Hello Christy I trust you’re well. I’m awake looking at the cold black river and whistling the story of poor Patrick Murphy. We were very fortunate to have tickets for the Opera House for the Fergus O Farrell remembrance concert on Thursday. There was so much talent performing in one room it was unbelievable. Such a beautiful songwriter leaving so many gems, but also a lovely human being who was very much loved by those who knew him. Anyhoo, aren’t we lucky to have the music? When the chatter and the pointless noise quietens and someone picks up an instrument. Xx
Christy's reply
Yes Anuk, we are lucky indeed….last night we heard Radie Peat sing at the Góilín Singers club….she was the guest at this weekly gathering and her singing was spellbinding…she can usually be heard with the band “Lynched” but last night gave us a solo performance…there were perhaps 25 other singers who sang “from the floor”. Among them were singers from Germany, Sweden and (I think) Egypt. Others who sang included Barry Gleeson, Niamh Parsons, Fergus Russell, Manus O’Riordan and his sister Brenda.Their Father, Brigadista Mick O’Riordan was the inspiration for Quinte Brigada which I wrote after reading his book “The Connolly Column”.
PS. “Lynched” are soon to have a name change to Lankum. Their original name derived from the surname of two members Ian and Darragh Lynch. Apparently the name was causing discomfort in certain quarters.A truly innovative Band I hope their trajectory continues.
Hello Christy, we’ve spent Friday evening watching ‘The Journey’ and sorry for the cliche, but what a journey it’s been! It’s hard to put into words the impact you’ve had on our lives, but how grateful we are for it. Cannot wait to see you again and until then be well, be safe, be happy. Love and peace always, Helen, Manuel, Tallulah and Noah.
Christy's reply
Hey there HeMaTaNo…sending U4 best wishes,good to read that we are still connecting through the words and music….Shine On
Thanks for the reply Christy. Some of the old venues you mention resonate and bring back other memories, O’Hara’s in Foxford made me blush, for reasons best described in posthumously released memoirs ?
I don’t wish to seem patronising, condescending, or basically embarrassing but your (and other’s) music/songs, were more than just diddley-dido tunes. They were identity, they were smiles, they were tears, they were love, hate, compassion, regret, memories and often thought-provoking but MOST of all, they were FRIENDS! They could always be called on (on an old record player, bought for a couple of quid in a second-hand shop), anytime, day or night, never refusing, never judgmental, never ‘not in’, asking only maybe a shilling for the meter, now and again. And of course, these days, they ARE memories, they ARE places and – like a time machine – have the ability to bring us back down the well travelled road of life, sometimes to a specific time & place, shuttered away in the annals of our mind and temporarily forgotten but with the magic of a certain song/tune….
Ah, I’m wandering and blathering and probably boring the arse off any poor eejit reading this…
I could have said all that stuff in one short word old friend: THANKS!
Apologies – I seem to resubmitted the feckin song again. Techie genius, I’m not!
Christy's reply
I totally agree with you regarding the term “Diddly-eye” when referring to the broad genre of The Folk and Traditional music of Ireland… I now realise that it says a lot more about those who use the term then it says about the music itself…….in early days I found it offensive but these days it washes over me almost unnoticed …..
I should add that we enjoy “wandering” and “blathering” here….
had a grand few hours in Matt Molloy’s yesterday as we looked back over the years we played together, the friendships made, the old colleagues gone on before us…what a lovely pub it is to visiit
Dear Christy,
Thanks for your reply.
I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t recognize that lovely song. Hillary send it to me and then I knew it. Johnny Cash covered it to.
Anyway in June we’ll come to New Ross to see you, hopefully the ‘air’ will be OK then. And if not there are still 600 other songs left to be sung!
See you Chris
Christy's reply
no need for embarrassment Chris….sometimes I do not recognise my own recordings
It’s a wet Monday morning in old London town
And yesterday’s beer makes me head spin around
Sure crossing the Broadway, they’d near run you down
And I wish I was back home again.
I’ve worked in this country for seven long years,
I’ve had me some laughter, I’ve cried me some tears
And I’ve worked me arse off for the price of some beers
And I’ve wished was back home again.
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
I step into a cafe, for a breakfast of fry
And there’s plenty lads there in the same class as I
But not one would look twice, if I dropped down and died…
And I wish I was back home again.
The waitress, she comes up and says with a shear,
‘What elegant dish can I get for you dear?’
Looking into her eyes, I see hate there and fear…
And I wish I was back home again.
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
Well, everyone’s rushing, avoiding the snare,
If it’s rats you are hunting, then I’ve found the lair,
I’d head for the boat but I haven’t the fair
And I wish I was back home again.
I’ll be off out tonight, drinking pints on the slate,
I’ll chat to a barman, who calls me his mate.
I’ll go back to the digs and to bed when it’s late
And I’ll dream I was back home again…
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
Oh sweet Lord, bring me back home again.
———————————————————————
Written in a bed-sit in Hammersmith in the late 70s.
Christy's reply
Thanks for sharing your song Chris.You have done a great job describing your experience when you were a long distance shoveller….you remind me of my own days “over”….Manchester 1966 I learned John B Keane’s “Cricklewood”
“Take him down to Cricklewood,leave him in the pub,
call the barman “landlord”,then propose him for the sub.
leave him down in Cricklewood ‘mid mortar,bricks and lime,
let him rot in Cricklewood until the end of time”….
Some of us were lucky enough to make it back to base….to still have a base to which we could return….In Finsbury Park in ’69 I heard Dylan sing
“I Pity the poor immigrant who tramples thru the mud
who fills his mouth with laughter and builds his town with blood
who’s vision in the final end must shatter like a glass
I pity the poor immigrant when his gladness comes to pass”
I see you are back home home in Mayo. Coincidentally I am here visiting this great County as I read your song. Been to Céide Fields up in North Mayo and to The Museum of Country Life in Castlebar. ( two must sees for anyone interested in our recent and distant past)… thru Newport and Straide, Lough Conn and poor old Pontoon, passed so many old venues, O’Hara’s of Foxford, The Travellers Friend, Achill, Killala, The Beaten Path,Pearl’s, Beleek, Georgian Rooms, all those old Ballad Lounges of yore….what a wonderful county, no wonder ye are all so proud of your home place,
Dear Christy,
So lovely how you pictured a Tour of Beara … wish this dream would come true!!!
Like the “farmer” M.H. I can well imagine to listen to your songs in Causkey’s Bar (Eyeries) with that stunning view over Coulagh Bay and the “Hag of Beara” a short distance away.
Céide Fields is a great place to visit to, exploring the traces of ancient times … surely you felt yourself “at home” in the Boglands of Mayo …
[To Chris: Pity you didn’t attend Vicar St one week earlier, on Jan 2nd Christy sang “First Time Ever” absolutely beautifully there!]
Hope you’re enjoying your break, Traudel
Christy's reply
“Thru Castlebar I made a trot when they heard I was in Kiltimagh
I then went on to Westport and searched it high and low
passin Charlestown I called in and had a glass with Joe O’Broin
which filled me heart with strength and speed as the dogs were gettin slow”
( a lost verse from Michael Hayes ! )
Eyeries is my favourite place on Earth . “It is where i come from ” ! I would love one day to see you play there , perhaps in Causkey’s sitting by the big window with the Atlantic Ocean behind you .Gortatagort as a first song ? We are there this Friday . I will let my imagination roam whilst the wild gales do their worst .
I hope you are having a good rest. Anuk is coming to Navan but i sadly have to shepherd the flock . See you in Barrowlands .
The Farmer
Christy's reply
Come all you dreamers……a tour of Beara…kicking off in Glengarriff and culminating in Kenmare 3 months later….singing with fishermen of Castletownbere, the dancehall in Adrigole, painters and copper miners of Allahies, the poets and sculptors of Eyeries,the mountaineers of Hungry Hill and manys the place in between….hope you have your early spuds in, your hedges trimmed, lambing will soon be upon you….ingredients for the future Josh
Hi
Hillary is so right but what a beautiful song, never heard it before.
Times are insecure and its unbelieveable that only one person is responsible for the fate of so many people.
Fortunately there is music. Last week we have seen a TV serie and there was a song from Ewan MacColl in it. First time I ever saw your face, so beautiful.
We immediately thought of you, how nice it would be if you would sing it.
Never considered?
Let’s stay optimistic for the time being.
See you soon
Shy Chris
Christy's reply
Recorded this beautiful song back in 2002 on the “Live at Vicar St” album….it appears occasionally at concerts…3 times in 2016….let me know next time you plan to attend a gig and it may work on the night..its a special song, not always possible to perform..needs particular “air”
… ADRIGOLE!!?? WOW!!! When are you playing there, Christy?
Well done Hilary! Was thinking of this song very often recently.
Happy Brigid’s Day! Traudel
Christy's reply
those places mentioned are all on a list of Towns, Villages, Townlands known to me but where I have never performed….written at random without any plan or purpose…I suppose what I was trying to do, as gently as possible, was to express my love of playing on this small Island of home….if its a choice of a gig in New York or Céide Fields, in San Francisco or Eyries, Berlin or Bohola, I always tend towards the latter….I have had great experience of those former but I tend towards those latter….today we visited Céide Fields and experienced the concept of life in Mayo 6,000 years ago….old walls and enclosures that have been found beneath 5,000 year old cut-away bogs….settlements created before Bronze and Iron Ages……George Carlin was right..its not the Earth we need to worry about, its the people upon it….in the end , Mother Earth will sort us all out, for better or for worse….greetings to all 4711ers, Songsters, Larks, Linnets and Listeners
Hi all… May we live in interesting times….. always sounded very positive,,,, but the current interesting times are really challenging and rather unbelievable,,,,,the news seems to get worse and worse every day,,,, was the role of balladeer ever more needed ? to tell the story, raise concerns ,,,,,,https://youtu.be/u4YhZP8P9sw… Shine on,,,,beir bua agus beannacht. H
Christy's reply
not thought of this song for many years…one of those that appeared and then flew away……
Dónal is firing on all cylnders…sacking all around him…I’m avoiding the news today..the sun is shining here..the Atlantic is sparkling…
Flatley could very well be our next US ambassador….Healy-Rae Minister for Environment…
WIll Donal play golf in The Kingdom? Saddle a Pony in The Shortgrass ? Its been rumoured that he has blood connections near Knocknagoshel…
Christie,
Like millions of fans, I can’t get enough of your great music – it’s the centerpiece of all my gigs when I perform – are you planning to come to America in the near future?
Christy's reply
keep the songs alive Liam….greetings to all N.Y. Songsters….no plans to travel..got a lot of Towns still to play here..Lyracrompane, Askeaton,Castlemartyr, Adrigole,Athgarvan, Senchelstown, Arva, Ogonolloe….when I’m fleahed out here I might check and see if Donald will let me in….
Thanks Christie. Tommy O’Sullivan from Dingle will be staying with my friends here in Oregon in a couple weeks. Any chance when we Come to Dingle you will be near his pub for a spontaneous session? If not, can I find you playing anywhere?
Christy's reply
sure ’twill be spontaneous as long as we dont plan it….are’nt we always anywhere Josie….maybe Maz’s
Hi Christy,
I wrote a ‘song’ about 40 years ago, when a young Navvy in London. I’d like to send it to you. It was basically about getting out, getting home. I did…I was one of the lucky ones. Lately I’ve been thinking about lads that didn’t…old age I guess. Health not great now, so would like you to see it, while I’m still here. Jeez, that sounds maudlin, not meant to be. Don’t know where to send it. So if you’re curious enough and not too busy…I could email it?
Good health and peace old friend,
Regards Chris (ex shoveler)
Christy's reply
We are both blest to have made it back to base…so many failed to return despite having left their hearts back home behind them…hope your health is better today…..if you wish to,you could put the song here
Thanks Christy well first one done and it feels great it was a quite night in windy Salthill but glad I did and eager for more sang a few of my own songs in the mix which was nice and fair play to Tom and Frank O Connor for giving me the solo start
Face the puck out and thanks again for the encouragement
Hi Christy hope all is well with you and you’re enjoying the break I m heading in to O Connors tonight to do my first-ever full solo gig its taken a long time but sure its never too late
Face the puck out
Iggy
Christy's reply
Well Iggy, its getting on for mid-night now so your first solo gig is done…congrats…it must be getting on for 30 years since I first heard you play with the band and I said to myself “that lad will go solo one day”! its a lonely place to be out there, especially when you are used to the comfort and companionship of long time companeros…but that feeling will soon erode as you become familiar with the freedom it brings…your accompaniments will start to fill out soundwise and before you know it you’ll be filling O’Connors with sounds from The Gray Lake…Shine On Iggy
Hi Christie,
Thanks for all your work that kept me going. I started a free restaurant with our food bank, for homeless and those at risk. When living in Ire sometime I worked with Travelors, but most of my career is with folks challenged with mental wellness. I’m trying to put together a workshop /fund raiser for Dublin’s Appollo when I come this summer. What do you think of the place? I think I am be of help.
Check out the Dining Room Restaurant,
Foodforlanecounty.org.
Your dedication and beautiful spirit lays deep in my heart. Thanks again.
Christy's reply
Thank you,
Best to check things out when you arrive…you will find what suits you….there are many people here working at the coalface doing their best to help the less fortunate…all have their own modus operandi, their own way of getting through the day, doing the best they can to help others…..Home Sweet Home has moved on from Apollo
Hello Christy I trust you’re well. I’m awake looking at the cold black river and whistling the story of poor Patrick Murphy. We were very fortunate to have tickets for the Opera House for the Fergus O Farrell remembrance concert on Thursday. There was so much talent performing in one room it was unbelievable. Such a beautiful songwriter leaving so many gems, but also a lovely human being who was very much loved by those who knew him. Anyhoo, aren’t we lucky to have the music? When the chatter and the pointless noise quietens and someone picks up an instrument. Xx
Yes Anuk, we are lucky indeed….last night we heard Radie Peat sing at the Góilín Singers club….she was the guest at this weekly gathering and her singing was spellbinding…she can usually be heard with the band “Lynched” but last night gave us a solo performance…there were perhaps 25 other singers who sang “from the floor”. Among them were singers from Germany, Sweden and (I think) Egypt. Others who sang included Barry Gleeson, Niamh Parsons, Fergus Russell, Manus O’Riordan and his sister Brenda.Their Father, Brigadista Mick O’Riordan was the inspiration for Quinte Brigada which I wrote after reading his book “The Connolly Column”.
PS. “Lynched” are soon to have a name change to Lankum. Their original name derived from the surname of two members Ian and Darragh Lynch. Apparently the name was causing discomfort in certain quarters.A truly innovative Band I hope their trajectory continues.
Hello Christy, we’ve spent Friday evening watching ‘The Journey’ and sorry for the cliche, but what a journey it’s been! It’s hard to put into words the impact you’ve had on our lives, but how grateful we are for it. Cannot wait to see you again and until then be well, be safe, be happy. Love and peace always, Helen, Manuel, Tallulah and Noah.
Hey there HeMaTaNo…sending U4 best wishes,good to read that we are still connecting through the words and music….Shine On
Had a look in here this evening, some interesting comments & I’ll be back again and soon.
we look forward to hearing from An Lár
Thanks for the reply Christy. Some of the old venues you mention resonate and bring back other memories, O’Hara’s in Foxford made me blush, for reasons best described in posthumously released memoirs ?
I don’t wish to seem patronising, condescending, or basically embarrassing but your (and other’s) music/songs, were more than just diddley-dido tunes. They were identity, they were smiles, they were tears, they were love, hate, compassion, regret, memories and often thought-provoking but MOST of all, they were FRIENDS! They could always be called on (on an old record player, bought for a couple of quid in a second-hand shop), anytime, day or night, never refusing, never judgmental, never ‘not in’, asking only maybe a shilling for the meter, now and again. And of course, these days, they ARE memories, they ARE places and – like a time machine – have the ability to bring us back down the well travelled road of life, sometimes to a specific time & place, shuttered away in the annals of our mind and temporarily forgotten but with the magic of a certain song/tune….
Ah, I’m wandering and blathering and probably boring the arse off any poor eejit reading this…
I could have said all that stuff in one short word old friend: THANKS!
Apologies – I seem to resubmitted the feckin song again. Techie genius, I’m not!
I totally agree with you regarding the term “Diddly-eye” when referring to the broad genre of The Folk and Traditional music of Ireland… I now realise that it says a lot more about those who use the term then it says about the music itself…….in early days I found it offensive but these days it washes over me almost unnoticed …..
I should add that we enjoy “wandering” and “blathering” here….
had a grand few hours in Matt Molloy’s yesterday as we looked back over the years we played together, the friendships made, the old colleagues gone on before us…what a lovely pub it is to visiit
Dear Christy,
Thanks for your reply.
I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t recognize that lovely song. Hillary send it to me and then I knew it. Johnny Cash covered it to.
Anyway in June we’ll come to New Ross to see you, hopefully the ‘air’ will be OK then. And if not there are still 600 other songs left to be sung!
See you Chris
no need for embarrassment Chris….sometimes I do not recognise my own recordings
Back Home Again
It’s a wet Monday morning in old London town
And yesterday’s beer makes me head spin around
Sure crossing the Broadway, they’d near run you down
And I wish I was back home again.
I’ve worked in this country for seven long years,
I’ve had me some laughter, I’ve cried me some tears
And I’ve worked me arse off for the price of some beers
And I’ve wished was back home again.
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
I step into a cafe, for a breakfast of fry
And there’s plenty lads there in the same class as I
But not one would look twice, if I dropped down and died…
And I wish I was back home again.
The waitress, she comes up and says with a shear,
‘What elegant dish can I get for you dear?’
Looking into her eyes, I see hate there and fear…
And I wish I was back home again.
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
Well, everyone’s rushing, avoiding the snare,
If it’s rats you are hunting, then I’ve found the lair,
I’d head for the boat but I haven’t the fair
And I wish I was back home again.
I’ll be off out tonight, drinking pints on the slate,
I’ll chat to a barman, who calls me his mate.
I’ll go back to the digs and to bed when it’s late
And I’ll dream I was back home again…
Chorus
For the pick I’ve been slave, to the Subby the same
And I can’t help but wonder at what I have gained…
I’d as well be in Dartmoor, with a big ball and chain
And I wish I was back home again.
Oh sweet Lord, bring me back home again.
———————————————————————
Written in a bed-sit in Hammersmith in the late 70s.
Thanks for sharing your song Chris.You have done a great job describing your experience when you were a long distance shoveller….you remind me of my own days “over”….Manchester 1966 I learned John B Keane’s “Cricklewood”
“Take him down to Cricklewood,leave him in the pub,
call the barman “landlord”,then propose him for the sub.
leave him down in Cricklewood ‘mid mortar,bricks and lime,
let him rot in Cricklewood until the end of time”….
Some of us were lucky enough to make it back to base….to still have a base to which we could return….In Finsbury Park in ’69 I heard Dylan sing
“I Pity the poor immigrant who tramples thru the mud
who fills his mouth with laughter and builds his town with blood
who’s vision in the final end must shatter like a glass
I pity the poor immigrant when his gladness comes to pass”
I see you are back home home in Mayo. Coincidentally I am here visiting this great County as I read your song. Been to Céide Fields up in North Mayo and to The Museum of Country Life in Castlebar. ( two must sees for anyone interested in our recent and distant past)… thru Newport and Straide, Lough Conn and poor old Pontoon, passed so many old venues, O’Hara’s of Foxford, The Travellers Friend, Achill, Killala, The Beaten Path,Pearl’s, Beleek, Georgian Rooms, all those old Ballad Lounges of yore….what a wonderful county, no wonder ye are all so proud of your home place,
Dear Christy,
So lovely how you pictured a Tour of Beara … wish this dream would come true!!!
Like the “farmer” M.H. I can well imagine to listen to your songs in Causkey’s Bar (Eyeries) with that stunning view over Coulagh Bay and the “Hag of Beara” a short distance away.
Céide Fields is a great place to visit to, exploring the traces of ancient times … surely you felt yourself “at home” in the Boglands of Mayo …
[To Chris: Pity you didn’t attend Vicar St one week earlier, on Jan 2nd Christy sang “First Time Ever” absolutely beautifully there!]
Hope you’re enjoying your break, Traudel
“Thru Castlebar I made a trot when they heard I was in Kiltimagh
I then went on to Westport and searched it high and low
passin Charlestown I called in and had a glass with Joe O’Broin
which filled me heart with strength and speed as the dogs were gettin slow”
( a lost verse from Michael Hayes ! )
We will have our sheepdog Seamus with us and i will know then that i have made it into Heaven .
Off to see Darlingside at The Lexington tonight . Heavenly melodies and beautiful harmonies . Life on Earth can also be very good .
The Farmer
did Seamus enjoy the gig ?
Eyeries is my favourite place on Earth . “It is where i come from ” ! I would love one day to see you play there , perhaps in Causkey’s sitting by the big window with the Atlantic Ocean behind you .Gortatagort as a first song ? We are there this Friday . I will let my imagination roam whilst the wild gales do their worst .
I hope you are having a good rest. Anuk is coming to Navan but i sadly have to shepherd the flock . See you in Barrowlands .
The Farmer
Come all you dreamers……a tour of Beara…kicking off in Glengarriff and culminating in Kenmare 3 months later….singing with fishermen of Castletownbere, the dancehall in Adrigole, painters and copper miners of Allahies, the poets and sculptors of Eyeries,the mountaineers of Hungry Hill and manys the place in between….hope you have your early spuds in, your hedges trimmed, lambing will soon be upon you….ingredients for the future Josh
Hi
Hillary is so right but what a beautiful song, never heard it before.
Times are insecure and its unbelieveable that only one person is responsible for the fate of so many people.
Fortunately there is music. Last week we have seen a TV serie and there was a song from Ewan MacColl in it. First time I ever saw your face, so beautiful.
We immediately thought of you, how nice it would be if you would sing it.
Never considered?
Let’s stay optimistic for the time being.
See you soon
Shy Chris
Recorded this beautiful song back in 2002 on the “Live at Vicar St” album….it appears occasionally at concerts…3 times in 2016….let me know next time you plan to attend a gig and it may work on the night..its a special song, not always possible to perform..needs particular “air”
… ADRIGOLE!!?? WOW!!! When are you playing there, Christy?
Well done Hilary! Was thinking of this song very often recently.
Happy Brigid’s Day! Traudel
those places mentioned are all on a list of Towns, Villages, Townlands known to me but where I have never performed….written at random without any plan or purpose…I suppose what I was trying to do, as gently as possible, was to express my love of playing on this small Island of home….if its a choice of a gig in New York or Céide Fields, in San Francisco or Eyries, Berlin or Bohola, I always tend towards the latter….I have had great experience of those former but I tend towards those latter….today we visited Céide Fields and experienced the concept of life in Mayo 6,000 years ago….old walls and enclosures that have been found beneath 5,000 year old cut-away bogs….settlements created before Bronze and Iron Ages……George Carlin was right..its not the Earth we need to worry about, its the people upon it….in the end , Mother Earth will sort us all out, for better or for worse….greetings to all 4711ers, Songsters, Larks, Linnets and Listeners
Hi all… May we live in interesting times….. always sounded very positive,,,, but the current interesting times are really challenging and rather unbelievable,,,,,the news seems to get worse and worse every day,,,, was the role of balladeer ever more needed ? to tell the story, raise concerns ,,,,,,https://youtu.be/u4YhZP8P9sw… Shine on,,,,beir bua agus beannacht. H
not thought of this song for many years…one of those that appeared and then flew away……
Dónal is firing on all cylnders…sacking all around him…I’m avoiding the news today..the sun is shining here..the Atlantic is sparkling…
Flatley could very well be our next US ambassador….Healy-Rae Minister for Environment…
WIll Donal play golf in The Kingdom? Saddle a Pony in The Shortgrass ? Its been rumoured that he has blood connections near Knocknagoshel…
Christie,
Like millions of fans, I can’t get enough of your great music – it’s the centerpiece of all my gigs when I perform – are you planning to come to America in the near future?
keep the songs alive Liam….greetings to all N.Y. Songsters….no plans to travel..got a lot of Towns still to play here..Lyracrompane, Askeaton,Castlemartyr, Adrigole,Athgarvan, Senchelstown, Arva, Ogonolloe….when I’m fleahed out here I might check and see if Donald will let me in….
I’ll try again. Real Americana!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHp6aGL0YWc
Great to hear Utah in concert..thanks for sharing…first heard him 50 years ago and he still plows the furrow
Thanks Christie. Tommy O’Sullivan from Dingle will be staying with my friends here in Oregon in a couple weeks. Any chance when we Come to Dingle you will be near his pub for a spontaneous session? If not, can I find you playing anywhere?
sure ’twill be spontaneous as long as we dont plan it….are’nt we always anywhere Josie….maybe Maz’s
Hi Christy,
I wrote a ‘song’ about 40 years ago, when a young Navvy in London. I’d like to send it to you. It was basically about getting out, getting home. I did…I was one of the lucky ones. Lately I’ve been thinking about lads that didn’t…old age I guess. Health not great now, so would like you to see it, while I’m still here. Jeez, that sounds maudlin, not meant to be. Don’t know where to send it. So if you’re curious enough and not too busy…I could email it?
Good health and peace old friend,
Regards Chris (ex shoveler)
We are both blest to have made it back to base…so many failed to return despite having left their hearts back home behind them…hope your health is better today…..if you wish to,you could put the song here
Thanks Christy well first one done and it feels great it was a quite night in windy Salthill but glad I did and eager for more sang a few of my own songs in the mix which was nice and fair play to Tom and Frank O Connor for giving me the solo start
Face the puck out and thanks again for the encouragement
Whallup Iggy
Hi Christy hope all is well with you and you’re enjoying the break I m heading in to O Connors tonight to do my first-ever full solo gig its taken a long time but sure its never too late
Face the puck out
Iggy
Well Iggy, its getting on for mid-night now so your first solo gig is done…congrats…it must be getting on for 30 years since I first heard you play with the band and I said to myself “that lad will go solo one day”! its a lonely place to be out there, especially when you are used to the comfort and companionship of long time companeros…but that feeling will soon erode as you become familiar with the freedom it brings…your accompaniments will start to fill out soundwise and before you know it you’ll be filling O’Connors with sounds from The Gray Lake…Shine On Iggy
Hi Christie,
Thanks for all your work that kept me going. I started a free restaurant with our food bank, for homeless and those at risk. When living in Ire sometime I worked with Travelors, but most of my career is with folks challenged with mental wellness. I’m trying to put together a workshop /fund raiser for Dublin’s Appollo when I come this summer. What do you think of the place? I think I am be of help.
Check out the Dining Room Restaurant,
Foodforlanecounty.org.
Your dedication and beautiful spirit lays deep in my heart. Thanks again.
Thank you,
Best to check things out when you arrive…you will find what suits you….there are many people here working at the coalface doing their best to help the less fortunate…all have their own modus operandi, their own way of getting through the day, doing the best they can to help others…..Home Sweet Home has moved on from Apollo
Stardust families claim to have ‘significant’ new evidence as Government to discuss new inquiry into disaster
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/stardust-families-claim-to-have-significant-new-evidence-as-government-to-discuss-new-inquiry-into-disaster-35393036.html