A Woman's Heart – Then & Now Dara**

In 1992, A Woman's Heartalbum and song, written by Eleanor McEvoy, encapsulated the wealth of talent of Irish women singers and songwriters. The album turned into something of an albatross, however, especially for McEvoy, who was defined, for a time, by her anthemic title song. From this distance the album seems little more than a celebration of modest musical fodder, ideal for RTÉ Radio One playlists. This reissue is tagged with a second disc, however, of recent Irish female successes. As a marketing exercise to shift more copies of the original (which comes with extra tracks from the likes of McEvoy, Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and Frances Black) it's shrewd if unashamedly self-serving. As an exercise in cultural shifts, it's remarkable how the younger women come across, with Julie Feeney, Lisa Hannigan, Cathy Davey and Gemma Hayes standouts. See irelandcd.com

Download tracks: Lisa Hannigan, Ocean and a Rock; Cathy Davey, Little Red