Hi Christy,
That photo of you in todays IT taken at Smock Alley yesterday, just sums up to me, what a most compassionate person you are.
If ever a picture was worth a thousand words this is it.
I reckon anyone looking at this photograph who knows nothing about you would still consider it a most compassionate picture.
Your respectful stance to the girl in the wheelchair, the holding of her hand and the look in her eye is magical.
Well done and keep her going as you might say yourself!, Leonard has departed and gone as he may have said himself as well! and although you are not as old as he was, there are still a few left yet so don’t give up the fight.
Keep the music flowin’
Cheers
C
Christy's reply
It was an emotionally charged gathering …..most of us hear of tragedies through media, we sympathise momentarily, we move on……but bereaved families carry loss and heartbreak forevermore….
Everyone I met that morning carried portraits of their loved ones, spoke of them with a sense of love,pride and loss……
Since statistics were first gathered more then 25,000 people have died on Irish Roads. We have all,in some way,been effected by road carnage….
Attitudes must change…..It needs to be established that using devices whilst driving is no longer acceptable, that speeding, just like drink/driving, is culturally unacceptable. Legislators must stop pussyfooting and present legislation that displays zero tolerance towards all offending drivers. We all have a part to play.
It was a priviledge to be invited to that gathering, to be asked to sing a few songs to mark the occasion
Hows’it going Christy..
The gig in the Punchbowl the other night was an unforgettable experience. I have the Curragh of Kildare stuck in my head since.
Thanks for playing Hiroshima Nagasaki and tell Andy to keep her lit, he sings a lovely harmony. .
Hope Lar made the tea was strong enough…
Look forward to seeing you the 20th of December
Best Wishes,
Paul
Christy's reply
that was a noble call… Hiroshima is always a good song to sing….Curragh another golden oldie..been singin that 54 years now but it seldom comes out….it was in my original repertoire when Donal Lunny and I had a trio with his brother Frank Lunny (Junior) we were called “The Rakes of Kildare” and we did 3 gigs…our repertoire was “Curragh” “Follow me Up to Carlow” “Mary from Dungloe” Rosin The Bow” “Brennan on The Moore” “The Sligo Maid” and “The Dingle Regatta”…our fee was £3 (if we could get it) and a crate of stout. Our last performance was the 1916 50th Anniversary Commemoration in Hugh Neeson’s Lounge on Easter Sunday 1966. Jack Whyte stole the show with “a Nation once again”….
Lar’s tea was well brewed, his Uncle made an apple tart ( we nearly ate the plate). we got a brown loaf from Bray and 6 duck eggs from Roscommon…Andy and I hope to continue with our duo
Afternoon Christy.
Not checked in for a while but just reading through the posts, it seems that all is OK with the real world and those puppets with the power have not distorted the music. Couldn’t make the Manchester gig. Holiday in Turkey. Some fecking missiles landed about 10 miles from us. Had to laugh at the Hotel’s Customer Relations manager. He blamed the missile launch on Sky News who were reporting everything with a bias. Another 2 degree bias and I would be reporting straight back to the airport. Must tell you about a weekend I had in Belfast beginning of the month. never been before so 4 of us traipse over for the weekend. What a fabulous place. Met some great people and had a great craic. Did the tourist thing and did the hop on and hop off bus. This takes you to some of the areas considered hotspots during the troubles. It brought to life some of your songs and the images I had in my head that had formed from news items back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was much younger. Then when I get back and telling me dad(92) about the trip he informs me he lived on Denmark st just off Crumlin Road shortly after marrying my mum in 1945. Why the hell didn’t I know that. If the people I met in Belfast reflect it’s folk then the City seems to be in safe hands. Catch you soon. See I didn’t even mention the Nobel Prize.
Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings,
Steal a little and they put you in jail,
Steal a lot and they make you King.
Dylan circa yesterday in the car
Regards
Frankie
Christy's reply
Belfast has always been a great City to visit, even more so now that its not crawling with Forces of Occupation..I love walking Belfast, by the River ,the City centre, some great parks, like to ramble up The Falls….the banter is good, sharp, witty and straight up…..my next gig there will be a support for Tar Isteach. I’m looking forward to that
Just a quick note to say it was absolutely wonderful to see you upstairs in the Punchbowl in Booterstown last night. The vibe was superb, it’s a great little venue and it was lovely to see you sitting there with Andy. It’s a special thing to be able to share a night like that with your son, and it really was a privilege to watch you sit with him, and enjoy the experience of you both sharing the songs that you love.
Hope you liked what we did with the strings, I was delighted to be able to pass that on to you.
Thanks for a great night a Chriostóir! Hopefully see you along the way soon.
Jim.
Christy's reply
we hope to continue sharing songs….it is indeed a great pleasure fr me to sing with Andy…he has been listening to some of these songs all of his life
Last week, a day or two after hearing the news of the US elections, I put on ‘Ordinary Man’ in order to give me a bit of solace. My grandparents are survivors of the Nazi concentration camps, and so what’s happening in the US is hitting me in a very personal place, as I suppose it does for many of us, each in our own ways.
After listening to Ordinary Man, a few extra lines flew into my ear:
And now there is a man with a microphone in hand,
Who’s blaming it all on my neighbours from the south
He says I have no job cause of some poor Mexican slob
And Muslims are what our trouble’s all about
And if I vote for him
He says we’re surely going to win
And drive this foreign scourge from our land
And as the crowd around me cheers
My eyes fill up with tears
It’s hatred that will kill us in the end
But we’ll never bend
Thanks again for all the music… I haven’t got words to properly thank you for all it’s given us over the years…
-Jon
Christy's reply
thanks for sharing Jon…..the times are surely changing….
Hello Christy,
after spending a year as a foreign language assistant in Dublin, I completely fell in love with Irish Folk music. I decided to form a band called “The Mockingbird Men” in order to bring some pieces of this wonderful music over to Germany. At the moment, we’re recording our first album which will be called “Back in the Port”. We’d really love to put our version of “Back home in Derry” on the album as well. Therefore, I’d kindly ask for your permission to use your version as the starting point for our version of the song. Also, I’ll gladly send our version via e-mail in case you want to check it. 🙂
Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and the other lads in The
Mockingbird Men.
Cheers from Germany
Sebastian
Christy's reply
Adelante Sebastian..give it all you’ve got….let the words of Bobby Sands resound right across Germany…good luck to The Mockingbird Men
Hi Christy
we once again enjoyed your gig last Saturday very much. We realise that we are very privelegied to be able to come back a second time this year. Way too short, but we spent 3 very nice days in our favourite country. Our son Lars, although on crutches enjoyed the gig tremendously. The weekend was for him the perfect distraction towards a knee-operation today. He can start his revalidation shortly and already dreams of returning to Ireland in spring time.
thanks again for keeping up the good work, it’s such a pleasure for all the fans. thanks to the whole crew behind you as well, who makes this all possible.
all the best
Lars, Els & Piet
Christy's reply
I had a knee operation when I was 16….. stopped kneeling in Church and never went back…I did not realise until the end of the gig that you were in the front row…when I saw Lars crutches !………I’m hoping to make another trip to Belgium,Holland and Germany…I have asked the Managers Agents and Promoters to try and make it happen..fingers crossed
Hi Christy
With a house move and waiting for the internet being connected, it’s the first chance I have had to say thank you for a wonderful show in Birmingham on October 13th.
I have waited for 25 years to catch you live and it was everything we had hoped it would be and more.
When my wife was having treatment for breast cancer, Bright Blue Rose became a special song to us. We were sat three rows from the front Christy and the tears were flowing when you sang.it.
Thank you, Declan and Jim for a wonderful evening. By the way I live in Erdington hope to see you down this way again soon.
Christy's reply
glad it worked out well for you both….its a very impressive venue but not as good as The Old Contemptible in Town back in 1967….Mick Hipkiss singing “Come By The Hill” and Bob Cooney singing “Windy Edinburgh Town”
see you next time Phil & Co
We went to see Mick Flannery on Friday in St Stephens Church Shepherd’s Bush. The church was divine but the inmates were loud and intoxicated. So in response to your comment let me quote a member of the audience ‘Jaysus you’re a feckin bollix’. Thank you so much Christy. I can commence my novel. The inherited son is on the oul’ techno job as we speak (so to speak).
Any assistance you can provide for hugging of aforementioned Scally wolf dog would be most welcome. My motives are that of a Jesuit. I could travel farther and fare worse, as my father in law once said to me. xx
Christy's reply
Its a few years now since I had to endure such inmates (and I was often worse then they were)…I’ll see what I can do to get you into Bellaghy…..you’ll have to cross The Moss and find your way thru Swatragh,Draperstown and Castledawson…cross The Bridge at Toome and catch a few eels to bring home for himself……its cosy country
Thank you to you and all involved for the Journey. It was like a road map or a guide book. With a soundtrack. I will watch it regularly because it forms a veritable Bayeux tapestry to so much of what I think and feel. My favourite part is when you and Mick drive down the path to Colm Scullion’s and there’s that magnificent wolfhound. So whatever you’ve done and however many battles you’ve fought and won (or lost) or the songs you’ve sung, my lasting memory will be my desire to hug that dog. Take good care. Xx
Christy's reply
the archive facility you requested has been made available….Scullion’s dog is a mighty animal…well fed and also knows his/her music…he/she howls when Daniel comes on the wireless (not literally)…..It may be possible for you to hug the dog, shall I check it out ?…it may be necessary to carefully examine your precise intent…. them Wolfhounds can be right randy auld sods……
Well Christy,
I know this site is about music.
But tell me that the Irish don’t talk politics in the pub.
Well for what it is worth, as an Irish decendent and a dual U.S./ Canadian citizen, here is my view on the current U.S. election outcome. Then tonight, I am going to listen to and watch the new CD included with the recent Planxty release. Whoo,Whoo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWx3-As0QQo
Ah lad you’ve been working fierce hard helping give the Róisín Dubh’s oul bones a good rattling. Tonight’s gig in the Carrickdale was better than Mass. Lingo Politico was the Holy Wafer (next album, pretty please?). Back Home in Derry brought to mind the ghost of John Corrie, as has the drop in temperature this past couple of years. Hope you don’t mind me sharing this here again, Christy. Thanks for tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXoqV8dSDSY
Christy's reply
indeed and I do not mind in the slightest..its a fitting memorial… says it just like it is …just like it is’nt……
” ita missa est ” sez Brenda “Gloria tibi Domine ” sez I, and me only off the mailboat
Hi Christy.
Thanks for a wonderful Gig in the Carrickdale…… there was some vibe in that room tonight, and you were all at your absolute best. Something tells me that they don’t like Politions . Love he new verse to Bogman.
Best regards,
Ride on
Patsy
Christy's reply
We lived by The Bog of Allen
‘neath the hill of the ancient King
we listened for the Corncrakes distant call
heard the Lark and the Curlew sing..
that was some turnout in Jonesboro last night…chanters one and all…. and them well versed in the Lingo Politico…Johnny Meade got a Birthday cake
Hello Christy , this is my 5th time going to see your show and this time 2 miles from my front door. Can’t wait to hear you over at the border tonight in the Carrickdale. My grandfather used to call it Ann o Neil’s quarry but this was before my time being only 33. I have taken up playing the Bodhran since I seen you last and am loving it, though I use a tipper unlike you. If the wind is blowing in the right direction tonight you might consider playing little musgrave, my favourite song. I hope you got to take in some of south Armaghs beautiful scenery today . Enjoy the night Christy. Tony Downey
Christy's reply
Morra Tony…Musgrave does not venture out too often….I cant budge him unless the wind is blowing in the right direction…he usually lies low of a saturday night but if the air is right, who knows what might happen….so Im in Anne O’Neills Quarry tonight…heres hopin I dont get stoned
Christy, terribly sad news to hear of Leonard’s passing.
I’ve just watched another DVD of his and he moves me to tears. Not because he’s died, he could always move me to tears. His wise, gentle face, and his soothing voice, touch me in the same way you do when singing Butterfly or The Contender.
The night came on, it was very calm … but this time his Mother did not say Go back to the World.
A sad, sad time. So long, Leonard.
Christy's reply
That was him alright John….he was present in all our hearts.. in a way that many did not realise until he passed…..tears falling in many quarters….the sort of man we dont meet every day
Thank you for your beautiful words on Leonard Cohen, dear Christy. It is so sad to lose someone like him. We are blessed to have seen Leonard with his brillant band during his world tour in Amsterdam and Hamburg, his concerts were 3 hours of sheer beauty and grace. He will live on forever in his music and poetry, but the world is poorer and darker now without him.
Hi Christy
Armistice Day,US worries,Leonard Cohen’s passing…
Thanks for your music and this forum to share thoughts and reflect.
Dave
Christy's reply
His presence made the world a better place….he was a guiding light, a touchstone, a gentle traveller, he saw,noticed,reflected.. he brought smiles and tears, touched hearts,gathered listeners,he the singer,poet,musician,sage,lover of The World,rogue, cool smoker….
all these personal observations gleaned from a distance, never met the man, saw him just once about 5 years back when he played The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin. A stunning Concert,he enthralled serenaded and humoured us that Summer’s evening as the Sun went down and the sky pinkened above The Phoenix Park….he was a wonderfully generous performer who displayed great respect and consideration towards his excellent accompanying Band…
(and he once sang Kevin Barry)
Hello Christy- ‘Journey’ landed in the mailbox Wednesday morning- a little brightness after a long dark night of watching the election results trickle in and suck the air out of the room. Did the hard work of waking the children and trying to explain the unexplainable, wandered through the past 2 days fueled by grief, and finally settled in to watch tonight. Found comfort hearing you talk about the creative process/songs as an alternate way to carry the news, in the utility of crafting something that comforts the marginalized. And I’m curious to hear the corncrake verse that got tossed from North and South of the River. I wish it stayed….. Seeing the places/faces at the heart of so many songs was really special, so thanks… carry on, hope you are well, Kat
Christy's reply
When I awoke the other morning I hesitated…normally I turn on the radio upon wakening but I was literally nervous about the potential news….but soon enough the word permeated….lying there I tried to remember the US leaders of my lifetime and came up with 10….time alone will tell how much it matters, how much it means…..signs are not good….
Bureaucrats and power brokers prevented the current President from making do the good he intended …..we can but hope that those same crats and brokers might prevent the boastful, evil intent promised by the next incumbent…
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback….the Corncrake is back ! I have just wriiten a new opening verse to “I’m a Bogman”
“We lived by The Bog of Allen
beneath the seat of the Ancient King
We listened for the Corncrake’s distant call
heard the Lark and the Curlew sing
Where the heather and the moss grow
and the turf lies row after row
out there in the Sun to dry
I breathe it in as I walk on by
where the kids and dogs all muck in together
bringin home the turf, no matter what the weather
…I’m a Bogman,deep down its where I come from”
(Luka & Christy)
Hi Christy,
Els and I managed to come again for some days to Ireland and to attend your gig in Dundalk on Saturday. And our son 17yr Lars will join us as well. Last weekend he was injured in his basketball game, an injury which will unfortunately keep him off the courts for the rest of the season. Although, on crutches, he insisted to join us (he joined us in the past several times, in Knocknagoshel f.i.). For sure, listening to your music will help to heal.
In Flanders Fields it’s tomorrow the remembrance day for the end of the first world war. Joe Sheeran and all his friends will be remembered.
looking forward to seeing you back on Saturday
Lars, Els and Piet
Hi Christy,
That photo of you in todays IT taken at Smock Alley yesterday, just sums up to me, what a most compassionate person you are.
If ever a picture was worth a thousand words this is it.
I reckon anyone looking at this photograph who knows nothing about you would still consider it a most compassionate picture.
Your respectful stance to the girl in the wheelchair, the holding of her hand and the look in her eye is magical.
Well done and keep her going as you might say yourself!, Leonard has departed and gone as he may have said himself as well! and although you are not as old as he was, there are still a few left yet so don’t give up the fight.
Keep the music flowin’
Cheers
C
It was an emotionally charged gathering …..most of us hear of tragedies through media, we sympathise momentarily, we move on……but bereaved families carry loss and heartbreak forevermore….
Everyone I met that morning carried portraits of their loved ones, spoke of them with a sense of love,pride and loss……
Since statistics were first gathered more then 25,000 people have died on Irish Roads. We have all,in some way,been effected by road carnage….
Attitudes must change…..It needs to be established that using devices whilst driving is no longer acceptable, that speeding, just like drink/driving, is culturally unacceptable. Legislators must stop pussyfooting and present legislation that displays zero tolerance towards all offending drivers. We all have a part to play.
It was a priviledge to be invited to that gathering, to be asked to sing a few songs to mark the occasion
Hows’it going Christy..
The gig in the Punchbowl the other night was an unforgettable experience. I have the Curragh of Kildare stuck in my head since.
Thanks for playing Hiroshima Nagasaki and tell Andy to keep her lit, he sings a lovely harmony. .
Hope Lar made the tea was strong enough…
Look forward to seeing you the 20th of December
Best Wishes,
Paul
that was a noble call… Hiroshima is always a good song to sing….Curragh another golden oldie..been singin that 54 years now but it seldom comes out….it was in my original repertoire when Donal Lunny and I had a trio with his brother Frank Lunny (Junior) we were called “The Rakes of Kildare” and we did 3 gigs…our repertoire was “Curragh” “Follow me Up to Carlow” “Mary from Dungloe” Rosin The Bow” “Brennan on The Moore” “The Sligo Maid” and “The Dingle Regatta”…our fee was £3 (if we could get it) and a crate of stout. Our last performance was the 1916 50th Anniversary Commemoration in Hugh Neeson’s Lounge on Easter Sunday 1966. Jack Whyte stole the show with “a Nation once again”….
Lar’s tea was well brewed, his Uncle made an apple tart ( we nearly ate the plate). we got a brown loaf from Bray and 6 duck eggs from Roscommon…Andy and I hope to continue with our duo
Afternoon Christy.
Not checked in for a while but just reading through the posts, it seems that all is OK with the real world and those puppets with the power have not distorted the music. Couldn’t make the Manchester gig. Holiday in Turkey. Some fecking missiles landed about 10 miles from us. Had to laugh at the Hotel’s Customer Relations manager. He blamed the missile launch on Sky News who were reporting everything with a bias. Another 2 degree bias and I would be reporting straight back to the airport. Must tell you about a weekend I had in Belfast beginning of the month. never been before so 4 of us traipse over for the weekend. What a fabulous place. Met some great people and had a great craic. Did the tourist thing and did the hop on and hop off bus. This takes you to some of the areas considered hotspots during the troubles. It brought to life some of your songs and the images I had in my head that had formed from news items back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was much younger. Then when I get back and telling me dad(92) about the trip he informs me he lived on Denmark st just off Crumlin Road shortly after marrying my mum in 1945. Why the hell didn’t I know that. If the people I met in Belfast reflect it’s folk then the City seems to be in safe hands. Catch you soon. See I didn’t even mention the Nobel Prize.
Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings,
Steal a little and they put you in jail,
Steal a lot and they make you King.
Dylan circa yesterday in the car
Regards
Frankie
Belfast has always been a great City to visit, even more so now that its not crawling with Forces of Occupation..I love walking Belfast, by the River ,the City centre, some great parks, like to ramble up The Falls….the banter is good, sharp, witty and straight up…..my next gig there will be a support for Tar Isteach. I’m looking forward to that
Just a quick note to say it was absolutely wonderful to see you upstairs in the Punchbowl in Booterstown last night. The vibe was superb, it’s a great little venue and it was lovely to see you sitting there with Andy. It’s a special thing to be able to share a night like that with your son, and it really was a privilege to watch you sit with him, and enjoy the experience of you both sharing the songs that you love.
Hope you liked what we did with the strings, I was delighted to be able to pass that on to you.
Thanks for a great night a Chriostóir! Hopefully see you along the way soon.
Jim.
we hope to continue sharing songs….it is indeed a great pleasure fr me to sing with Andy…he has been listening to some of these songs all of his life
Christy,
Last week, a day or two after hearing the news of the US elections, I put on ‘Ordinary Man’ in order to give me a bit of solace. My grandparents are survivors of the Nazi concentration camps, and so what’s happening in the US is hitting me in a very personal place, as I suppose it does for many of us, each in our own ways.
After listening to Ordinary Man, a few extra lines flew into my ear:
And now there is a man with a microphone in hand,
Who’s blaming it all on my neighbours from the south
He says I have no job cause of some poor Mexican slob
And Muslims are what our trouble’s all about
And if I vote for him
He says we’re surely going to win
And drive this foreign scourge from our land
And as the crowd around me cheers
My eyes fill up with tears
It’s hatred that will kill us in the end
But we’ll never bend
Thanks again for all the music… I haven’t got words to properly thank you for all it’s given us over the years…
-Jon
thanks for sharing Jon…..the times are surely changing….
Hello Christy,
after spending a year as a foreign language assistant in Dublin, I completely fell in love with Irish Folk music. I decided to form a band called “The Mockingbird Men” in order to bring some pieces of this wonderful music over to Germany. At the moment, we’re recording our first album which will be called “Back in the Port”. We’d really love to put our version of “Back home in Derry” on the album as well. Therefore, I’d kindly ask for your permission to use your version as the starting point for our version of the song. Also, I’ll gladly send our version via e-mail in case you want to check it. 🙂
Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and the other lads in The
Mockingbird Men.
Cheers from Germany
Sebastian
Adelante Sebastian..give it all you’ve got….let the words of Bobby Sands resound right across Germany…good luck to The Mockingbird Men
Hi Christy
we once again enjoyed your gig last Saturday very much. We realise that we are very privelegied to be able to come back a second time this year. Way too short, but we spent 3 very nice days in our favourite country. Our son Lars, although on crutches enjoyed the gig tremendously. The weekend was for him the perfect distraction towards a knee-operation today. He can start his revalidation shortly and already dreams of returning to Ireland in spring time.
thanks again for keeping up the good work, it’s such a pleasure for all the fans. thanks to the whole crew behind you as well, who makes this all possible.
all the best
Lars, Els & Piet
I had a knee operation when I was 16….. stopped kneeling in Church and never went back…I did not realise until the end of the gig that you were in the front row…when I saw Lars crutches !………I’m hoping to make another trip to Belgium,Holland and Germany…I have asked the Managers Agents and Promoters to try and make it happen..fingers crossed
Hi Christy
With a house move and waiting for the internet being connected, it’s the first chance I have had to say thank you for a wonderful show in Birmingham on October 13th.
I have waited for 25 years to catch you live and it was everything we had hoped it would be and more.
When my wife was having treatment for breast cancer, Bright Blue Rose became a special song to us. We were sat three rows from the front Christy and the tears were flowing when you sang.it.
Thank you, Declan and Jim for a wonderful evening. By the way I live in Erdington hope to see you down this way again soon.
glad it worked out well for you both….its a very impressive venue but not as good as The Old Contemptible in Town back in 1967….Mick Hipkiss singing “Come By The Hill” and Bob Cooney singing “Windy Edinburgh Town”
see you next time Phil & Co
We went to see Mick Flannery on Friday in St Stephens Church Shepherd’s Bush. The church was divine but the inmates were loud and intoxicated. So in response to your comment let me quote a member of the audience ‘Jaysus you’re a feckin bollix’. Thank you so much Christy. I can commence my novel. The inherited son is on the oul’ techno job as we speak (so to speak).
Any assistance you can provide for hugging of aforementioned Scally wolf dog would be most welcome. My motives are that of a Jesuit. I could travel farther and fare worse, as my father in law once said to me. xx
Its a few years now since I had to endure such inmates (and I was often worse then they were)…I’ll see what I can do to get you into Bellaghy…..you’ll have to cross The Moss and find your way thru Swatragh,Draperstown and Castledawson…cross The Bridge at Toome and catch a few eels to bring home for himself……its cosy country
Thank you to you and all involved for the Journey. It was like a road map or a guide book. With a soundtrack. I will watch it regularly because it forms a veritable Bayeux tapestry to so much of what I think and feel. My favourite part is when you and Mick drive down the path to Colm Scullion’s and there’s that magnificent wolfhound. So whatever you’ve done and however many battles you’ve fought and won (or lost) or the songs you’ve sung, my lasting memory will be my desire to hug that dog. Take good care. Xx
the archive facility you requested has been made available….Scullion’s dog is a mighty animal…well fed and also knows his/her music…he/she howls when Daniel comes on the wireless (not literally)…..It may be possible for you to hug the dog, shall I check it out ?…it may be necessary to carefully examine your precise intent…. them Wolfhounds can be right randy auld sods……
Well Christy,
I know this site is about music.
But tell me that the Irish don’t talk politics in the pub.
Well for what it is worth, as an Irish decendent and a dual U.S./ Canadian citizen, here is my view on the current U.S. election outcome. Then tonight, I am going to listen to and watch the new CD included with the recent Planxty release. Whoo,Whoo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWx3-As0QQo
Ah lad you’ve been working fierce hard helping give the Róisín Dubh’s oul bones a good rattling. Tonight’s gig in the Carrickdale was better than Mass. Lingo Politico was the Holy Wafer (next album, pretty please?). Back Home in Derry brought to mind the ghost of John Corrie, as has the drop in temperature this past couple of years. Hope you don’t mind me sharing this here again, Christy. Thanks for tonight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXoqV8dSDSY
indeed and I do not mind in the slightest..its a fitting memorial… says it just like it is …just like it is’nt……
” ita missa est ” sez Brenda “Gloria tibi Domine ” sez I, and me only off the mailboat
Hi Christy.
Thanks for a wonderful Gig in the Carrickdale…… there was some vibe in that room tonight, and you were all at your absolute best. Something tells me that they don’t like Politions . Love he new verse to Bogman.
Best regards,
Ride on
Patsy
We lived by The Bog of Allen
‘neath the hill of the ancient King
we listened for the Corncrakes distant call
heard the Lark and the Curlew sing..
that was some turnout in Jonesboro last night…chanters one and all…. and them well versed in the Lingo Politico…Johnny Meade got a Birthday cake
Hello Christy , this is my 5th time going to see your show and this time 2 miles from my front door. Can’t wait to hear you over at the border tonight in the Carrickdale. My grandfather used to call it Ann o Neil’s quarry but this was before my time being only 33. I have taken up playing the Bodhran since I seen you last and am loving it, though I use a tipper unlike you. If the wind is blowing in the right direction tonight you might consider playing little musgrave, my favourite song. I hope you got to take in some of south Armaghs beautiful scenery today . Enjoy the night Christy. Tony Downey
Morra Tony…Musgrave does not venture out too often….I cant budge him unless the wind is blowing in the right direction…he usually lies low of a saturday night but if the air is right, who knows what might happen….so Im in Anne O’Neills Quarry tonight…heres hopin I dont get stoned
Christy, terribly sad news to hear of Leonard’s passing.
I’ve just watched another DVD of his and he moves me to tears. Not because he’s died, he could always move me to tears. His wise, gentle face, and his soothing voice, touch me in the same way you do when singing Butterfly or The Contender.
The night came on, it was very calm … but this time his Mother did not say Go back to the World.
A sad, sad time. So long, Leonard.
That was him alright John….he was present in all our hearts.. in a way that many did not realise until he passed…..tears falling in many quarters….the sort of man we dont meet every day
Thank you for your beautiful words on Leonard Cohen, dear Christy. It is so sad to lose someone like him. We are blessed to have seen Leonard with his brillant band during his world tour in Amsterdam and Hamburg, his concerts were 3 hours of sheer beauty and grace. He will live on forever in his music and poetry, but the world is poorer and darker now without him.
always good to hear from you…
Hi Christy
Armistice Day,US worries,Leonard Cohen’s passing…
Thanks for your music and this forum to share thoughts and reflect.
Dave
His presence made the world a better place….he was a guiding light, a touchstone, a gentle traveller, he saw,noticed,reflected.. he brought smiles and tears, touched hearts,gathered listeners,he the singer,poet,musician,sage,lover of The World,rogue, cool smoker….
all these personal observations gleaned from a distance, never met the man, saw him just once about 5 years back when he played The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin. A stunning Concert,he enthralled serenaded and humoured us that Summer’s evening as the Sun went down and the sky pinkened above The Phoenix Park….he was a wonderfully generous performer who displayed great respect and consideration towards his excellent accompanying Band…
(and he once sang Kevin Barry)
So Long Leonard Cohen…….
Hello Christy- ‘Journey’ landed in the mailbox Wednesday morning- a little brightness after a long dark night of watching the election results trickle in and suck the air out of the room. Did the hard work of waking the children and trying to explain the unexplainable, wandered through the past 2 days fueled by grief, and finally settled in to watch tonight. Found comfort hearing you talk about the creative process/songs as an alternate way to carry the news, in the utility of crafting something that comforts the marginalized. And I’m curious to hear the corncrake verse that got tossed from North and South of the River. I wish it stayed….. Seeing the places/faces at the heart of so many songs was really special, so thanks… carry on, hope you are well, Kat
When I awoke the other morning I hesitated…normally I turn on the radio upon wakening but I was literally nervous about the potential news….but soon enough the word permeated….lying there I tried to remember the US leaders of my lifetime and came up with 10….time alone will tell how much it matters, how much it means…..signs are not good….
Bureaucrats and power brokers prevented the current President from making do the good he intended …..we can but hope that those same crats and brokers might prevent the boastful, evil intent promised by the next incumbent…
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback….the Corncrake is back ! I have just wriiten a new opening verse to “I’m a Bogman”
“We lived by The Bog of Allen
beneath the seat of the Ancient King
We listened for the Corncrake’s distant call
heard the Lark and the Curlew sing
Where the heather and the moss grow
and the turf lies row after row
out there in the Sun to dry
I breathe it in as I walk on by
where the kids and dogs all muck in together
bringin home the turf, no matter what the weather
…I’m a Bogman,deep down its where I come from”
(Luka & Christy)
More sad news here tonight Christy, Leonard Cohen has passed away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q&list=RDYrLk4vdY28Q#t=0
Heavens Above
Hi Christy,
Els and I managed to come again for some days to Ireland and to attend your gig in Dundalk on Saturday. And our son 17yr Lars will join us as well. Last weekend he was injured in his basketball game, an injury which will unfortunately keep him off the courts for the rest of the season. Although, on crutches, he insisted to join us (he joined us in the past several times, in Knocknagoshel f.i.). For sure, listening to your music will help to heal.
In Flanders Fields it’s tomorrow the remembrance day for the end of the first world war. Joe Sheeran and all his friends will be remembered.
looking forward to seeing you back on Saturday
Lars, Els and Piet
Welcome back again….