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Elizabeth "Bess" Cronin (; 29 May 18792 June 1956) was an influential singer of Irish traditional music in the sean-nós style. She sang hundreds of songs which she learnt as a youth, half of which were in the Irish language, which was her first language. She was visited and recorded by prominent collectors of traditional music including Alan Lomax, Jean Ritchie, Peter Kennedy and Seamus Ennis. Some of her songs inspired popular recordings, such as her version of Siúil a Rún, which was covered by Clannad and Celtic Woman.
Due to Cronin's father being a teacher and her grandfather and uncle having a big interest in books, she was exposed to literature and the written word more than most would have been at the time.
After she married Seán Ó Croinin, she moved to Carraig an Adhmaid, Ballymakeera to the Cronin family farm which was known as 'The Old Plantation'. She remained in the Ballyvourney area her whole life.
She made her first public appearance in 1899 at the age of 20 in a Feis in Macroom, singing two sean-nós songs in Irish language. Her career as a youth involved singing at weddings and parties, whilst also singing to pass the time when milking cows.
She was visited and recorded by The Irish Folklore Commission, Seamus Ennis and Marie Slocombe (both with the BBC), Peter Kennedy, Jean Ritchie / George Pickow, Diane Hamilton, Brian George, Robin Roberts, and the Ethnomusicology and folklorist Alan Lomax. Lomax included her songs in the Irish volume of his 18-volume "Columbia World Library of Folk and Primitive Music," which he edited whilst in London during the 1950s.
Over 80 of Cronin's songs are on tape, however many are not available to the public but confined to her private collection. She never received a recording contract from her career in Irish traditional music.
Her sons Donncha and Sean assisted in the physical recording of many of their mother's songs, and her grandson Daibhi O Croinin, a professor of early medieval history, compiled a book of 200 of her songs.
Towards the latter-end of Cronin's life, her music was grouped together into a collection called "The Commercial Recordings".
There is a version of "Lord Gregory" (The Lass of Roch Royall) by Cronin on the Cultural Equity website.
She created some records during her life which are still to this day widely available in the Irish traditional music archive. Most of her songs covered the topics of home and family, including "The Little Pack of Tailors", "Pussy Cats Party", "The Good Ship Kangaroo" and "Uncle Rat".
The tune and the lyrics of her version of Siúil a Rún were the foundation of many subsequent recordings, including those of Clannad and Celtic Woman. Cronin also influenced Irish singers such as Christy Moore and Martin Carthy and Seamus Ennis. Her songs are still played on RTÉ Radio and are available on YouTube and Spotify.
Her continued use of the local Irish dialect "galvanised her local community".
Many of Bess Cronin's songs are regularly performed in her native Baile Mhuirne and further afield. Among those who sing songs associated with Bess is celebrated singer Iarla Ó Lionáird - who is a grand-nephew of Bess' - grandson of Eibhlín Ní Iarfhlaithe (Uí Shúilleabháin), of Gort na Scairte, Baile Mhuirne.
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