Rathmullan‑born journalist Jake McFarlane advances Irish music coverage

Glasgow‑based journalist Jake McFarlane, 27, is using his Rathmullan roots to champion Irish music through HIVE Magazine.

McFarlane, who was born in Falkirk and spent his teenage years in Rathmullan attending Loreto Community School in Milford, moved to Glasgow in 2019 to study multimedia journalism. He began writing for HIVE in 2022, initially to gain gig access, but soon secured early album copies from The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys.

His latest assignment involved a last‑minute interview with folk duo The Mary Wallopers ahead of their Edinburgh show, after their tour manager texted him a two‑hour notice. McFarlane, then “sitting on the couch playing PlayStation”, rushed to the interview, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the band.

Since then he has interviewed artists such as Lisa Canny of BIIRD, singer‑songwriter Sarah Crean and Cork folk act Rua Rí, positioning himself as HIVE’s unofficial Irish music correspondent. He balances the role with a full‑time banking job.

McFarlane attributes his passion to family ties – his mother Katrina Tasker is also a journalist and his grandmother Bessie Tasker, a Rathmullan native, linked him to his late grandfather Bobby Tasker, a former Falkirk and Derry City footballer.

He advises aspiring writers to be “shameless”, stressing that fear of rejection should not stop them from reaching out to artists.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Jeremy Mignolet / Pexels.