Music with Eddie Rowley

SINGER Larissa Tormey combines her love of country music with her busy life farming in Westmeath.

A native of Russia, Larissa came to Ireland in 2001 after meeting her husband, Christy Tormey, when he was on a weekend trip with friends in Moscow.

When Christy returned to Ireland, they stayed in contact, even though Larissa had very little English.

“Christy then invited me over and I moved to Ireland three months later,” Larissa reveals. “I had some basic English and a few phrases. When we first met by chance in Moscow, I showed him around the city using a dictionary to communicate.

“When I arrived in Ireland, I then learned English pretty quickly and I think that being a musician means I have a good memory for language.” Larissa came from a rural background in Russia and quickly settled into life on the Tormey farm at Loughnagore in Kilbeggan.

“I don’t do physical work on the farm; instead I look after all the paperwork and manage all the farm medications,” Larissa says.

“When we have a Bord Bia inspection, I do it. After learning English, I did a course in bookkeeping and then I started to help Christy with the farm.”

Back home in Russia, Larissa — a trained classical singer — had been making a name for herself as a singer and songwriter. In Ireland, she began singing at church weddings before dipping her toes into the country music scene.

“I love to perform and to be in front of an audience is one of the most special places in the world for me,” she says.

Larissa has now released a video collection of her songs, featuring many that she has composed herself, including ‘My Love Is Like A River’ and ‘Doors To Joy, available from larissatormey.com.