Dotts O’Connor's 'Fail We May' is a hymn for the resilient heart

Every once in a while, a song arrives like a rediscovery, as if it’s been waiting quietly in the collective memory of folk tradition, ready to surface when the world needs it most. Dotts O’Connor’s 'Fail We May' is one of those songs. Gentle in delivery yet immense in spirit, it captures the fragile grace of persistence, and the quiet courage it takes to keep sailing, even when the waters rise.

The track draws inspiration from the now-mythic story of Andrew Weatherall’s encounter with a Cork fisherman and his immortal phrase: “Fail we may, sail we must.” O’Connor transforms that mantra into a meditation on endurance, acceptance, and the unsteady beauty of the human condition. His warm and unhurried voice feels like an old friend that carries the kind of sincerity that can’t be faked.

Recorded live at The Meadow in Wicklow, the performance shimmers with organic intimacy. Brian Dillon’s piano lines ripple like soft waves beneath the artist's melody, while Paul Kenny’s drums and Ken McCabe’s subtle electronics and bass add quiet propulsion. While producer Rian Trench captures the atmosphere perfectly.

Musically, 'Fail We May' sits somewhere between timeless folk and modern Irish songwriting, its melody recalling the spirit of Turlough O’Carolan’s airs while its lyrical form feels wholly contemporary. O’Connor’s phrasing suggests both humility and defiance, an acceptance of life’s missteps coupled with an unspoken promise to keep going.

This is a song about the dignity found in trying again. In an age obsessed with perfection, 'Fail We May' is a reminder that to stumble is human, and to continue is to live.