by Jason Ankeny
Celtic pop group Kila formed in Dublin in 1987, originally comprised of vocalist/bodhrán player Rónán Ó Snodaigh, his multi-instrumentalist brother Rossa, and uilleann piper Eoin Dillon. The schoolmates soon welcomed another Ó Snodaigh sibling, flutist Colm, and began busking throughout the Dublin area; a series of other members passed through Kila's ranks before the lineup finally solidified with the additions of fiddler Dee Armstrong, guitarist Lance Hogan, and his bassist brother, Brian. Debuting with Mind the Gap, the group returned in 1998 with Tóg É Go Bog É. Lemonade & Buns followed two years later. In 2001, the group released Monkey!, a collection of songs composed for a musical stage production based on a 16th century Chinese folk tale. It was followed by Luna Park (2003), Live in Dublin (2004), and the EP Tiománaí in 2005.