Hi Christy, delighted to hear you are a fan of Jeeves and Wooster books and the Just William stories by Richmal Crompton. I adored reading Just William as a child (indeed those books are a great read whatever your age). Both P. G. Wodehouse and Richmal Crompton had that rare ability to write stories that can make you laugh out loud and are told with the most wonderful use of language. I enjoyed hearing about the aviation exploits of your Uncle Jimmy. Was he the inspiration for “Sail on Jimmy”? That’s a terrific song. Thinking about flight reminds me of another literary classic, the autobiography “Wind, Sand and Stars” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (who also wrote “The Little Prince”). He captures the sense of exploration, wonder and danger for pilots during the early decades after the invention of the aeroplane, and also shares wise thoughts about life in general. Talking about books, have you thought about writing a book (beautiful concert photos included) telling the stories about some songs, alongside an album of those songs? I was just checking whether you had written such a book and see that your autobiography was published in 2000 (which I must read). I enjoy the way that each concert is unique because it always seems that at different concerts you hear backstories about different songs. As I see in a previous comment, the atmosphere has to be right for you to sing Spancil Hill (another wonderful song). I was lucky enough to hear you sing it live a year or two ago and when you shared the story about the life of the lyricist, that knowledge gives the song extra resonance for me when I listen to it. I’m sure you would have plenty of stories to fill another book, but I know finding time might be tricky given how busy you are with live performances. Best wishes for magic nights at Vicar Street!
An unexpectedly bright start to the day…kettle on,radio. Six on…very soon,a very excited presenter demanded attention for a song that is obsessing him…
Then…Dublin’s Madra Salach with ‘Blue and Gold’..new to me and a fab range of drones and vocals..very welcome,unexpected and now on the list for further listening!
No film spoilers,but I had a great Sunday night in an old,volunteer run cinema. Admiring performances and the geek stuff linked to Springsteen’s recordings…in due course,i’m sure there’ll be more comments in this parish.
Hi Christy,
Well, Sharon Shannon and her seven piece band,
(with special guests) fairly rocked old Sligo Town on Saturday.
Between the jigs and the reels on the night
there was a real nice vibe for Shane.
Liam Ó Maonlaí sang The Lullaby of London.
(Wouldn’t have killed him to sing Sí Do Mhamo Í)
But the dude is the dude.
Mundy chipped in with July and Mexico.
Local hero Eamon Mullarkey brought the first half to a close
with The Irish Rover. Joined Camille O’ Sullivan for The Fairytale
Of New York in the second half.
She near stole the show with A Rainy Night in Soho.
But it was Sharon and her right hand man Alan Connor
what kept the show on the road throughout.
Mighty version of Cavan Potholes for Donal Lunny
Before Steve Earle joined the ensemble.
The roof seemed to lift just then. And after The Galway Girl
the place was near burned to the ground.
No time for no Johnny Come Lately
as security, health and safety started getting interested.
No more than your Uncle Jimmy and his RAF chocks,
when the legend becomes fact go with the legend.
Then again maybe that’s why we’re in the mess we’re in.
Fair play to Catherine. She’s got the big job in the big house.
Hopefully she won’t let them grind her down over the seven years.
Again enjoy the Vicar Street run.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Christy's reply
Morra Bourkey,
your review of Sharon’s gig reads like a wonderful dream…what an amazing array of players and singers….and this gathering completely unique to Herself…there at the heart of it all…..Sharon succeeds at something I often dream….thank you for the great review of what reads like a magical experience….
Turning my attention here to the Vicar St run ( marathon !)….kicks off this coming Saturday with the first of 12 (one yet to be announced…a special )
preparing some seldom performed chestnuts, hoping to slip them in when nobody’s watching….as the finishing draws closer there are songs I’d like to air..
a few have come back of late…Smoke “n Whiskey, Lawless, Allende, Tamlaghtduff, Sacco ‘n Vanzetti, Fidel ‘n Che,Allende
It was inspiring to meet Catherine on the canvass, to lend support to the brilliant campaign, to encounter the passion of her team, …… last Monday’s Green Room in Vicar St was an example of what could be…..Catherine surrounded by a cacophony of people all buzzed up by the togetherness engendered by this Galway Girl…. in Labour with Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, People Before Profit, Balladeers, Rappers, Poets, Rusty Rifles, Reformed Rogues, Declan Bree and Mary Wallopers all together in that delivery room determined to deliver this miracle up to The Park…..
Its gonna be like The GPO in 1916, The British Embassy in ’72 Carnsore Point in’78, everyone will have been there when history unfolds the real and imagined story….
off to the Dintist this morning….( me teeth are perfect but me gums have to come out) ….{“he got them all in and out in the one day”)
let me know when your next thinking of coming to a gig
Dear Christy,
What was I’m going to do on a rare free rainy Sunday ( as you know I’m a nurse)? While I was hanging around the house I came across a DVD of yours that I’ve hadn’t seen yet! “Journey”.
Very lovely, powerful and also courageous story.
An afternoon well spent. Far beyond the borders of your beautiful Island your music means a lot for many people.
In November we’re going to Argentina so no Vicar street for us but a good friend is coming to see you for the first time so in a way we will be there. Do you have any idea yet what the plans are for gigs in springtime?
Many greetings and thanks for many lovely hours.
See you hopefully soon
Chris and Jan
Christy's reply
Hi Chris & Jan
I wish you a safe and happy trip to Argentina…..
if all goes well there will be Springtime gigs here in Bognia…..
(Mullingar, Killarney, Concert hall,Dublin and Cavan are pencilled in and will soon be announced…)
good to read that you saw “Journey” by Mark McLoughlin….working with Mark for a year was a great experience..himself and Dara and their team travelled with us to many places and captured the work with great sensitivity
One of today’s Sunday papers mentions that Christy gets a shout out in a new short story (entitled “Ah Jaysis, Jeeves”) by Roddy Doyle. This appears in a new short story collection called “Jeeves Again” in which different contemporary writers reimagine their own versions of the comic Jeeves and Wooster stories written by P. G. Wodehouse. The Wodehouse stories, set roughly in the 1920s, feature an aristocratic Englishman called Bertie Wooster who was always getting into scrapes and being rescued by his clever butler Jeeves. In Roddy Doyle’s version, Bertie is an Irishman who has won the lottery and hired an English assistant called Jeeves. The book review mentions that when Jeeves quotes “the Bard”, Bertie asks if he means Christy Moore. Sounds like a book to add to the list for Santa!
Christy's reply
tickled pink I am…on 2 fronts…to get a mention in a Roddy Doyle is a buzz..to be linked, even second hand, with Jeeves brings on a broad smile…way way back, over 60 years ago, I was infatuated with PG Woodhouse…I ended up there after consuming Richmal Crompton yarns thru boyhood years…..after I’d grown out of The Hotspur,The Adventure, The Wizard, The Rover…they followed earlier years with The Beano & The Dandy…jasus but I was a right little englander ( out of Dundee) back in the day…for a while I was sucked in by ads to join the RAF…either that or the priesthood…the power of advertising..I had but one Uncle (no Aunts) Uncle Jimmy left Navan in 1939 to join the RAF…his poor mother(my Granny) regaled me with heroic tales of his piloting Spitfires…( later I learned he used to the remove the chocks from under the wheels before they took off )
A céad míle fáilte on the mat at the Áras for our new President Catherine Connolly. It was a joy to listen to her speak throughout the campaign. In a world of chaotic parts, her calmness, integrity & compassion is refreshing and ever present.. “That flame of light, that beacon bright, that flame is burning still..”
Christy,
We didn’t have twentieth century revoltionary heroes here in Hawick, ours more sixteenth.
However the young Dundalk lad has found and famed one new to me, the book is on its way, the musical history link here https://youtube.com/shorts/ejf5JF58o04?si=aVLSukI1PJNX6veW
Fair play, Rory
Christy's reply
great to hear the lad from The Wee
is stirring hearts across the Sea
We wish him well upon his journey
may he know peace of mind,
may all his dreams come thru
Hi Christy,
Looking forward to watching A Ballymurphy Man.
Another good one is Mr Scorsese and enjoying
Imelda May’s Amhráin na nGael too.
Got to see the Bruce film this afternoon.
Afternoon is a good time to go – quieter like.
Feckin expensive these days. But this one is worth it.
Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad and The Seeger sessions
are getting a spin tonight. Lucky to have Bruce and his songs.
Guess he’s lucky too. Having Jon Landau as a friend and manager.
Off to Sligo tomorrow to see Steve Earle and Sharon Shannon.
Enjoy the Vicar Street run.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Christy's reply
Morra Bourkey,
So much to ponder in a paragraph…
hope to see Mr Scorsese..
so far I’ve failed to shake the Apple tree
have yet to see Ep 2 of Imelda’s latest series
but we have it taped
she is some woman for one woman
Nebraska still resounds
hope Sligo goes well
Steve & Sharon sure to rock that arena
Waiting for the count here
Looking forward to seeing you again back at Vicar Street next week. If possible can I make a request for Spancilhill to be played, myself and my girlfriend’s favourite song of yours.
Thanks and up Catherine ✊
Christy's reply
Shane, I cant commit to “Spancilhill”….its one of a number of songs that only works when the night is right, its a very special song in many ways, it runs deep, its never planned, never on a set list,
On random nights Michael Considine taps me gently on the shoulder. other nights he whispers in my ear,
“Last night as I lay dreaming of pleasant days gone by”
I think of his young tragic life and the beautiful song he left after him…..maybe come the night ..we’ll just have to wait and see
Hi Christy, delighted to hear you are a fan of Jeeves and Wooster books and the Just William stories by Richmal Crompton. I adored reading Just William as a child (indeed those books are a great read whatever your age). Both P. G. Wodehouse and Richmal Crompton had that rare ability to write stories that can make you laugh out loud and are told with the most wonderful use of language. I enjoyed hearing about the aviation exploits of your Uncle Jimmy. Was he the inspiration for “Sail on Jimmy”? That’s a terrific song. Thinking about flight reminds me of another literary classic, the autobiography “Wind, Sand and Stars” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (who also wrote “The Little Prince”). He captures the sense of exploration, wonder and danger for pilots during the early decades after the invention of the aeroplane, and also shares wise thoughts about life in general. Talking about books, have you thought about writing a book (beautiful concert photos included) telling the stories about some songs, alongside an album of those songs? I was just checking whether you had written such a book and see that your autobiography was published in 2000 (which I must read). I enjoy the way that each concert is unique because it always seems that at different concerts you hear backstories about different songs. As I see in a previous comment, the atmosphere has to be right for you to sing Spancil Hill (another wonderful song). I was lucky enough to hear you sing it live a year or two ago and when you shared the story about the life of the lyricist, that knowledge gives the song extra resonance for me when I listen to it. I’m sure you would have plenty of stories to fill another book, but I know finding time might be tricky given how busy you are with live performances. Best wishes for magic nights at Vicar Street!
Hi Christy
An unexpectedly bright start to the day…kettle on,radio. Six on…very soon,a very excited presenter demanded attention for a song that is obsessing him…
Then…Dublin’s Madra Salach with ‘Blue and Gold’..new to me and a fab range of drones and vocals..very welcome,unexpected and now on the list for further listening!
No film spoilers,but I had a great Sunday night in an old,volunteer run cinema. Admiring performances and the geek stuff linked to Springsteen’s recordings…in due course,i’m sure there’ll be more comments in this parish.
Have a good day
Dave
Hi Christy,
Well, Sharon Shannon and her seven piece band,
(with special guests) fairly rocked old Sligo Town on Saturday.
Between the jigs and the reels on the night
there was a real nice vibe for Shane.
Liam Ó Maonlaí sang The Lullaby of London.
(Wouldn’t have killed him to sing Sí Do Mhamo Í)
But the dude is the dude.
Mundy chipped in with July and Mexico.
Local hero Eamon Mullarkey brought the first half to a close
with The Irish Rover. Joined Camille O’ Sullivan for The Fairytale
Of New York in the second half.
She near stole the show with A Rainy Night in Soho.
But it was Sharon and her right hand man Alan Connor
what kept the show on the road throughout.
Mighty version of Cavan Potholes for Donal Lunny
Before Steve Earle joined the ensemble.
The roof seemed to lift just then. And after The Galway Girl
the place was near burned to the ground.
No time for no Johnny Come Lately
as security, health and safety started getting interested.
No more than your Uncle Jimmy and his RAF chocks,
when the legend becomes fact go with the legend.
Then again maybe that’s why we’re in the mess we’re in.
Fair play to Catherine. She’s got the big job in the big house.
Hopefully she won’t let them grind her down over the seven years.
Again enjoy the Vicar Street run.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Morra Bourkey,
your review of Sharon’s gig reads like a wonderful dream…what an amazing array of players and singers….and this gathering completely unique to Herself…there at the heart of it all…..Sharon succeeds at something I often dream….thank you for the great review of what reads like a magical experience….
Turning my attention here to the Vicar St run ( marathon !)….kicks off this coming Saturday with the first of 12 (one yet to be announced…a special )
preparing some seldom performed chestnuts, hoping to slip them in when nobody’s watching….as the finishing draws closer there are songs I’d like to air..
a few have come back of late…Smoke “n Whiskey, Lawless, Allende, Tamlaghtduff, Sacco ‘n Vanzetti, Fidel ‘n Che,Allende
It was inspiring to meet Catherine on the canvass, to lend support to the brilliant campaign, to encounter the passion of her team, …… last Monday’s Green Room in Vicar St was an example of what could be…..Catherine surrounded by a cacophony of people all buzzed up by the togetherness engendered by this Galway Girl…. in Labour with Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, People Before Profit, Balladeers, Rappers, Poets, Rusty Rifles, Reformed Rogues, Declan Bree and Mary Wallopers all together in that delivery room determined to deliver this miracle up to The Park…..
Its gonna be like The GPO in 1916, The British Embassy in ’72 Carnsore Point in’78, everyone will have been there when history unfolds the real and imagined story….
off to the Dintist this morning….( me teeth are perfect but me gums have to come out) ….{“he got them all in and out in the one day”)
let me know when your next thinking of coming to a gig
Dear Christy,
What was I’m going to do on a rare free rainy Sunday ( as you know I’m a nurse)? While I was hanging around the house I came across a DVD of yours that I’ve hadn’t seen yet! “Journey”.
Very lovely, powerful and also courageous story.
An afternoon well spent. Far beyond the borders of your beautiful Island your music means a lot for many people.
In November we’re going to Argentina so no Vicar street for us but a good friend is coming to see you for the first time so in a way we will be there. Do you have any idea yet what the plans are for gigs in springtime?
Many greetings and thanks for many lovely hours.
See you hopefully soon
Chris and Jan
Hi Chris & Jan
I wish you a safe and happy trip to Argentina…..
if all goes well there will be Springtime gigs here in Bognia…..
(Mullingar, Killarney, Concert hall,Dublin and Cavan are pencilled in and will soon be announced…)
good to read that you saw “Journey” by Mark McLoughlin….working with Mark for a year was a great experience..himself and Dara and their team travelled with us to many places and captured the work with great sensitivity
One of today’s Sunday papers mentions that Christy gets a shout out in a new short story (entitled “Ah Jaysis, Jeeves”) by Roddy Doyle. This appears in a new short story collection called “Jeeves Again” in which different contemporary writers reimagine their own versions of the comic Jeeves and Wooster stories written by P. G. Wodehouse. The Wodehouse stories, set roughly in the 1920s, feature an aristocratic Englishman called Bertie Wooster who was always getting into scrapes and being rescued by his clever butler Jeeves. In Roddy Doyle’s version, Bertie is an Irishman who has won the lottery and hired an English assistant called Jeeves. The book review mentions that when Jeeves quotes “the Bard”, Bertie asks if he means Christy Moore. Sounds like a book to add to the list for Santa!
tickled pink I am…on 2 fronts…to get a mention in a Roddy Doyle is a buzz..to be linked, even second hand, with Jeeves brings on a broad smile…way way back, over 60 years ago, I was infatuated with PG Woodhouse…I ended up there after consuming Richmal Crompton yarns thru boyhood years…..after I’d grown out of The Hotspur,The Adventure, The Wizard, The Rover…they followed earlier years with The Beano & The Dandy…jasus but I was a right little englander ( out of Dundee) back in the day…for a while I was sucked in by ads to join the RAF…either that or the priesthood…the power of advertising..I had but one Uncle (no Aunts) Uncle Jimmy left Navan in 1939 to join the RAF…his poor mother(my Granny) regaled me with heroic tales of his piloting Spitfires…( later I learned he used to the remove the chocks from under the wheels before they took off )
A céad míle fáilte on the mat at the Áras for our new President Catherine Connolly. It was a joy to listen to her speak throughout the campaign. In a world of chaotic parts, her calmness, integrity & compassion is refreshing and ever present.. “That flame of light, that beacon bright, that flame is burning still..”
Great day
Christy,
We didn’t have twentieth century revoltionary heroes here in Hawick, ours more sixteenth.
However the young Dundalk lad has found and famed one new to me, the book is on its way, the musical history link here
https://youtube.com/shorts/ejf5JF58o04?si=aVLSukI1PJNX6veW
Fair play, Rory
great to hear the lad from The Wee
is stirring hearts across the Sea
We wish him well upon his journey
may he know peace of mind,
may all his dreams come thru
Hi Christy,
Looking forward to watching A Ballymurphy Man.
Another good one is Mr Scorsese and enjoying
Imelda May’s Amhráin na nGael too.
Got to see the Bruce film this afternoon.
Afternoon is a good time to go – quieter like.
Feckin expensive these days. But this one is worth it.
Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad and The Seeger sessions
are getting a spin tonight. Lucky to have Bruce and his songs.
Guess he’s lucky too. Having Jon Landau as a friend and manager.
Off to Sligo tomorrow to see Steve Earle and Sharon Shannon.
Enjoy the Vicar Street run.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Morra Bourkey,
So much to ponder in a paragraph…
hope to see Mr Scorsese..
so far I’ve failed to shake the Apple tree
have yet to see Ep 2 of Imelda’s latest series
but we have it taped
she is some woman for one woman
Nebraska still resounds
hope Sligo goes well
Steve & Sharon sure to rock that arena
Waiting for the count here
Hi Christy,
Looking forward to seeing you again back at Vicar Street next week. If possible can I make a request for Spancilhill to be played, myself and my girlfriend’s favourite song of yours.
Thanks and up Catherine ✊
Shane, I cant commit to “Spancilhill”….its one of a number of songs that only works when the night is right, its a very special song in many ways, it runs deep, its never planned, never on a set list,
On random nights Michael Considine taps me gently on the shoulder. other nights he whispers in my ear,
“Last night as I lay dreaming of pleasant days gone by”
I think of his young tragic life and the beautiful song he left after him…..maybe come the night ..we’ll just have to wait and see