Singing Scottie Bánín brings a little joy during lockdown
GOREY’S answer to the X-Factor, Bánín the Singing Scottie dog, has been entertaining and warming the hearts of many around north Wexford and beyond with her unique take on life in lockdown.
Through social media videos, Bánín started off giving advice about hand washing and hygiene, but soon took to rewriting and performing hit songs from the likes of Adele and Amy Winehouse.
The youngest dog of four Scottish terriers in the Dohohue household, Bánín has not been with the family long but she has certainly made her mark.
Bánín’s owner Tanya explained that it simply started as funny videos being sent around family groups.
‘We never thought it would go as far as it did, it just spread very quickly. I had friends in the UK send Bánín’s videos back to me asking whether she was my dog. I thought my family and I would have a laugh with it and that would be it to cheer us but one of the videos has nearly 52,000 views,’ she said.
Requests for Bánín’s songs started when she was invited on South East Radio’s morning show, and the fans are hungry for more. The songs that followed included a remix of ‘Let it go’ from Frozen, and ‘Lonely’ by Akon.
‘Friends and neighbours asked me to do more and, at the beginning of lockdown, I was doing two videos a week but I’ve gotten a bit bored of it. I thought people were getting sick of hearing here once she got on the radio but it’s clear that people have more time on their hands,’ said Tanya.
‘It started just from being bored. My family think I’m dog mad so I just did it for them. I often send them funny things with my pets but they suggested I share it as they thought it was hilarious.
‘During these times people need a pick me up and that’s really what it is. During the crisis as a country we’ve just used humour more than anything as a way to get through this. We’re all getting a little bit stir crazy and we’re all trying to find our own little way to get through it’.
Tanya admits she never expected it to travel as far as it did.
‘It started being shared on lockdown pages on social media, among hairdressers and beauticians and people were just getting a giggle out of it. I think it’s anything that people can relate to’.
Some topics addressed in Bánín’s songs related to the times, such as hairdressers not being open and the thought of tourists flooding down to Wexford for the back holiday.
‘I come up with all the lyrics and the songs, but they’re just done as a joke really. The song N17, I was trying to think of something that rhymes with quarantine and it just came to me. The ideas just randomly pop into my head, anything and everything as I’m sitting working at home. I jot it down and it gives me something to focus on as well’.
Tanya really hopes that young people and children have enjoyed the videos.
‘My sister said I needed to come up with something that’s catchy that kids will love, so the Dance Monkey I did more so for my nieces and nephews as it’s so upbeat. But Bánín absolutely loves that song, she’s into music and she sits and cocks her head from side to side when it’s on. She has a hyper moment in the evening time and if there’s any music at all on, she’s gone.
‘I did try to get her to listen one of the days when she was on the radio, but sure she just ran off as she has no interest in herself ’,
Tanya was happy to report that the fame has not gone to Bánín’s head.
‘She’s hilarious and so easy going. We got her from Kerry and she’s a character. Bánín means little white one and I’ve three other black dogs called Dougal, Ted and Jack. Everyone expected me to name her after Father Ted as well.
‘She follows what the rest of them do, and she bites Dougal’s ears as she adores him. We love going for walk on the beach in the evening with four dogs running but we haven’t been doing that at the moment.
‘It’s been tough as I miss the sense of the ocean but she’s a total distraction as we got her before we knew that this Covid-19 was all coming and she has been a great comfort and assistance during this time’.
Bánín has a final message to her loyal fans going forward during the crisis.
‘We’re all in this together, we’ll come out the other side and we just have to find joy whenever we can at the moment’.