Liam Ó Maonlaí

Who is Liam Ó Maonlaí?

Liam Ó Maonlaí is an Irish musician best known as a member of the Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin.

He attended Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin, which is a Gaelscoil on Dublin's southside, although he credits his father as his main Irish language influence. He is a fluent speaker of the Irish language. He won an under 18 all-Ireland award for his skills on the Bodhrán. In 1985, he won the Irish music award known as Gradam Shlogadh along with Hothouse Flowers bandmates. In 2005 he released a solo album entitled Rian which is a collection of tunes and songs in Irish.

Ó Maonlai also formed a band called The Complex in the early days with childhood friend Kevin Shields and drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig. After Liam left to form the Hothouse Flowers in 1984, Shields and O'Ciosoig were joined by vocalist Dave Conway and keyboardist Tina, and renamed themselves My Bloody Valentine, taking their name from a low-budget horror film.

Ó Maonlaí is also an active member of the Nuclear Free Future movement and contributed to the hosting of events in Carnsore and in Wexford Town in 2001. In 2004 he was a guest at the Barefoot College, located at Rajasthan, India. He performed in the 2009 Dublin to Gaza benefit concert.