Memories of spending time with his grandfather, Tom McGuire, on the family farm inspired Co. Galway musician Dylan Connolly - known as Konno - to write and record his new single T.O.M. (That Old Man) which will be released on May 29.

The indie rock singer and songwriter, who is a digital media producer at Galway Bay FM, recalled that his maternal grandfather who is in his fifth year of living with dementia, had a Massey Ferguson 135.

"We used to spin around the village and from field to field on it together. We'd count the cattle and rise any stone walls that had fallen," said the Corofin musician.

"He lives very close to us and he used to call into his friends who all lived around the village and we had copious cups of tea, listening to old stories.

He added that he is fortunate, at the age of 31, to have both sets of grandparents alive.

"My memories of Tom are that he was a very youthful person, a small man but very strong.

"He was always so open minded. He never judged anyone.

"Sadly since the dementia, all that has been lost. I set out to bottle all those memories into a song, that's what I've done," Dylan said.

Music journey

He explained that he had been producing music for the last five or six years professionally.

"Two years ago, I finally took the leap to release my own music. This will be my fourth single," he said.

"I opened up for the Sawdoctors in the UK and Ireland a couple of times.

"I played with a friend, Darragh O'Dea, in his band. He co-wrote my new single.

"By the end of the summer I hope to release a 6-track EP and I'll do an EP launch and that will hopefully be my first proper gig."

Dylan has been playing music since he was 10.

"I play guitar, drums and bass, recording and producing my own music in my studio which was a turf shed and is a really nice studio now.

"It doesn't get anymore west of Ireland than that," he laughed.

Eleven years ago, Dylan produced a documentary around his grandather Tom and his life.

"He had a cool story about when 'The Quiet Man' was being filmed in the railway station just up the road from his house and he got to meet John Wayne," Dylan explained.

"My grandfather was only a teenager at the time and the director asked him would he move the cattle away from the back of the shot because they were in the way. He gave him £5 to keep the cattle away."

Future path

"Looking to the future, the big milestone is to release the 6-track EP.

"I'm really proud to be able to finally release music that I have been sitting on for so long.

"The aim is to keep writing and releasing and hopefully get a few gigs under the belt. Next summer I'd love to do a festival or two, that's the plan."