Taylor Swift’s undeniable connection to Ireland continues to unfold, with her latest music video, “Opalite,” featuring prominent Irish talent like Graham Norton, Cillian Murphy, and Domhnall Gleeson. This isn’t the first time the global superstar has shown a fondness for the Emerald Isle; her album Midnights even features a nod to County Wicklow in the song ‘Sweet Nothing.’ With the Irish language experiencing a resurgence, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine Swift incorporating a cúpla focail into her future lyrics.
However, it seems a Meath-based artist, Lisa Murray, might already have that particular niche covered. A chance comment on TikTok has propelled her onto the international stage, showcasing a unique blend of music and the Irish language.
Lisa, who hails from the lesser-known Gaeltacht of Baile Ghib, shared that her upbringing was steeped in both Irish and music. “I started playing piano when I was about seven or eight,” she explained. “But by the time I was ten, whenever I’d make a mistake, I’d just write a little song instead of correcting it.” She humorously described her early compositions as “Avril Lavigne songs in a different font.” Her teenage years were a whirlwind of musical exploration, from musical theatre to playing in bands, ultimately leading her to pursue degrees in both music and the Irish language.
After completing her Master’s degree in Valencia, Lisa continued her musical pursuits. However, the synergy between her music and the Irish language didn’t fully click until late 2024 with the release of her debut single, Uaighneach. “Something just kind of clicked for me [making music in Irish],” she revealed. “I was like, ‘this makes so much sense.’ I’m actually surprised it took me this long to fuse those parts of my personality!”
During the promotion of Uaighneach, a seemingly innocuous TikTok comment sparked an idea that would lead to her viral success.
“I made a TikTok promoting my song, and somebody commented: ‘Gaeilgeoir Swift’,” Lisa recounted. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s it. I’ve hit the niche.'” This serendipitous remark inspired her to respond by releasing an Irish translation of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” from the album Fearless. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising her clever translations and requesting more. This led her to create Irish renditions of other popular songs, including “August,” “The Last Great American Dynasty,” and “Opalite.”
Lisa observed the diverse reactions to her videos: “It’s funny, you get such a wide mix of people commenting. You get some people who are like, ‘Oh my god, I love Taylor Swift, but this just made me love her more,’ or people who comment, ‘I hate Taylor Swift, but this is Irish, so it’s actually good.'”
While the translation process isn’t always straightforward, particularly with Americanised slang (she opted for “stands” instead of “bleachers” in one translation), Lisa finds the linguistic challenges to be an exciting opportunity to discover new ways of expressing herself in Irish. “Sometimes you’re scratching your head for certain words, especially when they’re very Americanised,” she admitted. “But it’s funny because the songs that are more straightforward in English can be harder to translate, while other songs that might seem more complicated are far easier to translate. It really depends.”
Although Lisa has found considerable success with her Irish translations, even venturing into covers of artists like Hozier, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles, her original music remains her primary focus. She teased the upcoming release of her debut album, Abhaile, later this year.
A Journey Home Through Music
“There are some really amazing things happening this year,” Lisa shared. “I’m working on my debut album at the minute. I started doing all the Irish language stuff when I was living in London, and I’ve now moved home.”
The album’s narrative explores themes of emigration and return, and the rediscovery of one’s Irish identity after being away. “I think that’s something that happens to a lot of people; as soon as we leave Ireland, we become more patriotic,” she quipped.
Abhaile is a bilingual project, with most tracks in Irish and some featuring a blend of both languages. “That’s my big cornerstone project for 2026, hopefully out in October,” she stated.
Lisa’s debut album, Abhaile, is slated for release later this year. She can be found on TikTok and Instagram under the handle @LisaWithTheFringe.
