicians pass through its doors.

‘Some of the bands such as The Frank & Walters look for the big studio where one can get good sound, particularly for drum sounds. We’re also involved in a series of radio programmes from Radio Marie in Dublin and the local parish priest, Fr Sean McCarthaigh, is the driving force behind that. I’m also involved in archiving and restoring old audio.’

With a previous career as an air traffic controller at both Cork and Shannon Airports, music was always to the fore for Tadhg and he worked with a lot of companies involved in sound production in Cork city before he and took the plunge to set up Sulán Studios. He designed and built the studio from the ground up and with consultation from a design company in London but he carried out the installation and wiring himself.

‘People couldn’t understand how we could make money out of a recording studio but I would tell them that we are selling time. For example, Christy Moore could have easily spent two or three weeks here have been here for up to two to three weeks, while The Quireboys were here for six months.’

With a connection to Joe Herlihy, who also worked in the studio as well as being U2’s sound manager, the English band made a beeline to the West Cork Gaeltacht and surprisingly immersed themselves in Gaelic culture while staying locally.

‘I think their record company just wanted to put them somewhere quiet but they got on great here. They had a minder and all and after six months here they were set dancing, playing golf and horse riding before they left!’

Tadhg also worked with the Gael Linn record label to record a lot of traditional music too which was a constant earner for the studio.

‘The whole recording business went through a sort of recession around the early 2000s when it changed from analogue over to digital. Then the market changed and home recording came into play but the reality is that you do need a proper recording studio. What’s great too is that you can do part of a project here and then move it somewhere else.’

For the tech heads, the new desk being installed in the main studio is a digitally controlled analogue desk and with 1,000 meg broadband it’s ideal for broadcasting too.

Remarkably enough, Tadhg is storing the entire archive of recordings from the famous Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin which includes master tapes by the likes of The Dubliners, The Pogues and even Cork’s very own Belsonic Sound.

‘A call had gone out from the Windmill Lane manager looking for someone to store them and I said I had room so a truckload of 6,500 tapes landed down here. It is envisaged that they will be digitised at a later stage.’

Ashley Keating of The Frank & Walters.

While he closed the studios for a long period, Tadhg never stopped working there.

As he guides me through the studio, it’s the envy of any music fan to see equipment from the Moog synthesiser to a special oven which restores old reel to reel tapes, which was certainly an eye opener. Tadhg also recalls the time Goldfinger singer Shirley Bassey recorded at this studio in the mid 90s.

‘She was staying in the Aghadoe Heights Hotel in Killarney and was driven in and out to Ballyvourney every day in a limo,’ he revealed. ‘She used to go down to the pubs around Killarney at night-time with her minder and no one would bother her. She was a really lovely person.’

The Frank & Walters posted online last year that they had a fantastic time recording drums for their new album at Sulán Studios.

‘We are the first band to record there in the main studio in 20 years. Thanks to Tadhg Kelleher for having us and engineer Ber Quinn for engineering and his fantastic talent. We are delighted with the results and are blessed to have one of the best studios in Ireland on our doorstep once again.’

Tadgh is now the sole owner of Sulán Studios and is excited to what new musical memories will be created in the future at one the country’s finest recording studios.

As I said goodbye to Tadhg and his more than friendly Alsatian Sasha, I reminded Tadhg that there is definitely a book in him to document his eventful career in the music industry.