Far from a traditional Irish folk singer as that term is popularly understood, Maura O'Connell has spent her career making explicit the history that connects Irish folk and American country music. Born September 16, 1958, in Ennis, Ireland, and raised on a diet of both traditional Irish folk and American country, O'Connell began fusing the two in the 1980s. After three fairly traditional folk records, 1989's HELPLESS HEART was O'Connell's breakthrough. That album and many of those that followed featured American progressive bluegrass master Jerry Douglas as producer and musical foil.