Conor Walsh: Selected Piano Works – Film Review

Screenings – Lighthouse Cinema – 8th August 2025

Director Keith Walsh

Conor Walsh has become a mysterious figure in the Irish music scene due to his untimely death at the age of 36. He did not die the ‘usual’ death of a musician through substance abuse or suicide; instead, he died of a heart attack. At the time of his death in March 2016, he had released one EP, The Front (2015). Conor had a large number of recordings and, with the help of his friends and family, his first album, The Lucid, was released in 2019.

Instead of focusing on his tragic death, Director Keith Walsh (When All is Ruin Once Again) decided to focus on Conor’s life and music. The documentary is largely based on several audio and video interviews with Conor, where he talked about his career and love of music. It also delves into his life in Swinford, County Mayo. It’s a town with a population of 1,459 at the time of the last census in 2022. We are shown a 200-year-old hotel, which was owned by his family. Conor spent a large amount of time in the Hotel. It was the place where he learned to play the piano in his youth. We are also shown the natural environment where Conor spent a lot of his time, and which inspired much of his music.

The simplicity of the piece is really surprising. The film does not delve into Conor’s death or the effect it had on his family and friends. His life has already inspired a Radio Documentary called ‘Conor Walsh – Passing Through‘, if you want to know the other side of the story.

The title of the film gives a clear idea of its intent. The soundtrack is composed of his songs, with music videos created from his environment. We’ll never know what Conor would have gone on to achieve with his music, and whether he could have made a similar impact to those who inspired him, including Aphex Twin and Steve Reich. This film will help his tunes find a wider audience, which is well deserved.

It’s a film that should work well in the cinema, where you’re fully immersed in the impressive visuals and Conor’s haunting music. It will be shown on August 8th in the Lighthouse Cinema, along with a Q&A with the filmmakers.