Ps
Today’s folk song in the BBC Radio 2 series has just aired…wow…
Chris Wile and Julie Matthews…’The Waiting Room’…based on the true story of Tom,left in Reading Station as a very young baby…a ‘foundling’ in October,1965…Toms life story is heartening too.
Hi Christy,
Haven’t been to the track in long time.
I’ll be having a dose of 2ndfavitis for the first three.
And then getting out of Dodge rapid.
Round we go heel to toe.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Hello to you Christy and to the other guests! So happy to see this page and to read the guestbook.
A month ago during my birthday picnic a friend of mine chose on Youtube your song “Ride on”. The group was till that moment quite noisy, but with the first sounds coming from the speakers the entire atmosphere changed into some kind of vibrating calmness. I observed my mom sitting on the blanket how she started to sing along with you with her eyes closed. And even though I know my mother for 34 years now I must admit – I have never seen her like that. So humble, so focused, so connected to the silent, feeling part of herself, so close to her heart and to the Insvisible. In this moment the world stopped, tears went down my eyes and I felt blessed to have seen her like this. The next day I asked her about the song and she admitted that she is your great fan since many many years, but never had an opportunity to see you performing live. Sometimes in life it is possible to see directly what is necessary to be done and this was exactly this kind of moment – I knew that it is her heart’s way to be present at your concert and that it is somehow extremely important. With the whole family we just now started to organise the trip as a gift for her 60th birthday to see your show and hear you live, but as I see there is absolutely no tickets left to any of your shows in 2025 in Ireland. I am of course very happy to see you working with so much joy and full house every time! But if there are any more concerts coming in the future or if there is any chance to join the concert in Trim on 2nd of October that would mean so so so much.
Or maybe somebody from the guest reading this has a spare ticket for this date of 2.10 that could be sold to us? If yes, please let me kindly know somehow, my instagram is @sabinakrauze.
Whatever happens now, whether my mum will have the opportunity to travel to Ireland or not, I am eternally thankful for your music, for this memory from my birthday, for your heart that you put in your music. I would be happy if our paths cross one day. All the best on your way!
Christy hi
I see Vicar Street runs again in the first race tonight at the Galway races…or Sodom and Begorra as we know it.
I hope the gamblers with wads and notes, the hairy bacon mob, the kinvarra crab munchers, marriages and divorces are being celebrated and ministers of state accepting drinks from terrible chancers….they’re under starters orders so c’mon Lester up on the favourite.
Rory
Hi Christy
In turbulent times,some consistency is welcome…
BBC radio and folk music,alive and well…great memories of your sessions and iconic MacColl,Seeger Radio Ballads. Tomorrow at 9pm,folk show Inc a Peggy Seeger interview.
YouTube being well used by the Beeb for songs and stories…’21st century folk’,just released…people with interesting links to trains,being subjects of songs specifically written for them…by the likes of Richard Thompson,Thea Gilmore,The Unthanks and a few more….great tales and new songs.brill idea and absorbing music…
Hi Christy,
Hope the break is going well
and that you enjoyed the football and rugby.
The races are starting today as the arts festival finishes.
Got to see The Blades in The Rosin and
A Lazarus Soul were in Monroes on Friday.
Brian Brannigan is one of the great frontmen.
Stage presence in buckets
– We’ve no more songs to sing for ye
– A tar road ?
– Sure there’s only the one line in it
Ye can sing that yourselves …
Didn’t get tickets for Richard Thompson and
The Wallopers were playing the big tent.
Don’t like the big tent meself but
every cripple has his own way of walking.
Kevin Barry had a play called The Cave.
it was dark and long but parts of it were laugh out funny.
Good luck to anyone who picked winners today in Galway.
The two short odds jollies payed 4/5 and sure if you had five
why would you want four. Money on. money gone.
Tabhair Aire
(And we’ll see you in September. Please God.)
Bourkey
Christy's reply
Holy God Bourkey but you’ve been out the door supporting such an array of creativity….great to hear that The Laz are batin it out goodo…..will you taking giant steps around bookmakers this week adout in Ballybrit ?…. I set out for the Galway Races once, way back in 1963….myself and Johnny Flood never left Salthill…empty pockets and sore heads….I got to sing one night in O’Connor’s..any hot tips please share here…
A girl cries in the early morning, woken by the sound of a gun,
She knows that somebody’s dying beneath the rising sun.
I like the shape of this recording too, fuzzy but clear in its depth.
Rory
Christy's reply
that was the first song I recieved from the late Johnny Duhan….40 years since….later I recieved Los Desaperacidos from the late Wally Page….I’ve been privileged to receive songs from such great song writers
Been a long time since commenting on here and I see you’re still at it and engaging better than ever. Time passes us by quickly, 2 babies on the rug and all that.
Just been checking your gig page and House Full everywhere which is great to see. Any plans for Vicar Street this year or anywhere for that matter?
A genuine thanks from myself for the music and countless gigs over the years. I’ll never forget your kindness in agreeing to have a chat after your gig one night in the Waterfront where we spoke of Derry and nights in the Rialto, also when you picked up the phone to me one Sunday night when it came to looking for an alternative date for one of your gigs. When I received an email from your site asking for my mobile, I didn’t imagine your voice being on the end of the phone.
They always say never meet your hero’s, they don’t come much better than you!
WHALLUP!!!!
Christy's reply
welcome back Colm…congrats on the new family…ye ‘ll be busy !!….if all goes well we’ll have a few Vicar Street gigs posted on the gig page before too long…the team are working on it…
Cinnte this is the Day ! Always such a thrill, no matter how many times we travel to the big Field of Dreams. Two proud counties, with friends & 4711ers across The Island helping one another in the hunt for tickets and a brave Cill Dara 4711er the Man in Black !! A lovely day for it, may it be a good clean, injury free game and may the best team win. An Riocht Abu ! Beir bua agus beannacht. H
Christy's reply
Sam done and dusted for another year, Kerry were simply brilliant, congrats to all concerned, Donegal will take stock, learn from yesterdays lesson, will come back and “go at it agin”….many followers around the country look on in wonderment, dream and ponder on the possibilites….
back to the clubs now…County Championships to be decided..back to the roots ..
I’m remembering September 1992…Donegal won their first All-Ireland…we were all gathered at home for our Mother’s removal to St Conleth’s Church in Newbridge…I was upstairs listening to the match… the ref blew the final whistle, hundreds of car doors opened simultaneously and mourners filed slowly towards our house to pay respects to their friend, our beloved Neans De Paor
Christy
Only once did i meet an Irishman called Johnny Connors, he was indeed one of the Traveller clan, he was working with his son around the Scottish Borders. I told him of the song, probably 20 years ago.
Great song, glad it ignited a spark.
Rory
Hi Christy,
Big win for the Lions this morning…Many Irish lads stepping up to the cause.
Looking forward to a cracker tomorrow, The Hills and the Kingdom should bring great excitement to Headquarters. I’m going for a draw !!!!.
Ride on.
best Regards,
Patsy
Christy's reply
The Irish & British Lions do the (almost) impossible once again
They bring us together as one
Ireland,England, Scotland & Wales united in a single cause
and it feels really good
three times, every year
the Ireland Rugby squad have that same facility
Be it Twickenham, Cardiff Arms park , Edinburgh’s Murrayfield or Lansdowne Road
we get to stand ,side by side, with our neighbours
sing our anthems, and cheer our heroes on
( What a shame that this phenomenon is being harnessed by mammon
as stands and terraces become scenes of wanton drunkenness )
and now we await Today’s encounter
Down from The Hills they come, and up from The Kingdom
all wearing the same colours….
Hilary & Marty & Ger all fluttering in The Green & Gold
(could also be Leitrim, Meath & Limerick)
Just like the American Indian all gone but for a few
The Australian Aboriginals are nearly all gone too
In Palestine the people are being killed off one by one
What are the Irish people going to do to the
Travelling clan?
My name is Johnny Connors
Christy's reply
Rory,mo chara,
once again, I thank You,
you have resurfaced that verse,
long since forgotten,
in turn ,it leads me back to that song,
I wrote the words 40 years ago,
Wally Page scored the melody,
( another great tune from my fallen companero )
I recorded it ( “Johnny Conners”) on the 1999 album “King Puck”
it never settled into the live arena
Christy a Chara,
Many Thanks for another memorable night in Drogheda in the 4th and for the shout out for Mo Mháthair.
You’re very generous with your time and kind words Christy and it’s greatly appreciated by the plebs in the cheap seats.
Go Raibh Míle Maith Agat … Ride On 💙
Christy's reply
Danny Boy…I like getting flash backs to earlier gigs..that was a good night for me…my two cousins came to the gig from far off Stackallen…I like that venue too ….it has such a distinctive acoustic and “air” about it…
your mention of “cheap” seats has me thinking…my first experience of “seating” goes back 70 years to the Odeon Cinema in my home town of Newbridge…the dear seats were at the back …every Sunday a matinee….6 pence, 4 pence and 3 pence up front in the “wooden” balcony….there’d be a short, a middler ( Joe McDoakes or a Pete Smith Speciality) then the feature and we’d all go wild when the “Calvary” came to town….some might be experimenting with girls and/or cigarettes…Mr O’Reilly trying to keep the peace down the front while the Usherettes flashed torches at any sign of canoodling, kissing or feeling…
on a break now..all the crew have fled to the hills..its quiet here…
as i rambled abroad by Kilsheelan
the river meandered on down
to my right lay the Comeragh Mountains
to the left of me sweet Sliabh na mBan
where the fishermen cast on the waters
and the apples are pressed into wine
where the herd return slowly to meadow
thru the fields that surround Ballydine
gorgeous but sinister
rory
Christy's reply
Written way back…
I overheard two lawyers talking..
they were in from London to defend a multi national outfit..
a local farmer ,adjacent to their plant, was mysteriously losing his herd..
as well as international lawyers they were using a dirty tricks brigade to spread false rumour about this farmer…
all long since gone..the farmer died, the plant went thru various buy-outs, consolidations,take-overs, shake-ups and finally shut down…
I used to sing that song when playing that hinterland…it never went down too well..there would be a shuffling
Thanks for the Kangaroo’ link to Bess Cronin…A long time favourite Planxty song that I hadn’t yet connected to the source…it’s a wonderful pastime when a trad song hits home and history can be traced..
All the best
Dave
Christy's reply
what a unique singer…Bess left a fine legacy around Ballyvourney …see/hear Nell Ní Chróinín
“If I was a gust of wind I’d blow
Around the world three times or so…”
I’ve been working on this lovely.
It’s reappeared in your setlist, if I’m remembering right?
Ps
Today’s folk song in the BBC Radio 2 series has just aired…wow…
Chris Wile and Julie Matthews…’The Waiting Room’…based on the true story of Tom,left in Reading Station as a very young baby…a ‘foundling’ in October,1965…Toms life story is heartening too.
A superb song and very poignant …D
Hi Christy,
Haven’t been to the track in long time.
I’ll be having a dose of 2ndfavitis for the first three.
And then getting out of Dodge rapid.
Round we go heel to toe.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Hello to you Christy and to the other guests! So happy to see this page and to read the guestbook.
A month ago during my birthday picnic a friend of mine chose on Youtube your song “Ride on”. The group was till that moment quite noisy, but with the first sounds coming from the speakers the entire atmosphere changed into some kind of vibrating calmness. I observed my mom sitting on the blanket how she started to sing along with you with her eyes closed. And even though I know my mother for 34 years now I must admit – I have never seen her like that. So humble, so focused, so connected to the silent, feeling part of herself, so close to her heart and to the Insvisible. In this moment the world stopped, tears went down my eyes and I felt blessed to have seen her like this. The next day I asked her about the song and she admitted that she is your great fan since many many years, but never had an opportunity to see you performing live. Sometimes in life it is possible to see directly what is necessary to be done and this was exactly this kind of moment – I knew that it is her heart’s way to be present at your concert and that it is somehow extremely important. With the whole family we just now started to organise the trip as a gift for her 60th birthday to see your show and hear you live, but as I see there is absolutely no tickets left to any of your shows in 2025 in Ireland. I am of course very happy to see you working with so much joy and full house every time! But if there are any more concerts coming in the future or if there is any chance to join the concert in Trim on 2nd of October that would mean so so so much.
Or maybe somebody from the guest reading this has a spare ticket for this date of 2.10 that could be sold to us? If yes, please let me kindly know somehow, my instagram is @sabinakrauze.
Whatever happens now, whether my mum will have the opportunity to travel to Ireland or not, I am eternally thankful for your music, for this memory from my birthday, for your heart that you put in your music. I would be happy if our paths cross one day. All the best on your way!
Sabina
Christy hi
I see Vicar Street runs again in the first race tonight at the Galway races…or Sodom and Begorra as we know it.
I hope the gamblers with wads and notes, the hairy bacon mob, the kinvarra crab munchers, marriages and divorces are being celebrated and ministers of state accepting drinks from terrible chancers….they’re under starters orders so c’mon Lester up on the favourite.
Rory
Hi Christy
In turbulent times,some consistency is welcome…
BBC radio and folk music,alive and well…great memories of your sessions and iconic MacColl,Seeger Radio Ballads. Tomorrow at 9pm,folk show Inc a Peggy Seeger interview.
YouTube being well used by the Beeb for songs and stories…’21st century folk’,just released…people with interesting links to trains,being subjects of songs specifically written for them…by the likes of Richard Thompson,Thea Gilmore,The Unthanks and a few more….great tales and new songs.brill idea and absorbing music…
Enjoy the day
Dave
Hi Christy,
Hope the break is going well
and that you enjoyed the football and rugby.
The races are starting today as the arts festival finishes.
Got to see The Blades in The Rosin and
A Lazarus Soul were in Monroes on Friday.
Brian Brannigan is one of the great frontmen.
Stage presence in buckets
– We’ve no more songs to sing for ye
– A tar road ?
– Sure there’s only the one line in it
Ye can sing that yourselves …
Didn’t get tickets for Richard Thompson and
The Wallopers were playing the big tent.
Don’t like the big tent meself but
every cripple has his own way of walking.
Kevin Barry had a play called The Cave.
it was dark and long but parts of it were laugh out funny.
Good luck to anyone who picked winners today in Galway.
The two short odds jollies payed 4/5 and sure if you had five
why would you want four. Money on. money gone.
Tabhair Aire
(And we’ll see you in September. Please God.)
Bourkey
Holy God Bourkey but you’ve been out the door supporting such an array of creativity….great to hear that The Laz are batin it out goodo…..will you taking giant steps around bookmakers this week adout in Ballybrit ?…. I set out for the Galway Races once, way back in 1963….myself and Johnny Flood never left Salthill…empty pockets and sore heads….I got to sing one night in O’Connor’s..any hot tips please share here…
A girl cries in the early morning, woken by the sound of a gun,
She knows that somebody’s dying beneath the rising sun.
I like the shape of this recording too, fuzzy but clear in its depth.
Rory
that was the first song I recieved from the late Johnny Duhan….40 years since….later I recieved Los Desaperacidos from the late Wally Page….I’ve been privileged to receive songs from such great song writers
Hi Christy, How ye?
Been a long time since commenting on here and I see you’re still at it and engaging better than ever. Time passes us by quickly, 2 babies on the rug and all that.
Just been checking your gig page and House Full everywhere which is great to see. Any plans for Vicar Street this year or anywhere for that matter?
A genuine thanks from myself for the music and countless gigs over the years. I’ll never forget your kindness in agreeing to have a chat after your gig one night in the Waterfront where we spoke of Derry and nights in the Rialto, also when you picked up the phone to me one Sunday night when it came to looking for an alternative date for one of your gigs. When I received an email from your site asking for my mobile, I didn’t imagine your voice being on the end of the phone.
They always say never meet your hero’s, they don’t come much better than you!
WHALLUP!!!!
welcome back Colm…congrats on the new family…ye ‘ll be busy !!….if all goes well we’ll have a few Vicar Street gigs posted on the gig page before too long…the team are working on it…
Cinnte this is the Day ! Always such a thrill, no matter how many times we travel to the big Field of Dreams. Two proud counties, with friends & 4711ers across The Island helping one another in the hunt for tickets and a brave Cill Dara 4711er the Man in Black !! A lovely day for it, may it be a good clean, injury free game and may the best team win. An Riocht Abu ! Beir bua agus beannacht. H
Sam done and dusted for another year, Kerry were simply brilliant, congrats to all concerned, Donegal will take stock, learn from yesterdays lesson, will come back and “go at it agin”….many followers around the country look on in wonderment, dream and ponder on the possibilites….
back to the clubs now…County Championships to be decided..back to the roots ..
I’m remembering September 1992…Donegal won their first All-Ireland…we were all gathered at home for our Mother’s removal to St Conleth’s Church in Newbridge…I was upstairs listening to the match… the ref blew the final whistle, hundreds of car doors opened simultaneously and mourners filed slowly towards our house to pay respects to their friend, our beloved Neans De Paor
This is the day….
The ticket scramble is done…. we’re here….
Our good companero en route northwards… hope it’s all it’s been built up to…
There are people dreaming….
Thanks for the good vibes .
its no mean achievemnt…..ye will be back….safe journey back to The Hills
Christy
Only once did i meet an Irishman called Johnny Connors, he was indeed one of the Traveller clan, he was working with his son around the Scottish Borders. I told him of the song, probably 20 years ago.
Great song, glad it ignited a spark.
Rory
The Early Bird
Hi Christy,
Big win for the Lions this morning…Many Irish lads stepping up to the cause.
Looking forward to a cracker tomorrow, The Hills and the Kingdom should bring great excitement to Headquarters. I’m going for a draw !!!!.
Ride on.
best Regards,
Patsy
The Irish & British Lions do the (almost) impossible once again
They bring us together as one
Ireland,England, Scotland & Wales united in a single cause
and it feels really good
three times, every year
the Ireland Rugby squad have that same facility
Be it Twickenham, Cardiff Arms park , Edinburgh’s Murrayfield or Lansdowne Road
we get to stand ,side by side, with our neighbours
sing our anthems, and cheer our heroes on
( What a shame that this phenomenon is being harnessed by mammon
as stands and terraces become scenes of wanton drunkenness )
and now we await Today’s encounter
Down from The Hills they come, and up from The Kingdom
all wearing the same colours….
Hilary & Marty & Ger all fluttering in The Green & Gold
(could also be Leitrim, Meath & Limerick)
I’ll be in The Nally or at The Railway End
Just like the American Indian all gone but for a few
The Australian Aboriginals are nearly all gone too
In Palestine the people are being killed off one by one
What are the Irish people going to do to the
Travelling clan?
My name is Johnny Connors
Rory,mo chara,
once again, I thank You,
you have resurfaced that verse,
long since forgotten,
in turn ,it leads me back to that song,
I wrote the words 40 years ago,
Wally Page scored the melody,
( another great tune from my fallen companero )
I recorded it ( “Johnny Conners”) on the 1999 album “King Puck”
it never settled into the live arena
I thimk I’m gonna to “go at it agin”
Christy a Chara,
Many Thanks for another memorable night in Drogheda in the 4th and for the shout out for Mo Mháthair.
You’re very generous with your time and kind words Christy and it’s greatly appreciated by the plebs in the cheap seats.
Go Raibh Míle Maith Agat … Ride On 💙
Danny Boy…I like getting flash backs to earlier gigs..that was a good night for me…my two cousins came to the gig from far off Stackallen…I like that venue too ….it has such a distinctive acoustic and “air” about it…
your mention of “cheap” seats has me thinking…my first experience of “seating” goes back 70 years to the Odeon Cinema in my home town of Newbridge…the dear seats were at the back …every Sunday a matinee….6 pence, 4 pence and 3 pence up front in the “wooden” balcony….there’d be a short, a middler ( Joe McDoakes or a Pete Smith Speciality) then the feature and we’d all go wild when the “Calvary” came to town….some might be experimenting with girls and/or cigarettes…Mr O’Reilly trying to keep the peace down the front while the Usherettes flashed torches at any sign of canoodling, kissing or feeling…
on a break now..all the crew have fled to the hills..its quiet here…
as i rambled abroad by Kilsheelan
the river meandered on down
to my right lay the Comeragh Mountains
to the left of me sweet Sliabh na mBan
where the fishermen cast on the waters
and the apples are pressed into wine
where the herd return slowly to meadow
thru the fields that surround Ballydine
gorgeous but sinister
rory
Written way back…
I overheard two lawyers talking..
they were in from London to defend a multi national outfit..
a local farmer ,adjacent to their plant, was mysteriously losing his herd..
as well as international lawyers they were using a dirty tricks brigade to spread false rumour about this farmer…
all long since gone..the farmer died, the plant went thru various buy-outs, consolidations,take-overs, shake-ups and finally shut down…
I used to sing that song when playing that hinterland…it never went down too well..there would be a shuffling
Hi Christy
Thanks for the Kangaroo’ link to Bess Cronin…A long time favourite Planxty song that I hadn’t yet connected to the source…it’s a wonderful pastime when a trad song hits home and history can be traced..
All the best
Dave
what a unique singer…Bess left a fine legacy around Ballyvourney …see/hear Nell Ní Chróinín