Nell Ní Chróinín hails from the Múscraí Gaeltacht of West Cork, where she grew up in the small village of Béal Áthá’n Ghaorthaidh. The Múscraí area is historically linked with a strong heritage of song and music, and Nell was exposed to these local traditions from a very young age, which has been the cornerstone to her identity throughout her career as an artist and a traditional Sean Nós singer. Her immersion, which started at home, continued in primary and secondary school as a result of the singing scheme ‘Scéim Amhránaíochta Aisling Gheal’, which aimed to preserve local songs by teaching them to the younger generation of the area. Nell attended these classes from the age of ten under the tuition of the wonderfully talented Máire Ní Chéilleachair, to whom Nell credits much of her success. Máire would not only teach the songs, but also the history of the songs and would expose the class to some old recordings of local singers who were no longer with us. This massively spurred Nell’s interest in singing, and she began to sing publicly from the age of eleven at local festivals and sessions. She enjoyed success as a young singer, including several medals and titles from various competitions such as Oireachas na Samhna and The Fleadh Cheoil.

Her accomplishments at the Oireachtas festival blossomed as she won the prestigious Corn Uí Riada competition in 2014. This was a momentous win for Nell personally, as she was the youngest winner in the history of the competition at the time. It was, however, also a momentous moment for the wider Múscraí singing community as it was the first time any singer from her locality had won this accolade. This was particularly significant as it was named after the local composer and highly acclaimed musician, Seán Ó Riada.

In 2012, she was the youngest ever recipient of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Amhránaí na Bliana award, which she believes is one of her highest honors and achievements to date. In 2016, she became the lead singer of the highly renowned traditional band Danú. This, for Nell, was a change, as she was so familiar with singing in the sean-nós style without accompaniment. This, again, helped her further develop as an artist, crafting her own voice while still being firmly rooted in tradition. She is thoroughly enjoying exploring singing in this different context, and she recorded her first album with Danú in 2018, Ten Thousand Miles. She regularly tours with the group in the USA.

As Gaeltacht Mhúscraí in Iarthar Chontae Chorcaí is ea í Nell Ní Chróinín a tógadh sa sráidbhaile beag Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh. Tá ceangal stairiúil ag ceantar Mhúscraí le hoidhreacht láidir san amhránaíocht agus stair, traidisiún áitiúil atá á shú isteach ag Nell ó aois an-óg agus atá mar bhunchloch dá féiniúlacht riamh ó thosaigh sí amach mar ealaíontóir agus mar amhránaí ar an sean-nós. Tumadh sa tradisiún seo í sa bhaile agus go deimhin sa bhunscoil agus sa mheánscoil mar thoradh ar an ‘Scéim Amhránaíochta Aisling Gheal’, a raibh sé mar sprioc aici amhráin áitiúla a chaomhnú agus iad á chur ar aghaidh chuig aos óg na háite. Thosaigh Nell ag freastal ar ranganna na scéime seo agus í deich mbliana d’aois agus is í an múinteoir Máire Ní Chéilleachair, a bhfuil an-chumas ó Dhia inti, a bhí ansin aici agus is ar mhaithe léi sin a bhfuil rath anois ar Nell, dar léi féin. Ní bhíodh an t-amhrán lom á chur i láthair ag Máire, ach stair an amhráin leis agus seantaifeadtaí de chuid amhránaithe áitiúla nach maireann. Chothaigh sé seo ar fad suim mhór i Nell san amhránaíocht, agus thosaigh sí ag gabháil fhoinn os comhair an phobail ag feilte agus seisiúin áitiúla agus í aon bhliain déag d’aois. Is iomaí gradam agus bonn a bronnadh uirthi mar amhránaí óg ag leithéidí Oireachtas na Samhna agus an Fhleadh Cheoil.
Tháinig a cuid éachtaí ag Oireachtas na Samhna faoi bhláth sa bhliain 2014 agus an gradam clúiteach Corn Uí Riada buaite aici. Lá mór a bhí ann do Nell go pearsanta, mar gurbh ise an duine ab óige ar bronnadh an gradam sin air ag an am sin. Ach lá mór a bhí ann fosta do mhuintir Mhúscraí, mar gurbh í an chéad uair í a bhfuair duine as an gceantar sin an corn. Bua sách suntasach a bhí ann mar gheall gurbh é an cumadóir agus ceoltóir mór le rá, Seán Ó Riada, as an gceantar céanna, ar ainmníodh an corn féin ina dhiaidh.
Sa bhliain 2012, ba í an duine ab óige leis an Gradam Ceoil TG4 Amhránaí na Bliana a bhuachan, rud a áiríonn sí ar na gradaim is uaisle dá bhfuil bainte amach aici go dtí seo. Sa bhliain 2016, thosaigh sí mar phríomhamhránaí an ghrúpa thraidisiúinta fhíorchlúiteach Danú, rud a bhí an-éagsúil leis an amhránaíocht ar an sean-nós gan ghléasanna ceoil a raibh taithí aici uirthi. Ach is mór go deimhin a chuir sé sin chun cinn í mar ealaíontóir, agus a glór féin á fhorbairt aici gan imeacht ó na fréamhacha doimhne a bhí aici sa traidisiúin. Tá taitneamh as cuimse á bhaint anois aici as aithne a fháil ar a bheith ag amhránaíocht sa chomhthéacs nua seo, agus tá a chéad halbam taifeadta aici le Danú sa bhliain 2018, a dtugtar Ten Thousand Miles air. Is minic a bhíonn coirmeacha ceoil á gcur ar fáil aici ar fud Mheiriceá leis an ngrúpa.