Offaly man sells Limousin yearlings to finance debut single

An Offaly farmer’s son has just released his debut single ‘Crossroads’. Paddy Mahon, who is in college in Dublin, sold Limousin yearlings to pay for studio hire; session musicians; engineering; and production.

Paddy helps his dad Pat on the family farm at Cooldorragh outside Mountbolus, at weekends. “My dad’s side of the family are all farmers. All of his brothers are full-time, dry-stock beef farmers. It’s a family tradition that has gone on for generations.

My dad and I are part-time farmers; we have around 30ac and buy calves every year. It’s something myself and my dad love doing.

“I’m in Dublin studying business information technology from Sunday evenings to Friday mornings and then back to Tullamore to help as much as I can on the farm.

“I never met my granddad on the Mahon side but I knew my grandmother very well. She was an inspiration to me. Her attitude to life and farming was second to none and very positive,” Paddy said.

His interest in music comes from his maternal grandfather. “My granddad Martin Healy who was originally from Bangher and moved to Athlone in later years used to play the saxophone.

“I was always told how much of an amazing musician he was and how passionate he was about music. As I got older I felt that I wanted to be as passionate about something as he was so it’s great to bring out my own single.

Keeping it in the family

“He used to sit in the sitting room and play for my mother Patricia and her siblings and they’d love it. He passed when I was young, so I never really could chat about music. But I’d like to think I’m keeping music going in the family and he would be proud,” Paddy said.

“As I got older I started to write lines of poetry and then one day I just decided I wanted to learn guitar. I loved singing since I was a young lad but never told anybody. I was too embarrassed.

“I tried playing guitar here and there from 12 or 13 years-of-age, but never got anywhere until my first year in college. This is where I’d sit for days learning chords and scales, starting to rewrite poems I wrote from years ago and new songs.

“I have always loved music, I love the way a certain song can make you feel or bring you back to a memory and the whole thought process behind someone writing a song,” Paddy said.

I built up my fanbase from doing covers or mash-ups of songs from the likes of Niall Horan; George Ezra; The Killers; and Tom Odell.

He also revels in part-time farming. “I’ve always loved animals, I got that from my dad. I absolutely love it up here in Dublin but a part of me will always miss home.

“I grew up around farming people. I sometimes think the stereotypes of farmers that go around towns and cities are hilarious and at times quite silly but who cares. Every farmer is different, just like any other person is different and everyone has their own way of doing things and that should be respected.