Hi Christy
We were in to see you at the visual in Carlow last night , great show . The first song hit home to us because we run a charity called the jacket off your back we help Syrian refugee children in Greece and Syria
I was wondering if we could use the song “how long” for a video of some of the children in those camps
I am a friend and neighbour of Paddy Carol
Kevin Kelly http://www.jacketoffyourback.com
Christy's reply
work away Kevin, fire ahead…there is a version on the album “this is the day”…or an audience recording from more recent performances
Judy Collins Whales and Nigtinggales. love this LP! . Just holked it out of our extensive collection lol! My cousin who had been to many exotic places brought it to our west Belfast home in the early 70’s and it was played on the coffin like radiogram that sat in our front room. Always struck by the patriot game but also loved oh had I a golden thread..and .time passes slowly …so it does
Christy's reply
about 7 years ago I was playing at the beautiful Sage Theatre by the River Tyne in Gateshead..there are two theatres at the venue and, that night, Judy Collins was also playing there. We had a grand wee chat about how she adapted “The Song of Wandering Aonghus” and put it to her lovely melody…
a great session at the Frank Harte festival in Dublin last night.. some great songs from about 40 different singers…Joe Mulhearn sang his “Wild Colonial Boy.” Sean Mohan sang his “Willie McCrea” heard The Friel Sisters from Glasgow/Donegal, Niamh Parsons, Barry Gleeson and a host of balladeers
…..the stuff of dreams and a beautiful smiling portrait of Frank Harte Himself beaming down on proceedings
Myself and my future wife have been long time fans of you (remember the Boundary Bar in Bawnmore? and yes we are late to the alter).
We intend to have the voyage played as she walks up the isle (small non church wedding) and I would love if you could reply via email (big request i know) wishing her (in joke) good luck on her wedding day.
her name is Mairead and the wedding is the 20th October 2016 (few weeks)
Thanks for your time
Mark
Christy's reply
tis time for you! …I thought you’d never ask!
Boundary Bar in Bawnmore..tell me more …it dont ring no bells….when was it and where is it ??
Hi Christy, my wife and I will be in Ireland for the first time Oct 6 to the 15th. Are you going to be performing anywhere during that time? KC McCurrie
Christy's reply
sorry Curly, you caught me on the hop…I’ll be in England and Wales at that time…hope ye have a good trip….
I have enjoyed the poetic links that myself and Claire,my wife, being Skye crofters have inspired. MacCaig holds a place in my heart as someone who grabbed my attention as a reluctant Higher English teenager. Heaney had me from the beginning and I was very fortunate that my English teacher at school who happened to be my father, a huge Seamus Heaney afficionado, was very encouraging towards my interest in his work. FYI I will be discussing these various matters with my friend the Poet Rody Gorman from north County Dublin who is based here on south Skye and resident at the local Gaelic College. We have debated Heaney et al with a refreshement regularly over the years.
Also, I leant my copy of ‘Lily’ to my father for his car cd. He (74yo) fancies his own version of Mandolin Mountain on the spanish guitar. Good health all.
Christy's reply
you were lucky with your English teacher…I met a different class of teacher..as a 14-17 y.o. I was force fed Keats Wordsworth Shelley Byron Shakespeare in a manner that never gained my interest…later on I found poetry thru songs..Richie Havens singing WBYeats (via Judy Collins) got me started
I’d love to hear your Father’s version of Mandolin Mountain…any chance of recording it and putting it up here..give him my best wishes
Hi All. The two recent gigs in Belfast were indeed special, the harmonies, the pleasant surprise of Cahal Haydn on stage,,, the surprise of meeting some 4711ers from Munster and Leinster and the one from Doire and of course the traveller from Liverpool… the unexpected bonus of being there myself,,,, despite not being in Croker !!! May we never tire of the road. The poem shared by Mary from the Bog Meadows reminds me of this similar one from Seamus Heaney ” Quitting Time ” https://youtu.be/vI6v2jV8afY and nearby on the Youtube channel is an audio version of his wonderful and humble Noble Prize acceptance speech from 1995,,,, Beir bua agus beannacht,. H
Christy's reply
“Take a Chance Sometime” sings Declan at recent gigs…
Jimmy,Declan and I arrived in Armagh last week as Trio…during the soundcheck Cathal Hayden stuck his head round the door to say hello…as we proceeded with the soundcheck I asked Cathal had he got the Fiddle..”I think its in the boot” he replied…I invited him to play a tune with his and half an hour later invited him to play the entire gig ..it worked out so well that he subsequently joined us on the remaining three gigs in Newcastle and Belfast….he has that songster instinct that allows him play on songs… this is an entirely different box of tricks then those required to master the playing of Jigs and Reels….many of the masters of Trad Music find it impossible to play on the simplest of songs…some are so devoted to the “tune” that songs are viewed as an interruption in proceedings… others struggle to find notes that empathise with the lyric……similarly, I find it impossible to vamp on Reels and Jigs without referring to chord sheets……
Cathal’s Fiddle and Banjo accompaniments were a pure joy…he has just released an album “Hooked on Banjo” and will shortly release an album of Fiddle Music..see cathalhaydenmusicc.com
Christy and Innis…hope you don’t mind me dropping in on your conversation! My friend Linda lives in Scotland and she bought me The Poems of Norman MacCaig back in 2011. He’s a wonderful poet and I couldn’t resist sharing Crofter which he wrote in January 1985…
Last thing at night he steps out to breathe the smell of winter. The stars,
so shy in summer, glare down from a huge emptiness. In a huge silence he
listens for small sounds. His eyes are filled with friendliness. What’s history
to him? He’s an emblem of it in its pure state. And proves it. He goes inside.
The door closes and the light dies in the window.
Christy's reply
thanks for sharing this beautiful poem….I fell for it and was curious to see how it looked on the page…it intrigues me how poets lay out their lines…I sometimes cannot understand how they conclude….is it visual or oral ?, do they have rules or regulations ?….I remember talk of sonnets and quatrains from school but my mind always wandered to the playing fields and dancehalls…..
sometimes songs, straightforward to sing, refuse to be orderly on the page….looking again at Crofter …..(to me) it simply does not read as it is laid out.. but it is so beautiful, it matters not, its all part of poetic mystery…….
you can drop in any time you like !
CROFTER
Last thing at night
he steps outside to breathe
the smell of winter.
The stars, so shy in summer,
glare down
from a huge emptiness.
In a huge silence he listens
for small sounds. His eyes
are filled with friendliness.
What’s history to him?
He’s an emblem of it
in its pure state.
And proves it. He goes inside.
The door closes and the light
dies in the window
The Wife and myself loved our trip from the croft here ,Isle of Skye, to our first Christy gig at the Waterfront last night. Back home now for cattle sales, sheep sales and a bit of mail delivery just to earn a buck or two for, lets hope, another concert somewhere along the road. Legend has it you once played on Skye many moons ago – the island hasnt gone away ya’ know! Continued good health and prosperity ’til the next time. BTW sorry for not polishing my boots before the performance – nobodys perfect.
Christy's reply
Innis….glad ye had a good trip over….I have never played on Skye but did visit briefly when my Wife and I visited in the winter of 1974..
very much enjoyed the recent BBC series on farming in Scotland which included the lives of crofters, hill farmers, big beef farmers, sales, Angus Bull competitions and other aspects of the diversity of Scotland’s Farmers. It really caught my attention and I watched every episode
#4 Waterfront 18.9.16 Never gets old. Closed my eyes to hear more. Incredible sounds being created by human beings! Thanku. I seem to be making this an annual event..see you next year 🙂
Christy's reply
nice feedback..
I wish I was in Carrickfergus only for nights in Ballygrand
I would swim over thedeepest ocean only for nights in Ballygrand
but the water is I wide and I cant swim over
neither have I the wings to fly
I just wanted to thank yourself and Declan for taking the time to sign my Ride On album at the waterfront last night. I was there both nights and really enjoyed it. Hopefully next time you’re in town ill get to shake your hand. All the best for the rest of the tour.
Colm
Christy's reply
always a joy to see an old vinyl album coming up for signing…brings me back to earlier times when getting an album gave a lot more pleasure then downloading a song onto some app or whatever…the feel of the sleeve, the notes, getting the album out, handling with care before cleaning the needle, putting on the kettle….
Thank you Christy for another two wonderful nights in Belfast. Two totally different audiences but both loving the songs and the sounds. First time for me hearing Vickie and Andy adding the harmonies and they added beautifully to the gig – loved Vickie’s harmony at the end of Dec’s Let Somebody Know and Andy’s on Time has Come. Keep well Christy and see you along the way.
Christy's reply
back in my own bed now after a hectic Ulster Tour…Buncrana, Pettigo, Armagh, Newcastle, Belfast and Belfast….it was a lovely time..thanks to all who particpated…
Seedlings are tiny and delicate and need light compost so that they can push through as they emerge from their seed. Like the gardener you will tend and cultivate this delicate song until it blooms and make those high notes. Yes watched and loved the film. As always you mention Ballymurphy…on the 25th August the funeral took place of brave Ballymurphy woman Mary Murphy along with her husband Joseph who was killed 45 years ago in the Ballymurphy Massacre and whose body was exhumed last year. They died on the same day 45 years apart. Joseph was shot dead in 1971 and was exhumed last year by order of a coroner investigating the disputed circumstances of the killing. Brave Mary, 83 died as Joseph’s remains lay in the morgue. Green grows the laurel softly falls the dew.
Christy's reply
I did not know the story of Joseph and Mary Murphy…..your analogy with the old ballad is achingly appropriate…I’m thinking it was the trauma of Joseph’s exhumation that finally broke her heart…..
very often these old ballads are brought back to life by current events..I think of “The Well below The Valley”, “The Yellow Bittern”, “Dunlavin Green” to mention but three
Maidin maith a Christy. Great night at waterfront last night, my wife was with me, her first time seeing you. Craic was great and the sound was mighty. Listened to Prosperous on Way home, can’t beat ‘the hackler’. All the best,
Glenn
Christy's reply
He’ll run pell mell down into hell to search for Poitín there
and wont be loath to swear an oath he found it in Killikere
He’ll search your bed from foot to head sheets blankets tick and all
Your wife undressed must lave the nest for The Sergeant from Grouse hall..
we recorded that 44 years ago…its a great auld buzz to hear thats its still getting a spin
Wherever you are I hope that you and yours are being well looked after! Thank you for the mention with the Gardener and for references to Black Mountain/Bog Meadows. Great to see and hear your son on stage as well a female vocalist…wonderful. Also great to hear the mix of old and new songs…you never disappoint. I hope your sister has a wonderful night with Van the Man and Emmy Lou, Moving Hearts and Planxty too! GRMA
Christy's reply
Last night was the first time that The Gardener really clicked on stage..its a challenging song.It was written by Paul Doran who also penned “Natives” over 30 years ago. Its a delicate song but I need to “go at it” a bit to make the high notes.
The Sister is off to Culloden tonight to hear Ivan on The Gold Coast..by all accounts he is doing very good gigs these days…did you happen to see his oudoor gig filmed last year on Cyprus Avenue?….it was a beautiful
getting togged off now for Croke Park and then the dash back to Béal Feirste for another crack at The Waterfront….
Just back from the Waterfront. That was a nice gig last night; you really seemed to be in the zone and enjoying it. The vocals and sound were excellent and the crowd were in good nick too. I think the sunshine on Saturday had people in a positive mindset and that seemed to carry in to the hall. Belfast was buzzing yesterday and the city really is transformed. The old place looks good with a bit of sun shining on the surrounding hills and I can’t believe it’s the same place I grew up in as a kid in the 70’s and 80’s. You always refer to the Black Mountain when you are in town and it is a place that was always out of bounds to us as children; the British Army occupied it right up to about 1998 and many of us have only started to get to know it in recent times. The Amsterdam song was a hoot and the loudest laughter behind us was coming from two ladies of let’s say ‘an older dispensation’. Anyway thanks to you, Declan and the crew for a pleasant evening.
Christy's reply
You got that in rapid Greenfield..you must live near The Hall….
we drove into Belfast yesterday from Newcastle …a lovely drive…beautiful countryside all the way and, arriving from the East, The City looked its very best…saw Cyprus Avenue for the first time….a very different atmosphere from days of yore…up here in Ulster last wednesday and yet to see a gun, soldier or helicopter…lots of smiling faces and happy songsters…
met up with a few rapscallions afterwards and we drank tae and shot the breeze…gotta get it together and do it again tonight..
the Sister up from The Banner County is goin to see the Van man tonight…he dont play West Clare too often !
Arrived safely under the Black Mountain and looking forward to 2 nights of good music and craic. Seeing Marylines post about victor Jara reminds me of his honorary Irish title in Belfast – where they ask to hear you sing the one about Victor O Hara. He’s one of our own after all. Looking forward to the gigs. Good luck to all the crew.
Christy's reply
Victor O’Hara (Jara) of Chile…..his hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Hi Christy, Declan, Jimmy and the fabolous fiddler whose name I forgot: I’ve been at Slieve Donard thursday night and enjoyed it really. It’s incredible how you get in contact wih all the people and how you react to all the comments from the auditorium. Thanks so much! Especially for the Magdalen Laundry what is on of my favourite songs. Afterwards would have been great to hear “burning times” but probalby next time. I’ll be back; sent my family whats’apps from their favourites like Ride on and Black is the colour.. Next time we will be all four, if not in Germany, so in Ireland or even UK. Coming back fo Frankfurt this morning and seen all these grumpy unfriendly faces: I’didnt see these in Belfast or Dublin or Newcastle. Is this all your music? Thanks again and keep going on healthy
Martin
Hi Christy
We were in to see you at the visual in Carlow last night , great show . The first song hit home to us because we run a charity called the jacket off your back we help Syrian refugee children in Greece and Syria
I was wondering if we could use the song “how long” for a video of some of the children in those camps
I am a friend and neighbour of Paddy Carol
Kevin Kelly
http://www.jacketoffyourback.com
work away Kevin, fire ahead…there is a version on the album “this is the day”…or an audience recording from more recent performances
Judy Collins Whales and Nigtinggales. love this LP! . Just holked it out of our extensive collection lol! My cousin who had been to many exotic places brought it to our west Belfast home in the early 70’s and it was played on the coffin like radiogram that sat in our front room. Always struck by the patriot game but also loved oh had I a golden thread..and .time passes slowly …so it does
about 7 years ago I was playing at the beautiful Sage Theatre by the River Tyne in Gateshead..there are two theatres at the venue and, that night, Judy Collins was also playing there. We had a grand wee chat about how she adapted “The Song of Wandering Aonghus” and put it to her lovely melody…
a great session at the Frank Harte festival in Dublin last night.. some great songs from about 40 different singers…Joe Mulhearn sang his “Wild Colonial Boy.” Sean Mohan sang his “Willie McCrea” heard The Friel Sisters from Glasgow/Donegal, Niamh Parsons, Barry Gleeson and a host of balladeers
…..the stuff of dreams and a beautiful smiling portrait of Frank Harte Himself beaming down on proceedings
Hi Christy,
Myself and my future wife have been long time fans of you (remember the Boundary Bar in Bawnmore? and yes we are late to the alter).
We intend to have the voyage played as she walks up the isle (small non church wedding) and I would love if you could reply via email (big request i know) wishing her (in joke) good luck on her wedding day.
her name is Mairead and the wedding is the 20th October 2016 (few weeks)
Thanks for your time
Mark
tis time for you! …I thought you’d never ask!
Boundary Bar in Bawnmore..tell me more …it dont ring no bells….when was it and where is it ??
Hi Christy, my wife and I will be in Ireland for the first time Oct 6 to the 15th. Are you going to be performing anywhere during that time? KC McCurrie
sorry Curly, you caught me on the hop…I’ll be in England and Wales at that time…hope ye have a good trip….
I have enjoyed the poetic links that myself and Claire,my wife, being Skye crofters have inspired. MacCaig holds a place in my heart as someone who grabbed my attention as a reluctant Higher English teenager. Heaney had me from the beginning and I was very fortunate that my English teacher at school who happened to be my father, a huge Seamus Heaney afficionado, was very encouraging towards my interest in his work. FYI I will be discussing these various matters with my friend the Poet Rody Gorman from north County Dublin who is based here on south Skye and resident at the local Gaelic College. We have debated Heaney et al with a refreshement regularly over the years.
Also, I leant my copy of ‘Lily’ to my father for his car cd. He (74yo) fancies his own version of Mandolin Mountain on the spanish guitar. Good health all.
you were lucky with your English teacher…I met a different class of teacher..as a 14-17 y.o. I was force fed Keats Wordsworth Shelley Byron Shakespeare in a manner that never gained my interest…later on I found poetry thru songs..Richie Havens singing WBYeats (via Judy Collins) got me started
I’d love to hear your Father’s version of Mandolin Mountain…any chance of recording it and putting it up here..give him my best wishes
I just hope you come back to Holland soon. We look forward to visiting one of your gigs again.
Thank you…..greetings to all
Hi All. The two recent gigs in Belfast were indeed special, the harmonies, the pleasant surprise of Cahal Haydn on stage,,, the surprise of meeting some 4711ers from Munster and Leinster and the one from Doire and of course the traveller from Liverpool… the unexpected bonus of being there myself,,,, despite not being in Croker !!! May we never tire of the road. The poem shared by Mary from the Bog Meadows reminds me of this similar one from Seamus Heaney ” Quitting Time ” https://youtu.be/vI6v2jV8afY and nearby on the Youtube channel is an audio version of his wonderful and humble Noble Prize acceptance speech from 1995,,,, Beir bua agus beannacht,. H
“Take a Chance Sometime” sings Declan at recent gigs…
Jimmy,Declan and I arrived in Armagh last week as Trio…during the soundcheck Cathal Hayden stuck his head round the door to say hello…as we proceeded with the soundcheck I asked Cathal had he got the Fiddle..”I think its in the boot” he replied…I invited him to play a tune with his and half an hour later invited him to play the entire gig ..it worked out so well that he subsequently joined us on the remaining three gigs in Newcastle and Belfast….he has that songster instinct that allows him play on songs… this is an entirely different box of tricks then those required to master the playing of Jigs and Reels….many of the masters of Trad Music find it impossible to play on the simplest of songs…some are so devoted to the “tune” that songs are viewed as an interruption in proceedings… others struggle to find notes that empathise with the lyric……similarly, I find it impossible to vamp on Reels and Jigs without referring to chord sheets……
Cathal’s Fiddle and Banjo accompaniments were a pure joy…he has just released an album “Hooked on Banjo” and will shortly release an album of Fiddle Music..see cathalhaydenmusicc.com
Christy and Innis…hope you don’t mind me dropping in on your conversation! My friend Linda lives in Scotland and she bought me The Poems of Norman MacCaig back in 2011. He’s a wonderful poet and I couldn’t resist sharing Crofter which he wrote in January 1985…
Last thing at night he steps out to breathe the smell of winter. The stars,
so shy in summer, glare down from a huge emptiness. In a huge silence he
listens for small sounds. His eyes are filled with friendliness. What’s history
to him? He’s an emblem of it in its pure state. And proves it. He goes inside.
The door closes and the light dies in the window.
thanks for sharing this beautiful poem….I fell for it and was curious to see how it looked on the page…it intrigues me how poets lay out their lines…I sometimes cannot understand how they conclude….is it visual or oral ?, do they have rules or regulations ?….I remember talk of sonnets and quatrains from school but my mind always wandered to the playing fields and dancehalls…..
sometimes songs, straightforward to sing, refuse to be orderly on the page….looking again at Crofter …..(to me) it simply does not read as it is laid out.. but it is so beautiful, it matters not, its all part of poetic mystery…….
you can drop in any time you like !
CROFTER
Last thing at night
he steps outside to breathe
the smell of winter.
The stars, so shy in summer,
glare down
from a huge emptiness.
In a huge silence he listens
for small sounds. His eyes
are filled with friendliness.
What’s history to him?
He’s an emblem of it
in its pure state.
And proves it. He goes inside.
The door closes and the light
dies in the window
The Wife and myself loved our trip from the croft here ,Isle of Skye, to our first Christy gig at the Waterfront last night. Back home now for cattle sales, sheep sales and a bit of mail delivery just to earn a buck or two for, lets hope, another concert somewhere along the road. Legend has it you once played on Skye many moons ago – the island hasnt gone away ya’ know! Continued good health and prosperity ’til the next time. BTW sorry for not polishing my boots before the performance – nobodys perfect.
Innis….glad ye had a good trip over….I have never played on Skye but did visit briefly when my Wife and I visited in the winter of 1974..
very much enjoyed the recent BBC series on farming in Scotland which included the lives of crofters, hill farmers, big beef farmers, sales, Angus Bull competitions and other aspects of the diversity of Scotland’s Farmers. It really caught my attention and I watched every episode
Greetings to all Skye Songsters
#4 Waterfront 18.9.16 Never gets old. Closed my eyes to hear more. Incredible sounds being created by human beings! Thanku. I seem to be making this an annual event..see you next year 🙂
nice feedback..
I wish I was in Carrickfergus only for nights in Ballygrand
I would swim over thedeepest ocean only for nights in Ballygrand
but the water is I wide and I cant swim over
neither have I the wings to fly
Christy,
I just wanted to thank yourself and Declan for taking the time to sign my Ride On album at the waterfront last night. I was there both nights and really enjoyed it. Hopefully next time you’re in town ill get to shake your hand. All the best for the rest of the tour.
Colm
always a joy to see an old vinyl album coming up for signing…brings me back to earlier times when getting an album gave a lot more pleasure then downloading a song onto some app or whatever…the feel of the sleeve, the notes, getting the album out, handling with care before cleaning the needle, putting on the kettle….
Thank you Christy for another two wonderful nights in Belfast. Two totally different audiences but both loving the songs and the sounds. First time for me hearing Vickie and Andy adding the harmonies and they added beautifully to the gig – loved Vickie’s harmony at the end of Dec’s Let Somebody Know and Andy’s on Time has Come. Keep well Christy and see you along the way.
back in my own bed now after a hectic Ulster Tour…Buncrana, Pettigo, Armagh, Newcastle, Belfast and Belfast….it was a lovely time..thanks to all who particpated…
Seedlings are tiny and delicate and need light compost so that they can push through as they emerge from their seed. Like the gardener you will tend and cultivate this delicate song until it blooms and make those high notes. Yes watched and loved the film. As always you mention Ballymurphy…on the 25th August the funeral took place of brave Ballymurphy woman Mary Murphy along with her husband Joseph who was killed 45 years ago in the Ballymurphy Massacre and whose body was exhumed last year. They died on the same day 45 years apart. Joseph was shot dead in 1971 and was exhumed last year by order of a coroner investigating the disputed circumstances of the killing. Brave Mary, 83 died as Joseph’s remains lay in the morgue. Green grows the laurel softly falls the dew.
I did not know the story of Joseph and Mary Murphy…..your analogy with the old ballad is achingly appropriate…I’m thinking it was the trauma of Joseph’s exhumation that finally broke her heart…..
very often these old ballads are brought back to life by current events..I think of “The Well below The Valley”, “The Yellow Bittern”, “Dunlavin Green” to mention but three
Sounds like the Ulster tour is going great…..can’t make any of the gigs unfortunately. Any chance you could run that auld flag up the pole again……
everybody needs a break…..
Maidin maith a Christy. Great night at waterfront last night, my wife was with me, her first time seeing you. Craic was great and the sound was mighty. Listened to Prosperous on Way home, can’t beat ‘the hackler’. All the best,
Glenn
He’ll run pell mell down into hell to search for Poitín there
and wont be loath to swear an oath he found it in Killikere
He’ll search your bed from foot to head sheets blankets tick and all
Your wife undressed must lave the nest for The Sergeant from Grouse hall..
we recorded that 44 years ago…its a great auld buzz to hear thats its still getting a spin
Wherever you are I hope that you and yours are being well looked after! Thank you for the mention with the Gardener and for references to Black Mountain/Bog Meadows. Great to see and hear your son on stage as well a female vocalist…wonderful. Also great to hear the mix of old and new songs…you never disappoint. I hope your sister has a wonderful night with Van the Man and Emmy Lou, Moving Hearts and Planxty too! GRMA
Last night was the first time that The Gardener really clicked on stage..its a challenging song.It was written by Paul Doran who also penned “Natives” over 30 years ago. Its a delicate song but I need to “go at it” a bit to make the high notes.
The Sister is off to Culloden tonight to hear Ivan on The Gold Coast..by all accounts he is doing very good gigs these days…did you happen to see his oudoor gig filmed last year on Cyprus Avenue?….it was a beautiful
getting togged off now for Croke Park and then the dash back to Béal Feirste for another crack at The Waterfront….
Christy,
Any plans for a run at Vicar Street for Christmas this yea?
Cheers
We’ll be there..sign up for newsletter and you’ll be given the nod
Morning Christy,
Just back from the Waterfront. That was a nice gig last night; you really seemed to be in the zone and enjoying it. The vocals and sound were excellent and the crowd were in good nick too. I think the sunshine on Saturday had people in a positive mindset and that seemed to carry in to the hall. Belfast was buzzing yesterday and the city really is transformed. The old place looks good with a bit of sun shining on the surrounding hills and I can’t believe it’s the same place I grew up in as a kid in the 70’s and 80’s. You always refer to the Black Mountain when you are in town and it is a place that was always out of bounds to us as children; the British Army occupied it right up to about 1998 and many of us have only started to get to know it in recent times. The Amsterdam song was a hoot and the loudest laughter behind us was coming from two ladies of let’s say ‘an older dispensation’. Anyway thanks to you, Declan and the crew for a pleasant evening.
You got that in rapid Greenfield..you must live near The Hall….
we drove into Belfast yesterday from Newcastle …a lovely drive…beautiful countryside all the way and, arriving from the East, The City looked its very best…saw Cyprus Avenue for the first time….a very different atmosphere from days of yore…up here in Ulster last wednesday and yet to see a gun, soldier or helicopter…lots of smiling faces and happy songsters…
met up with a few rapscallions afterwards and we drank tae and shot the breeze…gotta get it together and do it again tonight..
the Sister up from The Banner County is goin to see the Van man tonight…he dont play West Clare too often !
Arrived safely under the Black Mountain and looking forward to 2 nights of good music and craic. Seeing Marylines post about victor Jara reminds me of his honorary Irish title in Belfast – where they ask to hear you sing the one about Victor O Hara. He’s one of our own after all. Looking forward to the gigs. Good luck to all the crew.
Victor O’Hara (Jara) of Chile…..his hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Hi Christy, Declan, Jimmy and the fabolous fiddler whose name I forgot: I’ve been at Slieve Donard thursday night and enjoyed it really. It’s incredible how you get in contact wih all the people and how you react to all the comments from the auditorium. Thanks so much! Especially for the Magdalen Laundry what is on of my favourite songs. Afterwards would have been great to hear “burning times” but probalby next time. I’ll be back; sent my family whats’apps from their favourites like Ride on and Black is the colour.. Next time we will be all four, if not in Germany, so in Ireland or even UK. Coming back fo Frankfurt this morning and seen all these grumpy unfriendly faces: I’didnt see these in Belfast or Dublin or Newcastle. Is this all your music? Thanks again and keep going on healthy
Martin