Christy, almost as much excitement as 98. There must be a song there. Newbridge or bust.
Christy's reply
’98 was the closest we got to Sam in my ’73 years….some great memories that were not erased by the Galway defeat….you and I were altar boys when we won the Leinster in ’56….I was there with my Da that day, he was gone before the year was out…Cork put paid to us in the Semi Final that year…there was a polio outbreak around the same time and children were discouraged from going to the match..
but we still had to serve Mass Frankie…for The Mons, gentle Jem Gorman and cranky Fr. McNally who always seemed to have a sore head…
2 masses every morning and (I think) 4 of a Sunday….will you ever forget the pure tedium of Jem Gorman’s sermons..
then the feckin Redemptorists would arrive for the annual Mission..ye would’nt fall asleep when them hures were ranting…
cant make Sat night down in The Pitch
I’m on duty in The Marquee in Cork…if I’d known this was gonna happen I’d have kept Saturday free…
“St. Conleth`s or no place” says Cian O`Neill, and we will all back him on that…………….
.Cill Dara abu
Christy's reply
Jack Barnes and Joe Woolfe will look after the bicycles…. we’ll dine in Bun Higgins before dispersing to our various parishes of Moorefield and Roseberry..we will be joined at the hip come Sat evening as we run out to face the Red &Green…did you hear “Legs ” Morley on the Sean O’Rourke this morning..He do tan them all the way up…Johnny Doyle was our Rep in the debate…..
I have my seat booked on Lunny’s back wall…Roisín will have the tea ready at half time
Dream Quarter Finals for the GAA ( and Sky)
Bruce v Garth
Ed v U2
The Pope v The Dubs
Rihanna v Conor McGregor
Luka is calling it Skygate !
One way or the other, cows will be milked, turf clamped, hay saved and Paddy Power always on the winner…. ( Betfair me bollix)
There’ll be tea and toasted muffins and a pair of hard-boiled eggs called for fairly lively to calm the nerves for the weekend Christy! Quarehawks are at it again….Money grabbers!
Looking forward to Thursday night in Tullamore, a few songs with boyo’s back will put the fire in our bellies and get us revved up good and ready for the match!
Christy's reply
Latest News.
Kildare and Mayo to play in Lansdowne Rd
Hi Christy,
Ah Tullamore in the Summer…The Snow drove us away in the early part of the Year, all the talk was about Flooding; our Minister for floods was running around in his Wellies making all sorts of promises…..” and It pissing down with Rain, (and Snow), and they trying to sell us Water”. Now they are talking about the Drought….. There’s no pleasing us.
We will warm you up well before the Tent; bring your Sun Cream!!!!
Best Regards,
Patsy
I had a grand night in the NCH, it is a mighty venue…I was into me 40’s when I saw my first ever orchestra performance there…and lots since, Jimmy Mac, Declan O Rourke, an Elvis night…they do the lot in the NCH..I loved last Wed night , stage was lovely, sound was great…suited ye..
I hit Kildare twice over the weekend, Sat morning had the breaky with John Spillane before his chat in McCauley place for the mid-summer festival there, and along with Richard from sound desk in B/town and N Heavy, we Rock n Rolled out the Junefest closer with Gavin Povey and his band…weather was great, fantastic day…have a great week of gigs, would love to be at the tent..but cant be everywhere…Eleanor & Mike return the sentiments, we had a cracker of an evening….thank you.
Christy's reply
Sound Lar….Its all go this Summer…we go there,they come here….gettin ready for Companeros in ‘Scorty….you were spotted in NCH lookin brand new…keep up the good work…catch you later
A long way from bonnie hawick or even from bogie’s bonnie belle i still can’t escape the world cup. With no scots ( did we ever qualify for anything except tossing the caber?) Or irish to follow, i find myself cheering on the iranians v portugal for no reason other than it being hard to support the team of ronaldo ( as he is from franco’s madrid ) and so settled on viva la quinta brigada as the tune to play on the cd whilst watching ,and lo and behold he missed a penalty. The power of positive thought.
I leave france to head to the marquee down in cork via rosslare and cashel where i will be consorting with the kinane’s of tipp.jayo, antoinette and i will be down to cork early to soak up the atmosphere ,and maybe a little cork dry ,before hoping to sing of bogie or la quinta.
Keep out of the sun young man.
Rory
Christy's reply
I am happy for all those millions enjoying their world cup…we have other things on our mind here in the Short Grass…Kildare and Mayo due to clash this Sunday. A very serious situation developing as to where the ball will be thrown in…Headquarters are insisting Croke Park ( which means contravening their own rules and regulations) We are demanding our (GOD) given right to home advantage…with such challenging situations in the air we dont have time to give two shites about bejewelled prima donnas diving in Russia….
interesting that you mention Jayo…I tried to ring him last week….Michael Doherty gave me a number for him but it does not work….
happy travels…we are looking forward to our Leeside gig..our 13th in 14 years of The Marquee …face the puck out
Christy
Would it be possible for you to do me a big favour
A colleague who is a serious follower of yours for years retires from a lifetime in education this Thursday
The first time I met him when I went for a walk round before an interview he was playing your songs
I wonder would you send him a message to wish him well
I can forward you details
Many thanks
E
I’m a great believer in giving some made up words wither they be poems or a song the light of day..it’s a shame to hide them beneath the dark pages of a lonely copybook.
I cannot imagine a better place to set them free Than a christy moore web site…so forgive the many intrusions.
I’m just a singer
A professional dreamer
I’m just a rover still climbing hills
sometimes a lover, sometimes a brother,
I should settle down but I never will.
I’ve been through good times
I’ve been through bad times
I had someone love me one time with all of my ills.
But the call of the highway,and doing it my way
I should settle down , but I never will.
As I look around me
On this empty highway.
I long for what I have missed and it gives me the chills
Beans on a monday. ,rice on a tuesday,
Wednesday has be started all over again…
I’m just a singer,
A professional dreamer,
I’m just a rover still climbing hills.
Sometimes a lover, sometimes a brother.
I should settle down, but I never will..
Christy's reply
Morra Murt,
we never know what lies ahead…
Love could be waiting around the next bend….
then the choice will be yours…
pull in
or
boot to the floor
I was heading out to London recently and on the way I was listening to a playlist of yours and two songs played in succession. The first was ‘Goose Green’ and the second was Ordinary Man. Very fitting that those two should be heard one after the other and as I arrived in London I realised that not much has changed since in the years between that those two were written and now.
I was at the gig you played in Brum a few weeks back too, thank you for a wonderful evening there!
Christy's reply
How time flies …sometimes its overwhelming…
that recent Maytime gig in Brum has almost slipped my mind…
yet I have vivid recall of my first gig there in 1967…
it reminds me of my old Uncle Arthur,
in his mid 70s he said to me
“I can remember everything that happened 50 years ago
but I cant recall where I left my trousars this morning”
Those two songs you mention….
I have sung “Ordinary Man” perhaps two thousand times
but “Goose Green” only once
that once being down in the Garden Room when young Leo Pearson recorded it and it ended up on “The Box Set” (1964-2004)
Arthur was not really my Uncle
but he was the Husband of my Auntie Maeve
who was not really my Aunt
but she was my God-Mother
Maeve Laffan,(formerly of Beauparc County Meath)
was the best God-Mother a lad ever had
Every May, religiously, the Birthday Card would arrive
with that precious red ten shilling note
(Maeve took her spiritual duties seriously)
Twas only after she died I learned that my God-Mother was a half sister to Brendan Bracken ….no wonder twas never mentioned for that quare hawk spent his entire life in a can of worms
Begod AG99S you’ve really set me off on one this morning.
Dont know where that came from.
But I’ll lave it in anyways (as the Bishop said etc !)
probably Thatcher-Goose Green-Churchill sequencing
Ha ha!
But true what you say, only for Leagues and the (great) TV documentary would ever had a reunion of the great quartet.
Funny that you remarked about and remembered playing in the NCH in ’83 which brouvht that memory back to me.
Greetings from the sunny centre of the country.
Christy's reply
Its like a memory game Ed,your post reminds me…..
those early NCH gigs were promoted by a man called George O”Reilly…out of the blue he contacted me…I’d not met him before…we met in his office which was close by the NCH…he was an old-school promoter who had once worked with Bing Crosby…I had just left Moving Hearts not sure what lay ahead….back then the NCH was newly opened and unknown territory to this guitar twanging Balladeer….
Hi christy , im a big fan from dublin and have seen you live many times , i have found a old steel beer type cup which says presented by Pat Dowling prosperous , i searched it online and it seems you were great freinds with him , have you any info on this cup ?
Christy's reply
Pat Dowling ran the legendary pub of the same name in the Village of Prosperous.A welcoming and generous host and a Publican like no other. In the 1960’s and 70’s the Music in Pat’s attracted players and listeners from far and wide.Ciaran Bourke, Barney McKenna and Seamus Ennis were among the regular visitors…it was there that Donal Lunny and I first encountered Liam Óg O’Flynn and fell under the spell of his music….
Pat ‘s pub was a hub of all kinds of social activity..Whist Drives, Dart Tournaments, incredible Christmas Draws and hampers….Pat was ably assisted by his brothers Joe and Johnny…Mickey Carroll served his time there and went on to become All-Ireland Tin Whistle Champion….among the regular musicians there were Davoc Rynne, Brigid Rynne, Frank Burke, Joe Ward, Gerry on Accordeon, Ned Farrell, Nan McCormack, Mick Crean….
Planxty was concieved in Pat Dowlings
Magic. Absolute magic. We were blessed with seeing two shows in a row on June 8 and 9. We were celebrating our 30th anniversary and we were so excited to be at the shows. On Friday we received a wonderful tribute to us in celebration of our anniversary. In addition, Friday night Christy sang my absolute favorite song of all time, The Song of Wandering Aongus, which I had never gotten to hear him sing live. I was thrilled and my eyes welled with tears. Thank you.
Christy's reply
It was a pleasure to sing for you between Dún Maeve and Ben Bulben….may ye embrace the next 30
I just loved the Leagues O’Toole book, and absorbed all the info given; great. I felt it just moved to close to be a ‘hagriography’ written by a pure fan of the group. No ‘faults’ as such at all, no inner conflicts or the like.
I was one of a tiny few who were left outside and failed to get into that 1983 NCH concert, you sold out two nights, NCH, April ’83. I wont relay here ‘on-air’ my experience of those NCH people that night, it was poor and inadequate.
Christy's reply
Faults Ed !!!
Are you suggesting that Planxty members might have been flawed in any way ?
Perish the very thought…
Shiver Me Timbers…
Quadruple Gulp…
NCH 1983
Might be time to let that one go
Fair Play to Leagues…without his “No Disco” special, that Planxty 2004 revival would not have taken place..No Way
All alone exactly where I want to be.
Away from all the noise and clatter of the Damn tv,
Bog for miles, ancent decay that will warm the throne of a lucky soul someday.
little brooks too wind down through rocks ,blindly going to distant parts unknown.
Final destination the great Atlantic way.
Picking out stones placed upon a crumbled wall,
So they fit exactly how they were cut out to be.
The placer long gone to his final destiny.
Then like a pain,
A tayto crisp bag bristled past my field of view.
What heartless bastard there it there
Thinking it was going to disappear.
Yeah,, I know it wasn’t you..
Christy's reply
“Picking out stones placed upon a crumbled wall,
So they fit exactly how they were cut out to be.
The placer long gone to his final destiny”.
You remind me of John Bowen,late of Rathoora, Schull, West Cork….
There was a man who knew the very Art of building a beautiful dry stone wall, who cut turf like no other, who tended his drills with delicate caress, who loved the soil beneath him, trimmed hedges with compassion for them that dwelt within,who observed and cared for those around him…a true friend to so many until the last dropeen that got him
Nice,never heard John hoban before,I love that free style writing,it kinda flows,but stays together and relays a story..I remember being a young buck growing up in easkey .st Stevens day we would go from house mummering,or bregoging,…we sang two old songs brought around the place by two travellers.Jack Reynolds and Jimmy noone..one was ” a. Shilling a night,” the other was ” the galtee farmer” ,, i think the later was covered by an english folk group..when I get nostalgia I still do them on the odd gig… I hope your concerts are productive and your squeezing some good memories out of them all.now I’m off to the bog bagging turf…love the variety….Florida , one day then the coopers lodge bog the other. Maurteen
Black top appears from the dark
Broad bardic back within
Baring his soul and ours
Pearls of wisdom begin to glisten on skin
As we listen to his tales
Each bead of sweat
Bringing sweeter sounds to ears
Again and again he delves deep
Into the treasure trove of the tribe
Treating us to tender tunes
Or a thunderous rousing chorus
Often raking embers within us.
Pores perspiring pure passion
Pouring into our wells below
Tipping us up with a vibe
Or a thing I feel only Amergin could describe.
-S. Ó Donnabháin
Christy's reply
S. Ó Donnabháin (How I still long for the old séimhithe)
Míle maith agat.
Thank you for sharing your observations…
Pouring into Wells Below , then Tipping Up,
Harking Back to John ‘Jacko’ Reilly
Christy I’m glad your wife’s favourite venue is the NCH. That was pure magic last night. I was lucky enough to score front row seats. Brought a first timer with me and he loved every minute of it. It’s a fine hall, your crew had the stage, sound and lighting on the ball. You couldn’t ask for a better set list than that either. Since I started going to your gigs in 02, I must be closing in on 50 and last night was up there with the best of them for me. The audience listened and sang along start to finish and you didn’t sing a note out of place, no thanks to Argos shoddy contraptions. Thanks very much for what will be a memorable gig for many reasons. Loved it, Sail on Jimmy…..
Christy's reply
Up Our Town,
Had a grand pot of tea in Hubert’s yesterday with Eric McDonald…could not believe the extent of my old watering hole which now extends from the front Street all the way back to Rosy’s Lane. In fact,the back lounge now includes the very ground where Rosy once resided.
Its like two towns now…the Top of the Town thronged with shoppers,traffic wardens,shirt sleeves in the sunlight….once I passed the Bus Stop heading towards The Bridge it all seems to mellow out….
In fairness I cannot blame either Argos or Casio for the failure of my new keyboard the other night…I forgot to switch the feckin thing on…
We had a great night in The Góilín last night..Con Fada Ó Drisceoil sang songs from his new album…
I thoroughly enjoyed our two nights in the National Music Hall… from Front of House right thru to Stage Door, every one gave us a welcome ,great expertise and assistance….we want to get back
I have a few days off now, gonna watch 3 rugby matches today and drink pots of strong tea, tomorrow The Lily Whites and Longford, Laois and The Dubs, Donegal and Fermanagh
Then start thinking about re joining The Companeros and heading for Enniscorthy, Tullamore and The Marquee in Cork ….
Up Our Road
My Brother, nephew Callum and myself went to see ye last night in NCH and we’re still buzzin’ after it.Callum knows all the words of Welcome to the Cabaret and was bellowing it out.
My girlfriend sent me the book Humours of Planxty from New York and it made me fall in love with the music all over again. I’m sorry for your loss of Liam, I know he was a big part of your journey. Regretfully, I never got to see him live but his music will live on.
I’ll definitely go see ye again before the years out, yer some man for one man.
Keep it lit Christy
Yer fellow Bogman
Barry K
Christy's reply
Leagues O’Toole did a great job on that Planxty book……for us early rapscallions,it revived many fond memories
That would describe seafield balroom all right..roudy bunch for sure..I was 14 then so wouldn’t be swinging knuckles ,, Easkey has not changed a bit since that time, seafield is still there all closed up…nice area for a drive..good resturant down in templeboy called “the beach bar” great food right on the water…
The conversation
Are you the jypsy kind
Do you sleep along the road at night
I don’t know,I don’t know sir I don’t know.
Do you know where you were born,
Was it on a lonely country road.
I don’t know, I don’t know sir ,I don’t know.
Do you visit all your clan
Driving in your rusty caravan
I don’t know, I don’t know sir, I don’t know.
Do you wear someone else’s clothes
Do you have no fixed abode
I don’t know, I don’t know sir.I don’t know.
Do you ever see the scorn,in the eyes of every one,
I don’t know, I don’t know sir I don’t know.
I’m just a jypsy man ,driving in my rusty caravan.
That’s all I know sir that’s all I know.
Fresh off the pen..
Christy's reply
John Hoban, the Bard of Castlebar, has a beautiful song called “Busking in Sligo” which I heartily recommend….your “Conversation” is a timely reminder for me to revisit John’s last album….
Hope someone re-opens Seafield in Easkey……I’m playing Dreamland in Athy next month….we used to Dance (and pull) there in the 1960s. Heard The Royal there, The Drifters, Mighty Avons, Freshmen, Paragon 7, The Regent, The Capitol…..always wanted to play there..it closed as a Ballroom but is now re-opened as the Athy Community Centre….Still remember the Ads in The Leinster Leader…..
Dancing 9-2….Mineral Bar…adm 4/6…. ( Buses from Newbridge,Naas, Kildare) neat dress essential….(reserve the right to refuse admission) (priest on duty) no sly feels….Albert Reynolds on the door…
I’m just a lonely Boy, Lonely and Blue,
I’m all alone,with Nothin to do………………
Come on Baby lets jump The Broomstick….
Lipstick on your collar, told a tale on you
Walk right Back to me this minute
bring your love to me dont send it
Dream Dream Dream
When I want You
all i gotta do is dream
that picture Agnes Nealis mentions i knew i saw something like it, their is also one or its the same one as in the one voice book, its a black and white illustrated cartoon of an audience and a stage with a guitar and a pair of hands playing it. its in the program book for the Christy concert tour in 94/95 cartoon is listed been done by Turlogh Rynne, Agnes Nealis i will send you copy later.
Christy sound like the nch gigs are going well.. roll on eniscorthy and tullamore
Adam
Christy's reply
well spotted, well remembered Adam….yourself and Colm have become trusted archivists whilst Hilary continues to transmit at the Department of Communications…
With regard to “silver linings”….were it not for last Winter’s snow we would not have Enniscorthy and Tullamore to anticipate…
After a string of Solo gigs I am looking forward to rejoining the Companeros, to hearing what Declan,Jimmy and Cathal have to play…..
over the recent solo gigs certain lyrics have been amended, some songs have re-appeared,
The annual trip to The Lee Field now looms once more…..The Marquee will be thronged next Sat…seems that it sold out quicker this year then any of the previous 13 appearances AND being a Saturday night gig the Big Tint will be wafting with Perfume and After-Shave…..4711 will mingle with Old Spice to create a heady concoction..
The National Concert Hall gave us two great nights…..I’m hoping that it might become an annual visit…we all enjoyed the experience enormously….in my experience,the NCH takes its place alongside London’s Southbank, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Sydney’s Opera House as a truly International Venue….good news too that further improvements are on the way….some great nights pending in their upcoming programme….the Director told me the NCH staged over 1100 separate events in 2017…
Since I first played there in 1983, the NCH has broadened its brief, jettisoned what felt were elitist airs and graces ….it is now what it purports to be…a venue for all the Nation,paid for by citizens of the Nation…)
Hope you have a good Summer Adam, still getting great feedback for your contribution to the last album……heard from Sony last week telling me that it has re entered the Top Ten……feckin mega
Christy, almost as much excitement as 98. There must be a song there. Newbridge or bust.
’98 was the closest we got to Sam in my ’73 years….some great memories that were not erased by the Galway defeat….you and I were altar boys when we won the Leinster in ’56….I was there with my Da that day, he was gone before the year was out…Cork put paid to us in the Semi Final that year…there was a polio outbreak around the same time and children were discouraged from going to the match..
but we still had to serve Mass Frankie…for The Mons, gentle Jem Gorman and cranky Fr. McNally who always seemed to have a sore head…
2 masses every morning and (I think) 4 of a Sunday….will you ever forget the pure tedium of Jem Gorman’s sermons..
then the feckin Redemptorists would arrive for the annual Mission..ye would’nt fall asleep when them hures were ranting…
cant make Sat night down in The Pitch
I’m on duty in The Marquee in Cork…if I’d known this was gonna happen I’d have kept Saturday free…
“St. Conleth`s or no place” says Cian O`Neill, and we will all back him on that…………….
.Cill Dara abu
Jack Barnes and Joe Woolfe will look after the bicycles…. we’ll dine in Bun Higgins before dispersing to our various parishes of Moorefield and Roseberry..we will be joined at the hip come Sat evening as we run out to face the Red &Green…did you hear “Legs ” Morley on the Sean O’Rourke this morning..He do tan them all the way up…Johnny Doyle was our Rep in the debate…..
I have my seat booked on Lunny’s back wall…Roisín will have the tea ready at half time
Dream Quarter Finals for the GAA ( and Sky)
Bruce v Garth
Ed v U2
The Pope v The Dubs
Rihanna v Conor McGregor
Luka is calling it Skygate !
One way or the other, cows will be milked, turf clamped, hay saved and Paddy Power always on the winner…. ( Betfair me bollix)
There’ll be tea and toasted muffins and a pair of hard-boiled eggs called for fairly lively to calm the nerves for the weekend Christy! Quarehawks are at it again….Money grabbers!
Looking forward to Thursday night in Tullamore, a few songs with boyo’s back will put the fire in our bellies and get us revved up good and ready for the match!
Latest News.
Kildare and Mayo to play in Lansdowne Rd
Hi Christy,
Ah Tullamore in the Summer…The Snow drove us away in the early part of the Year, all the talk was about Flooding; our Minister for floods was running around in his Wellies making all sorts of promises…..” and It pissing down with Rain, (and Snow), and they trying to sell us Water”. Now they are talking about the Drought….. There’s no pleasing us.
We will warm you up well before the Tent; bring your Sun Cream!!!!
Best Regards,
Patsy
‘Scorty, Tullamore and The Banks…
I had a grand night in the NCH, it is a mighty venue…I was into me 40’s when I saw my first ever orchestra performance there…and lots since, Jimmy Mac, Declan O Rourke, an Elvis night…they do the lot in the NCH..I loved last Wed night , stage was lovely, sound was great…suited ye..
I hit Kildare twice over the weekend, Sat morning had the breaky with John Spillane before his chat in McCauley place for the mid-summer festival there, and along with Richard from sound desk in B/town and N Heavy, we Rock n Rolled out the Junefest closer with Gavin Povey and his band…weather was great, fantastic day…have a great week of gigs, would love to be at the tent..but cant be everywhere…Eleanor & Mike return the sentiments, we had a cracker of an evening….thank you.
Sound Lar….Its all go this Summer…we go there,they come here….gettin ready for Companeros in ‘Scorty….you were spotted in NCH lookin brand new…keep up the good work…catch you later
A long way from bonnie hawick or even from bogie’s bonnie belle i still can’t escape the world cup. With no scots ( did we ever qualify for anything except tossing the caber?) Or irish to follow, i find myself cheering on the iranians v portugal for no reason other than it being hard to support the team of ronaldo ( as he is from franco’s madrid ) and so settled on viva la quinta brigada as the tune to play on the cd whilst watching ,and lo and behold he missed a penalty. The power of positive thought.
I leave france to head to the marquee down in cork via rosslare and cashel where i will be consorting with the kinane’s of tipp.jayo, antoinette and i will be down to cork early to soak up the atmosphere ,and maybe a little cork dry ,before hoping to sing of bogie or la quinta.
Keep out of the sun young man.
Rory
I am happy for all those millions enjoying their world cup…we have other things on our mind here in the Short Grass…Kildare and Mayo due to clash this Sunday. A very serious situation developing as to where the ball will be thrown in…Headquarters are insisting Croke Park ( which means contravening their own rules and regulations) We are demanding our (GOD) given right to home advantage…with such challenging situations in the air we dont have time to give two shites about bejewelled prima donnas diving in Russia….
interesting that you mention Jayo…I tried to ring him last week….Michael Doherty gave me a number for him but it does not work….
happy travels…we are looking forward to our Leeside gig..our 13th in 14 years of The Marquee …face the puck out
Christy
Would it be possible for you to do me a big favour
A colleague who is a serious follower of yours for years retires from a lifetime in education this Thursday
The first time I met him when I went for a walk round before an interview he was playing your songs
I wonder would you send him a message to wish him well
I can forward you details
Many thanks
E
nae bother Eileen
I’m a great believer in giving some made up words wither they be poems or a song the light of day..it’s a shame to hide them beneath the dark pages of a lonely copybook.
I cannot imagine a better place to set them free Than a christy moore web site…so forgive the many intrusions.
I’m just a singer
A professional dreamer
I’m just a rover still climbing hills
sometimes a lover, sometimes a brother,
I should settle down but I never will.
I’ve been through good times
I’ve been through bad times
I had someone love me one time with all of my ills.
But the call of the highway,and doing it my way
I should settle down , but I never will.
As I look around me
On this empty highway.
I long for what I have missed and it gives me the chills
Beans on a monday. ,rice on a tuesday,
Wednesday has be started all over again…
I’m just a singer,
A professional dreamer,
I’m just a rover still climbing hills.
Sometimes a lover, sometimes a brother.
I should settle down, but I never will..
Morra Murt,
we never know what lies ahead…
Love could be waiting around the next bend….
then the choice will be yours…
pull in
or
boot to the floor
I was heading out to London recently and on the way I was listening to a playlist of yours and two songs played in succession. The first was ‘Goose Green’ and the second was Ordinary Man. Very fitting that those two should be heard one after the other and as I arrived in London I realised that not much has changed since in the years between that those two were written and now.
I was at the gig you played in Brum a few weeks back too, thank you for a wonderful evening there!
How time flies …sometimes its overwhelming…
that recent Maytime gig in Brum has almost slipped my mind…
yet I have vivid recall of my first gig there in 1967…
it reminds me of my old Uncle Arthur,
in his mid 70s he said to me
“I can remember everything that happened 50 years ago
but I cant recall where I left my trousars this morning”
Those two songs you mention….
I have sung “Ordinary Man” perhaps two thousand times
but “Goose Green” only once
that once being down in the Garden Room when young Leo Pearson recorded it and it ended up on “The Box Set” (1964-2004)
Arthur was not really my Uncle
but he was the Husband of my Auntie Maeve
who was not really my Aunt
but she was my God-Mother
Maeve Laffan,(formerly of Beauparc County Meath)
was the best God-Mother a lad ever had
Every May, religiously, the Birthday Card would arrive
with that precious red ten shilling note
(Maeve took her spiritual duties seriously)
Twas only after she died I learned that my God-Mother was a half sister to Brendan Bracken ….no wonder twas never mentioned for that quare hawk spent his entire life in a can of worms
Begod AG99S you’ve really set me off on one this morning.
Dont know where that came from.
But I’ll lave it in anyways (as the Bishop said etc !)
probably Thatcher-Goose Green-Churchill sequencing
I think I’d better get up and put on the kettle
Ha ha!
But true what you say, only for Leagues and the (great) TV documentary would ever had a reunion of the great quartet.
Funny that you remarked about and remembered playing in the NCH in ’83 which brouvht that memory back to me.
Greetings from the sunny centre of the country.
Its like a memory game Ed,your post reminds me…..
those early NCH gigs were promoted by a man called George O”Reilly…out of the blue he contacted me…I’d not met him before…we met in his office which was close by the NCH…he was an old-school promoter who had once worked with Bing Crosby…I had just left Moving Hearts not sure what lay ahead….back then the NCH was newly opened and unknown territory to this guitar twanging Balladeer….
Hi christy , im a big fan from dublin and have seen you live many times , i have found a old steel beer type cup which says presented by Pat Dowling prosperous , i searched it online and it seems you were great freinds with him , have you any info on this cup ?
Pat Dowling ran the legendary pub of the same name in the Village of Prosperous.A welcoming and generous host and a Publican like no other. In the 1960’s and 70’s the Music in Pat’s attracted players and listeners from far and wide.Ciaran Bourke, Barney McKenna and Seamus Ennis were among the regular visitors…it was there that Donal Lunny and I first encountered Liam Óg O’Flynn and fell under the spell of his music….
Pat ‘s pub was a hub of all kinds of social activity..Whist Drives, Dart Tournaments, incredible Christmas Draws and hampers….Pat was ably assisted by his brothers Joe and Johnny…Mickey Carroll served his time there and went on to become All-Ireland Tin Whistle Champion….among the regular musicians there were Davoc Rynne, Brigid Rynne, Frank Burke, Joe Ward, Gerry on Accordeon, Ned Farrell, Nan McCormack, Mick Crean….
Planxty was concieved in Pat Dowlings
Magic. Absolute magic. We were blessed with seeing two shows in a row on June 8 and 9. We were celebrating our 30th anniversary and we were so excited to be at the shows. On Friday we received a wonderful tribute to us in celebration of our anniversary. In addition, Friday night Christy sang my absolute favorite song of all time, The Song of Wandering Aongus, which I had never gotten to hear him sing live. I was thrilled and my eyes welled with tears. Thank you.
It was a pleasure to sing for you between Dún Maeve and Ben Bulben….may ye embrace the next 30
I just loved the Leagues O’Toole book, and absorbed all the info given; great. I felt it just moved to close to be a ‘hagriography’ written by a pure fan of the group. No ‘faults’ as such at all, no inner conflicts or the like.
I was one of a tiny few who were left outside and failed to get into that 1983 NCH concert, you sold out two nights, NCH, April ’83. I wont relay here ‘on-air’ my experience of those NCH people that night, it was poor and inadequate.
Faults Ed !!!
Are you suggesting that Planxty members might have been flawed in any way ?
Perish the very thought…
Shiver Me Timbers…
Quadruple Gulp…
NCH 1983
Might be time to let that one go
Fair Play to Leagues…without his “No Disco” special, that Planxty 2004 revival would not have taken place..No Way
Greetings to The Middle of The Island
Speaking of the bog..
All alone exactly where I want to be.
Away from all the noise and clatter of the Damn tv,
Bog for miles, ancent decay that will warm the throne of a lucky soul someday.
little brooks too wind down through rocks ,blindly going to distant parts unknown.
Final destination the great Atlantic way.
Picking out stones placed upon a crumbled wall,
So they fit exactly how they were cut out to be.
The placer long gone to his final destiny.
Then like a pain,
A tayto crisp bag bristled past my field of view.
What heartless bastard there it there
Thinking it was going to disappear.
Yeah,, I know it wasn’t you..
“Picking out stones placed upon a crumbled wall,
So they fit exactly how they were cut out to be.
The placer long gone to his final destiny”.
You remind me of John Bowen,late of Rathoora, Schull, West Cork….
There was a man who knew the very Art of building a beautiful dry stone wall, who cut turf like no other, who tended his drills with delicate caress, who loved the soil beneath him, trimmed hedges with compassion for them that dwelt within,who observed and cared for those around him…a true friend to so many until the last dropeen that got him
Nice,never heard John hoban before,I love that free style writing,it kinda flows,but stays together and relays a story..I remember being a young buck growing up in easkey .st Stevens day we would go from house mummering,or bregoging,…we sang two old songs brought around the place by two travellers.Jack Reynolds and Jimmy noone..one was ” a. Shilling a night,” the other was ” the galtee farmer” ,, i think the later was covered by an english folk group..when I get nostalgia I still do them on the odd gig… I hope your concerts are productive and your squeezing some good memories out of them all.now I’m off to the bog bagging turf…love the variety….Florida , one day then the coopers lodge bog the other. Maurteen
Sounds Good Murteen,
Never Tire of The Road
Christy
Black top appears from the dark
Broad bardic back within
Baring his soul and ours
Pearls of wisdom begin to glisten on skin
As we listen to his tales
Each bead of sweat
Bringing sweeter sounds to ears
Again and again he delves deep
Into the treasure trove of the tribe
Treating us to tender tunes
Or a thunderous rousing chorus
Often raking embers within us.
Pores perspiring pure passion
Pouring into our wells below
Tipping us up with a vibe
Or a thing I feel only Amergin could describe.
-S. Ó Donnabháin
S. Ó Donnabháin (How I still long for the old séimhithe)
Míle maith agat.
Thank you for sharing your observations…
Pouring into Wells Below , then Tipping Up,
Harking Back to John ‘Jacko’ Reilly
Christy I’m glad your wife’s favourite venue is the NCH. That was pure magic last night. I was lucky enough to score front row seats. Brought a first timer with me and he loved every minute of it. It’s a fine hall, your crew had the stage, sound and lighting on the ball. You couldn’t ask for a better set list than that either. Since I started going to your gigs in 02, I must be closing in on 50 and last night was up there with the best of them for me. The audience listened and sang along start to finish and you didn’t sing a note out of place, no thanks to Argos shoddy contraptions. Thanks very much for what will be a memorable gig for many reasons. Loved it, Sail on Jimmy…..
Up Our Town,
Had a grand pot of tea in Hubert’s yesterday with Eric McDonald…could not believe the extent of my old watering hole which now extends from the front Street all the way back to Rosy’s Lane. In fact,the back lounge now includes the very ground where Rosy once resided.
Its like two towns now…the Top of the Town thronged with shoppers,traffic wardens,shirt sleeves in the sunlight….once I passed the Bus Stop heading towards The Bridge it all seems to mellow out….
In fairness I cannot blame either Argos or Casio for the failure of my new keyboard the other night…I forgot to switch the feckin thing on…
We had a great night in The Góilín last night..Con Fada Ó Drisceoil sang songs from his new album…
I thoroughly enjoyed our two nights in the National Music Hall… from Front of House right thru to Stage Door, every one gave us a welcome ,great expertise and assistance….we want to get back
I have a few days off now, gonna watch 3 rugby matches today and drink pots of strong tea, tomorrow The Lily Whites and Longford, Laois and The Dubs, Donegal and Fermanagh
Then start thinking about re joining The Companeros and heading for Enniscorthy, Tullamore and The Marquee in Cork ….
Up Our Road
Hi Chirsty,
My Brother, nephew Callum and myself went to see ye last night in NCH and we’re still buzzin’ after it.Callum knows all the words of Welcome to the Cabaret and was bellowing it out.
My girlfriend sent me the book Humours of Planxty from New York and it made me fall in love with the music all over again. I’m sorry for your loss of Liam, I know he was a big part of your journey. Regretfully, I never got to see him live but his music will live on.
I’ll definitely go see ye again before the years out, yer some man for one man.
Keep it lit Christy
Yer fellow Bogman
Barry K
Leagues O’Toole did a great job on that Planxty book……for us early rapscallions,it revived many fond memories
Keep Coming Back Barry….Up The Lilys
That would describe seafield balroom all right..roudy bunch for sure..I was 14 then so wouldn’t be swinging knuckles ,, Easkey has not changed a bit since that time, seafield is still there all closed up…nice area for a drive..good resturant down in templeboy called “the beach bar” great food right on the water…
The conversation
Are you the jypsy kind
Do you sleep along the road at night
I don’t know,I don’t know sir I don’t know.
Do you know where you were born,
Was it on a lonely country road.
I don’t know, I don’t know sir ,I don’t know.
Do you visit all your clan
Driving in your rusty caravan
I don’t know, I don’t know sir, I don’t know.
Do you wear someone else’s clothes
Do you have no fixed abode
I don’t know, I don’t know sir.I don’t know.
Do you ever see the scorn,in the eyes of every one,
I don’t know, I don’t know sir I don’t know.
I’m just a jypsy man ,driving in my rusty caravan.
That’s all I know sir that’s all I know.
Fresh off the pen..
John Hoban, the Bard of Castlebar, has a beautiful song called “Busking in Sligo” which I heartily recommend….your “Conversation” is a timely reminder for me to revisit John’s last album….
Hope someone re-opens Seafield in Easkey……I’m playing Dreamland in Athy next month….we used to Dance (and pull) there in the 1960s. Heard The Royal there, The Drifters, Mighty Avons, Freshmen, Paragon 7, The Regent, The Capitol…..always wanted to play there..it closed as a Ballroom but is now re-opened as the Athy Community Centre….Still remember the Ads in The Leinster Leader…..
Dancing 9-2….Mineral Bar…adm 4/6…. ( Buses from Newbridge,Naas, Kildare) neat dress essential….(reserve the right to refuse admission) (priest on duty) no sly feels….Albert Reynolds on the door…
I’m just a lonely Boy, Lonely and Blue,
I’m all alone,with Nothin to do………………
Come on Baby lets jump The Broomstick….
Lipstick on your collar, told a tale on you
Walk right Back to me this minute
bring your love to me dont send it
Dream Dream Dream
When I want You
all i gotta do is dream
Hi
that picture Agnes Nealis mentions i knew i saw something like it, their is also one or its the same one as in the one voice book, its a black and white illustrated cartoon of an audience and a stage with a guitar and a pair of hands playing it. its in the program book for the Christy concert tour in 94/95 cartoon is listed been done by Turlogh Rynne, Agnes Nealis i will send you copy later.
Christy sound like the nch gigs are going well.. roll on eniscorthy and tullamore
Adam
well spotted, well remembered Adam….yourself and Colm have become trusted archivists whilst Hilary continues to transmit at the Department of Communications…
With regard to “silver linings”….were it not for last Winter’s snow we would not have Enniscorthy and Tullamore to anticipate…
After a string of Solo gigs I am looking forward to rejoining the Companeros, to hearing what Declan,Jimmy and Cathal have to play…..
over the recent solo gigs certain lyrics have been amended, some songs have re-appeared,
The annual trip to The Lee Field now looms once more…..The Marquee will be thronged next Sat…seems that it sold out quicker this year then any of the previous 13 appearances AND being a Saturday night gig the Big Tint will be wafting with Perfume and After-Shave…..4711 will mingle with Old Spice to create a heady concoction..
The National Concert Hall gave us two great nights…..I’m hoping that it might become an annual visit…we all enjoyed the experience enormously….in my experience,the NCH takes its place alongside London’s Southbank, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Sydney’s Opera House as a truly International Venue….good news too that further improvements are on the way….some great nights pending in their upcoming programme….the Director told me the NCH staged over 1100 separate events in 2017…
Since I first played there in 1983, the NCH has broadened its brief, jettisoned what felt were elitist airs and graces ….it is now what it purports to be…a venue for all the Nation,paid for by citizens of the Nation…)
Hope you have a good Summer Adam, still getting great feedback for your contribution to the last album……heard from Sony last week telling me that it has re entered the Top Ten……feckin mega