A mainstay of the Irish music scene since the 1970s, Sonny Condell teamed up with Leo O'Kelly to form Irish musical trailblazers Tír na nÓg. They toured with the likes of The Who, Jethro Tull and ELP and released three albums between 1971 and 1974. After Tír na nÓg broke up, Condell returned to Ireland and released his first solo album 'Camouflage'.

Condell's next band was the hugely influential Scullion where he joined Philip King, Greg Boland, Jimmy O'Brien Moran and - later - Robbie Overson in creating a sound which drew from acoustic folk, rock, jazz, reggae and blues. The band went on to release four acclaimed albums - their self-titled debut, 'Balance & Control', 'White Side of Night' and 'Spin' - before deciding on "semi-retirement" in 1989. They reformed in 2001 to re-record 'Eyelids into Snow' and 'Down in the City' for the anthology 'Eyelids into Snow (A Collection)'.

‘Sonny's Story’, first broadcast in January 1982, charts the early years of Sonny Condell's career.

Presented by Dave Fanning.

Produced by Julian Vignoles.

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries