Kildare Life Interview: Singer Heidi Talbot on a childhood running through fields of corn in Kill

Heidi is the daughter of Vincent Talbot from Blackhill and the late Rosaleen from Celbridge. There are nine children in the family. She currently resides in Scotland with husband, Scottish folk musician John McCusker and their two daughters, Molly Mae and Jessica.

Sarah Peppard caught up with the Kill native to talk all things Kildare.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST KILDARE MEMORY?

Crawling around in fields next door to our house in Kill where there was corn growing and myself and my brothers were making little tunnels through the corn that was growing. And then coming in and our faces being red raw, and putting wet face cloths on our faces to take away from it!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOUIRTE THING ABOUT THE COUNTY?

We used to live outside of the village a couple of miles, I loved the way there was so much freedom. Myself and my brothers would spend a lot of time roaming around fields, we kinda had a very free childhood. We moved into the village when I was 11 and we moved into Liam O’Flynn’s home house, the great piper, where he was brought up. When we moved to the village it was great that sense of community. I’ve such fond memories of growing up there.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL DAY OUT IN KILDARE?

I’d come home, I’d have breakfast in my dad’s house, then I’d go visit my nieces and nephews in Kill, then I’d go for a big walk up to Johnstown and back down by Duncan’s bridge and then back home again.  I would have lunch in the Dew Drop.

That night, I would go out with my sisters into Naas, into the Tapas restaurant and to Heyden’s for a few drinks.

DID YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST GIG IN KILDARE?

My very first gig was in the Old House in Kill when I was 14. Kevin Lawlor was the first one that gave me a job singing, and I just started doing gigs around the area. 

When I was little, around 7 or 8, I was signing in the church choir in Kill. 

So, I always like going back.

IS THERE ANY FAMOUS KILDARE PERSON YOU TOOK INSPIRATION FROM?

Christy Moore, Luka Bloom. There's such brilliant music that's come from Kildare. They were so influential. It must have been just amazing time to be around, there was so much music in Kildare when they were just hitting their stride and becoming very well known.