Rev. Dr. Nóirín Ní Riain
Ordained Interfaith Minister
Doctor of Theology
Master of Arts in Enthnomusicology
Bachelor of Music
Nóirín has traversed many diverse paths during her life-time and lives our her life in great gratitude for the good of it all, despite “the hollow lands and hilly lands” (William Butler Yeats).
One constant, natural given has been as a singer of spiritual song; beginning with the Irish sean-nós amhrán cráifeach, this led her to other traditions such as Gregorian Chant, the music of Hildegard von Bingen, Joa Bolendas and Mira Bai.
From 1975 to 2005, she was married to Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin with whom she travelled, worked and performed extensively and had two sons, Owen and Mícheál.
She is author of several books ranging from a children’s Irish traditional song collection, the repertoire of her sean-nós singing mentor, Pilib Ó Laoghaire, an autobiography in 2008 and the publication of her doctoral thesis in 2011 and numerous articles.
In 2003, she was awarded the first ever doctorate in Theology from MIC, University of Limerick for her originality in creating a theology of Listening for which she coined the term, Theosony, meaning The Sound of God.
Always longing to pursue a call to ministry, she was ordained an Inter-faith minister in London in 2017. Since, she has fulfilled her constant vocation to minister to people at various thresholds in their journey, such as weddings, deaths, births and other rites de passage. Furthermore, she now has a crucial role for many people as a spiritual director or counsellor, encouraging people to embrace new blessed challenges with confidence and grace. Her motto and inspiration in this role, she borrows from the prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jeremiah: Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads and look and ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. Jer. 6:16.
Nóirín’s is now sharing her wisdom virtually - both through the Inner Soul Cirlce and through individual spiritual direction - is yet another new rhythm of the soul which opens up a new window of dream and possibility to continue to be awake and surprised by life, learning and the Divine.
Videos
Voice at the Edge
Documentary by Hilary Fennell
The Little Priestess
Reading from Nóirín’s autobiography
Publications
Full Bibliography
1985 – The Female Song in the Irish Tradition in: Irish Women, Image and Achievement ed. Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Arlen House, p. 73–84.
1987 – Im Bim Babaro, Rabhcáin do Leanaí, Children's Songs from the Irish Tradition, The Mercier Press.
1988 – Stór Amhrán, A Wealth of Songs from the Irish Tradition, Ossian Publications Ltd. (reprint 2007)
1993 – The nature and classification of traditional religious songs in Irish with a survey of printed and oral sources in: Music in the church, edited by Gerard Gillen & Harry White, Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
1997 – Gregorian Chant Experience, Sing and Meditate with Nóirín Ní Riain, The O'Brian Press Ltd.
1998 – Sacred Moments, A Photographic Journey by Valerie O'Sullivan, 1998, Veritas Publications, p. 94–97.
1999 – The Whoseday Book, A Millennium Journal, page 11.07.2000, The Irish Hospice Foundation.
1999 – Digging for Sound in the Celtic Tradition, Nóirín Ní Riain, Celtic Threads, Exploring the Wisdom of Our Heritage, edited by Padraigín Clancy, Veritas Publications, p. 119–129.
2000 – And Deep Things Are Song in Frankie Armstrong: Well-Tuned Women, The Women's Press.
2001 – The Sound of God in Anáil Dé – The Breath of God (edited by Helen Phelan), Veritas, p. 177–189.
2005 – Towards a Theology of Listening in Spirituality, Vol.2, No. 62, p. 286–290, Dominican Publications.
2006 – Bringing It All Back Home: The Retrieval of Gregorian/Plainchant and the Forgotten Sense in: Time [to] Change (edited by Joseph Putti), Veritas, p. 170–186.
2009 – The Ear of the Heart: Weaving a Tapestry of Transformative Listening in Song and Story in: Intimacy – Venturing the Uncertainties of the heart, Jungian Odyssey Series Volume I, Spring Journal, Louisiana, USA, p. 9–14.
2009 – Listen with the Ear of the Heart: An Autobiography, Veritas Publications.
2011 – Theosony, Towards a Theology of Listening, Columba Press.
Discography
