in memory of all the irish that went away and never made it back..
my name is Jimmy
I came here in 52
I took the boat to London
there was nothing else to do.
do you remember me
don’t you remember me.
my name is Tommy
from outside easkey town
I took the train to Glasgow
working on the underground
do you remember me
don’t you remember me.
my name is Tommy Moran
in this bed I lie
thinking of my childhood
outside of pomeroy
do you remember me
don’t you remember me…
Christy's reply
I remember you,
on the cattle boat from the North Wall, that mail-boat from Dun Leary, on the Kilburn High Road, on the back of the Green and Gray, with Kennedy in Manchester, I remember you in the Galteemore, The White Hart, The Carousel,
on sites and scaffolds, canteens and doss houses,in Arlington and Ardwick,in Harlesden and in Hebburn,
I’ll never forget, I simply cant
Hi Christy,
Hope all is well. We’re looking forward to having you back in Galway this weekend. Our first gig since Mam’s passing in March so I’ve no doubt that it will be filled with mixed emotions. Thank you for the power of your lyrics and song that continue to bring comfort to us all. There are many, many favourite’s on constant repeat here but Motherland and Bright Blue Rose will always keep her close. All the best and we’ll see you v soon. CC
Christy's reply
for some of us, verses and melodies simply ease the aching heart, thanks for listening and for sharing…
its time to get up now, sweeten the porridge and saddle the pony….today we head for Salthill
Salthill , Monday stroll, saw the ‘sold out’ stickers on Leisureland billboards…Cork, Wed & Thurs, met up with the Hit Factory on Oliver Plunkett street for the bit of grub…he’s flyin, loads in the works..who’s gonna stop him like..?
Carrigaline to Sneem by Kenmare for a bit of music, passin through Mcroom and the Briers Gap theatre…good memories of 2 solo gigs there 9 years , for it was young Adams 21st there…we had cake..
passed more gig memories in town, the Everyman on McCurtain Street..i think i saw 2 gigs there…25 or so years ago..
Freddie White with us on 30th August here in Booterstown. I hope all is fantastic with you, I look forward to a night in the Pav at the end of the month…L x
Christy's reply
Sounds like you been riding the Rás Tailteann Lar….the Briary Gap has sadly closed its doors, you’re spot on with The Everyman, played there for a week with Sharon Shannon, Steve Cooney and Eoghan O’Neill before recording “Smoke and Strong Whiskey” album…..stayed in Macroom just last week, we walked the ancient streets, saw a great minor GAA match, then went up towards the seven flags of Coolea to loiter on the Banks of Sullaune… in the finest of good company we witnessed such poetry and song, dancers and seanachies, journalists and performance artists, horses and hurlers….twas like a mountainside fantasy as we followed the pipe band up to the pitch, the stage moved every hour on the hour between dusk and dawn, then the trumpet sounded the opening notes of Mise Eire…afterwards was like an old time feeling..like leaving a 60s Fleadh battered and worn but joyously sated,tin whistle sounds reverberating around tired heads as the Bedford Van made its way from the Butt of The Curlews towards The Plains of Sweet Kildare..
Good luck with your upcoming gigs ..I remember first hearing Freddie 40 years ago upstairs in Toners..not long up from De Banks and making a great name for himself in The Black Lagoon
Dear Christy, A very good day to you from Salzburg.
The Remembrance Day Concert that is to take place in Tuam at The Corralea Court Hotel on the 29th of September is well under way. There will be a poetry reading at 3pm. The well known poet Elaine Feeney will also be reading some of her work. At 6pm there will be a candle light vigil to the burial site and at 8pm the concert.
I would like to share with your guest book a few lines that I penned for the reading
Wall of Silence
A wall of silence
led me to this place
A rusty chain.
A deep dark dungeon
There without a face
Without a name.
How was I to know
My heart would bleed
At what I’d find.
Little did I know
My heart would wind
In voices from the past
And call
Across the world
To tear that beast apart…
An angel shone a light
And built a wall of love
Around that place.
And called upon the wind
To bring more angels in
With love and grace.
And heal the wounds
Of little hearts
And lay in holy ground…
How many voices
Do we need ?
To crack that wall of silence
Like a crown of thorns
Where teardrops fall
And grow and flow
Into a place
Where shadows reign
If they were yours
Would you
Refrain ?.
Or chime and take a stand
With pride upon your face
And tear it down…
Embroider threads of light
To shine upon that stain
So we can leave behind
A nations shame.
John Gibbs
Christy's reply
Its simply heartbreaking John,
as Hundreds of thousands prepare to descend once more upon the 15 acres”homeless hotels” are being emptied to make way for overnight congregations (while hundreds of churches, convents and monastries lied empty and idle)…..as the infirm are forced to trek from Hino Harris’s lorry park to Phoenix Park,Skoda lay on a fleet of carriages for the high and mighty…No Singing Priests this time ..the late Bishop Casey and Michael Cleary ( may their God be good to them) have made way for Daniel, Nathan and Riverdance…. a step in the right direction….
Thank you for sharing your Tuam verses….
I probably wont be able to join you on 29th September but I will be remembering……
Hello Christie, I have at home a letter that you wrote to my parents Pauline and John Longstaff, following a performance you gave in Redcar many years ago, in the letter you say you were 50 years of age. My father fought in the ranks of the 15th International Brigade in Spain, and fought alongside Michael O’Riordan who I believe you knew.
The reason for my writing to you is to let you know that the Young’uns trio are to perform “The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff” at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire on the 30th of January 2019, I do hope you are able to see the show and find out about my Dad, an audio visual treat. Salud! Duncan Longstaff
Ps Manus O’Riordan is a mutual friend.
Christy's reply
Good to hear from you Duncan…On my bedroom wall hangs a framed International Brigade Poster that was given to me by your Father at that Concert. It was left at the stage door and had an accompanying letter. It remains a much loved and and very special souvenier of my life on the road. After writing and recording the Song “Viva la Quinte Brigada” ( my incorrect spelling, Kildare Spainish !!) I gained the priviledge of meeting and befriending many Brigadistas. Altho I did not meet your Dad, his gift and his note to me meant much more then any Gold Disc upon the wall. Next time I meet Manus I will tell him of your contact with me….if at all poss I will hear the Young ‘uns at The Pav..it is my local venue.. I have heard them before and very much like their sound and approach…
maybe I’ll get back to Teeside some day..I have great memories of playing around there 50 years ago,.. Eston,South Bank,Redcar,Middlesboro,Stockton and many other nearby Towns…meeting Vin Garbutt, Pete Betts, Johnny Taylor, Ron Angel, The Stockton, Fettlers..great Folk Clubs, Lovely People
Christy, would you ever come over to London for a gig. There are so many fans of yours here that would love to see you. Enjoying a Christy shuffle on Spotify this week. I’ve been to many of your gigs in Ireland and listening to the live tracks brings back lots of great memories. Best of luck for the tour.
Christy's reply
thats the plan Jane….Southbank RFH next April is at the planning stage, hopefully to be confirmed in the coming weeks….
a return to Nell’s Café also upon my wish list if the ….
Heard a great interview with Johnny Duran today on our local radio station . Seems “The Voyage” is 30 years old. They played Johnny’s own recording and then he told how the song was on an album of his but he thought another song on it would have been the big “hit”. He also told how the voyage was suggested to you and that you seen the brilliance of it straight away. He also talked of the impact of the song on people and how many have been in touch with him over the years.
As you know it is very special to us too and it was great to hear some of the origins of a classic. Johnny Duhan came across as a true gentleman. Fair play to him and Fair play to you.
Hope to catch a gig soon-ish.
Christy's reply
Hey Marty,…We’ll be ready to rock when you ready to roll
Attached a song and words to celebrate Limerick’s
involvement in this years All-Ireland Hurling Final.
The song is
entitled “Connors Goes to Croker” and is a Limerick take on “Joxer
Goes to Stuttgart.”
It is written by Jacki and John O’Connor and
performed by the O’Connors and Tadhg Maher
Christy, ye also did Limerick as a stop on the anti-nuke tour. Yourself, Freddie and the band, and possibly Barry? I had been recruited by Frank as a volunteer (initially) for the Carnsore gig and looking at “One Voice” that may be a beardy me behind the mountain of loaves on p226. Helped set up the limerick gig when down in NIHE.
“NC” – the gig Planxty did in the theatre in Newbridge College. Maybe ‘73?
Looking forward to seeing you in Bray on Friday
Christy's reply
The road show was made up of The Freddie White Band, The Early Grave Band and the Theatre group who assembled for the tour….I played with Donal Lunny, Jimmy Faulkner, Johnny Moynihan, Freddie’s band was Jimmy Faulkner, Declan McNelis, Matt Kelleghan, among the actors were Fergus Cronin,Suzie Kennedy, Louise Phelan, Jack Lynch..we were aided and abetted by, amongst others, Peter Clarke, Frank The Yank, Art O’Broin, Art O’Leary,Marie Creed, Frank Connolly…each town we visited had pre-arranged venues, accomodation and publicity…the collective considered the event to have been a success and thoughts soon turned to the second Carnsore Point event…
Some of the participants are still “on the bus”!
That Planxty gig was in Newbridge College Theatre in 1972…. Donovan was living close by and came to the gig….he invited us to support him on his 1972 Irish Tour,
that went really well for us…by the time we got back to Dublin the Planxty sound was starting to reverberate…..
Hi Christy – travelling over from England to see you in Carlow in September. 30 years since I first saw you in Killarney as an 18 year old blow-in. Seen you many times since – Birmingham, Hammersmith, even a tent in a field in Ross-on-Wye! You were a great man in ’88 when the craic was ninety-one and you’re a great man now after the journey of a lifetime. Hope I can maybe shake your hand in Carlow and can say I met a hero.
Slainte Christy – all the best!
Jase
Christy's reply
wherever we are we are all blow ins…Carlow is an Historic town,we blew in there in 1976 and blew out again in 1978…I always enjoy singing there…there is a very good dining hall attached the venue……
Dear Christy, we are travelling around southern Germany right now, after joining two Van gigs in Köln and Schwetzingen. Open air with temperatures up to 38 degrees … Must have been hell for the musicians but Van managed well – still wearing a posh suit and fedora and in good voice as always … The venue in Cologne was spectacular: the stage right in front of the huge cathedral …. There was a nice smell of Eau de Cologne in town, reminding us of all the good 4711er friends … Now we are spending some days in the Black Forest with Traudel and Horst, talking about your music and having fun … And we are dreaming of Irish weather – rain, drizzle, showers, storm – all would be welcome right now …
Christy's reply
greetings from Éire….
Van is the traveling man….
I had some good gigs in Koln back in the 80s and 90s..
greetings to German songsters and confectioners
Howya Christy, I hope all’s well with you. I’m attending a motorcycle rally here in South Dakota, I’m after riding out here from New Jersey and me arse is killing me. Anyway today I was riding across the Badlands of South Dakota with the ghosts of Sarah Maclane and Billy Grey so I livened it up with some tunes from Planxty, Christy Moore and Flyod Westerman for good measure. Hope you get a kick out of that, there’s a massive sound system on this bike ! Wonderful experience, you’d love it here, I’ll send on some photos for fun.
Christy's reply
I was riding across The Bog of Allen on Sunday…the Honda 50 was flat out as Kildare beat Mayo in the U20 All-Ireland Football Final…. I had a HD screen attached to the Handlebars ….as the final whistle blew I hit the humpback bridge near Allenwood and we flew thru the air til we landed at Dag Weld’s where the hurling was just about to start between Galway and Clare..its very confusing here at the moment..as if the Hurling and GAA was not enough our Irish Women made it thru to the World Cup Final… Sunday became a blur of Hurling Hockey and GAA….the bad news ( apart from the hockey) is that my Honda 50 has a bent chassis, the cylinder head is cracked and some hoor robbed the ( custom built) panniers when I was at Mass in Kilmeague on Sunday evening..they’re gonna put it out on Garda Patrol this week for I had some topshelf ganja and 2 bottles of sweet poteen secreted in them then there Panniers..
hope you have more luck in your travels..watch out for thon KKK Chapter of Hells Angels…I hear they are a horrid bunch of lewdermawns
Came over from the States last October and saw you in Belfast and will be coming over again this October and have tickets for the show in Donegal. I read on a web site that you don’t sing, The boy from Tamlaghtduff anymore, is that true? If not would love to hear it when I come over in October. It was a grand show in Belfast last year and looking forward to another this year. Thanks and cheers.
Christy's reply
let me know which night in beautiful Bundoran.. and re-mention the song…we’ll do our best..
I sing Tamlaghtduff occasionally..only when the air is right
Last year the Intermediate Women’s Title
This year the U 20’s Mens title
are we on the way back John?
will that scaffold in Lunny’s garden become a permanent fixture?
I had a dream last night about St Conleths Park (The Pitch)
The Pope was blessing the sod, Jack Barnes was on the gate, Joe Wolfe was guarding the Bicycles,The Bun was catering, Mrs Kearn’s was dispensing ice cream, Roly Ives and Paddy Brady were stylists for the home team,Bob Duggan was running the line, Eddie’s was never open, your clock was stopped,Rasher Conlon was sunbathing down The Strand, The Boiler was layin 2/1 the field..The Mons was moaning for money, Paddy Cullen was in charge of the envelopes,Bro Lazerian eloped with Sr Philomena, Fr McNally was in a fowler,
Reggie Mooney was singing,Mick Bowdren discovered hair oil, The Black Arrow defeated the Super Six, Dr. Dan stitched up the combatants..
them were the days John
Christy, just wondering if you’d be free to sign some record sleeves at the Mermaid gig on Friday, and a couple of books as gifts to some emigrants who continue to be massive fans?
First saw you with Planxty in the theatre in NC back in the early seventies, and have great memories of the anti-nuc roadshow in ‘78 (with Frank the Yank) and many gigs since.
Christy's reply
Sure Richard…
no prob…
Frank Skelly was a true one off..
He was one the small number of people who organised and ran the First Carnsore Anti-Nuclear Festival ( 40 years on there are hundreds of claimants)… Frank was a stickler,
the day after he organised 60 volunteers into a long line,down on their knees, they moved across the site and cleared up every morsel of rubbish from Martin Ronan’s land..
He also travelled the country on the Anti-Nuclear-Roadshow-Bus when we played Newbridge, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Tralee,Galway, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Dundalk and Dublin…he lead the troupe through many sticky moments before we arrived back to Dublin weary and footsore but content with our achievement…
Frank-the-Yank died a few years ago…thanks for sharing the memory
Theatre in “NC”..where might that be?
Hi christy,
Hope your enjoying the GAA championship…some stuff being played!!
Quick question, I’m looking to book my flights home over Christmas/ new years, are you playing vicar street or any other Christmas date gigs? I’d like to plan the trip around a gig.
Thanks very much
Tommy.
Christy's reply
pencilled in but not on sale Dec 17,18, Jan 2,3,
dont know when they will go up….I
hope it works out for you…Safe Travels
hi folks, a diversion from christy’s fantastic music for a wee moment….
can i suggest any music lover has a wee skeck this weekend at hawickfest.com . last night we started the festival with one of the three remaining bay city rollers (eric falconer) performing, paul rose and many others including the fab reece hillis (who aims to tour ireland later this year)
today and tomorrow we welcome folk heroine charlie dore and the international star dean friedman, amongst many,many others. check out our ‘heart of hawick music festival’ facebook page for live streams etc
anyway, let us ‘ride on’
cheers folks
Hello Christy:
How’s things? I hope all is well with you & yourn…
I was wondering if you’ve heard Clifford T Ward’s “Waiting for the Garda” song – I believe you would deliver a touching interpretation.
Had to post this…it’s been buggin’ me..LOL.
See you,
Danny Harris.
Thanks for sharing Danny……
I’d not heard this song before
Thanks for all the songs, I hope the music has been as fulfilling to play as it has been to hear.
you are most welcome,
the music still sustains and fulfills,
having good listeners adds a deeper dimension
in memory of all the irish that went away and never made it back..
my name is Jimmy
I came here in 52
I took the boat to London
there was nothing else to do.
do you remember me
don’t you remember me.
my name is Tommy
from outside easkey town
I took the train to Glasgow
working on the underground
do you remember me
don’t you remember me.
my name is Tommy Moran
in this bed I lie
thinking of my childhood
outside of pomeroy
do you remember me
don’t you remember me…
I remember you,
on the cattle boat from the North Wall, that mail-boat from Dun Leary, on the Kilburn High Road, on the back of the Green and Gray, with Kennedy in Manchester, I remember you in the Galteemore, The White Hart, The Carousel,
on sites and scaffolds, canteens and doss houses,in Arlington and Ardwick,in Harlesden and in Hebburn,
I’ll never forget, I simply cant
Hi Christy,
Hope all is well. We’re looking forward to having you back in Galway this weekend. Our first gig since Mam’s passing in March so I’ve no doubt that it will be filled with mixed emotions. Thank you for the power of your lyrics and song that continue to bring comfort to us all. There are many, many favourite’s on constant repeat here but Motherland and Bright Blue Rose will always keep her close. All the best and we’ll see you v soon. CC
for some of us, verses and melodies simply ease the aching heart, thanks for listening and for sharing…
its time to get up now, sweeten the porridge and saddle the pony….today we head for Salthill
Salthill , Monday stroll, saw the ‘sold out’ stickers on Leisureland billboards…Cork, Wed & Thurs, met up with the Hit Factory on Oliver Plunkett street for the bit of grub…he’s flyin, loads in the works..who’s gonna stop him like..?
Carrigaline to Sneem by Kenmare for a bit of music, passin through Mcroom and the Briers Gap theatre…good memories of 2 solo gigs there 9 years , for it was young Adams 21st there…we had cake..
passed more gig memories in town, the Everyman on McCurtain Street..i think i saw 2 gigs there…25 or so years ago..
Freddie White with us on 30th August here in Booterstown. I hope all is fantastic with you, I look forward to a night in the Pav at the end of the month…L x
Sounds like you been riding the Rás Tailteann Lar….the Briary Gap has sadly closed its doors, you’re spot on with The Everyman, played there for a week with Sharon Shannon, Steve Cooney and Eoghan O’Neill before recording “Smoke and Strong Whiskey” album…..stayed in Macroom just last week, we walked the ancient streets, saw a great minor GAA match, then went up towards the seven flags of Coolea to loiter on the Banks of Sullaune… in the finest of good company we witnessed such poetry and song, dancers and seanachies, journalists and performance artists, horses and hurlers….twas like a mountainside fantasy as we followed the pipe band up to the pitch, the stage moved every hour on the hour between dusk and dawn, then the trumpet sounded the opening notes of Mise Eire…afterwards was like an old time feeling..like leaving a 60s Fleadh battered and worn but joyously sated,tin whistle sounds reverberating around tired heads as the Bedford Van made its way from the Butt of The Curlews towards The Plains of Sweet Kildare..
Good luck with your upcoming gigs ..I remember first hearing Freddie 40 years ago upstairs in Toners..not long up from De Banks and making a great name for himself in The Black Lagoon
Dear Christy, A very good day to you from Salzburg.
The Remembrance Day Concert that is to take place in Tuam at The Corralea Court Hotel on the 29th of September is well under way. There will be a poetry reading at 3pm. The well known poet Elaine Feeney will also be reading some of her work. At 6pm there will be a candle light vigil to the burial site and at 8pm the concert.
I would like to share with your guest book a few lines that I penned for the reading
Wall of Silence
A wall of silence
led me to this place
A rusty chain.
A deep dark dungeon
There without a face
Without a name.
How was I to know
My heart would bleed
At what I’d find.
Little did I know
My heart would wind
In voices from the past
And call
Across the world
To tear that beast apart…
An angel shone a light
And built a wall of love
Around that place.
And called upon the wind
To bring more angels in
With love and grace.
And heal the wounds
Of little hearts
And lay in holy ground…
How many voices
Do we need ?
To crack that wall of silence
Like a crown of thorns
Where teardrops fall
And grow and flow
Into a place
Where shadows reign
If they were yours
Would you
Refrain ?.
Or chime and take a stand
With pride upon your face
And tear it down…
Embroider threads of light
To shine upon that stain
So we can leave behind
A nations shame.
John Gibbs
Its simply heartbreaking John,
as Hundreds of thousands prepare to descend once more upon the 15 acres”homeless hotels” are being emptied to make way for overnight congregations (while hundreds of churches, convents and monastries lied empty and idle)…..as the infirm are forced to trek from Hino Harris’s lorry park to Phoenix Park,Skoda lay on a fleet of carriages for the high and mighty…No Singing Priests this time ..the late Bishop Casey and Michael Cleary ( may their God be good to them) have made way for Daniel, Nathan and Riverdance…. a step in the right direction….
Thank you for sharing your Tuam verses….
I probably wont be able to join you on 29th September but I will be remembering……
Hello Christie, I have at home a letter that you wrote to my parents Pauline and John Longstaff, following a performance you gave in Redcar many years ago, in the letter you say you were 50 years of age. My father fought in the ranks of the 15th International Brigade in Spain, and fought alongside Michael O’Riordan who I believe you knew.
The reason for my writing to you is to let you know that the Young’uns trio are to perform “The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff” at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire on the 30th of January 2019, I do hope you are able to see the show and find out about my Dad, an audio visual treat. Salud! Duncan Longstaff
Ps Manus O’Riordan is a mutual friend.
Good to hear from you Duncan…On my bedroom wall hangs a framed International Brigade Poster that was given to me by your Father at that Concert. It was left at the stage door and had an accompanying letter. It remains a much loved and and very special souvenier of my life on the road. After writing and recording the Song “Viva la Quinte Brigada” ( my incorrect spelling, Kildare Spainish !!) I gained the priviledge of meeting and befriending many Brigadistas. Altho I did not meet your Dad, his gift and his note to me meant much more then any Gold Disc upon the wall. Next time I meet Manus I will tell him of your contact with me….if at all poss I will hear the Young ‘uns at The Pav..it is my local venue.. I have heard them before and very much like their sound and approach…
maybe I’ll get back to Teeside some day..I have great memories of playing around there 50 years ago,.. Eston,South Bank,Redcar,Middlesboro,Stockton and many other nearby Towns…meeting Vin Garbutt, Pete Betts, Johnny Taylor, Ron Angel, The Stockton, Fettlers..great Folk Clubs, Lovely People
Christy, would you ever come over to London for a gig. There are so many fans of yours here that would love to see you. Enjoying a Christy shuffle on Spotify this week. I’ve been to many of your gigs in Ireland and listening to the live tracks brings back lots of great memories. Best of luck for the tour.
thats the plan Jane….Southbank RFH next April is at the planning stage, hopefully to be confirmed in the coming weeks….
a return to Nell’s Café also upon my wish list if the ….
Heard a great interview with Johnny Duran today on our local radio station . Seems “The Voyage” is 30 years old. They played Johnny’s own recording and then he told how the song was on an album of his but he thought another song on it would have been the big “hit”. He also told how the voyage was suggested to you and that you seen the brilliance of it straight away. He also talked of the impact of the song on people and how many have been in touch with him over the years.
As you know it is very special to us too and it was great to hear some of the origins of a classic. Johnny Duhan came across as a true gentleman. Fair play to him and Fair play to you.
Hope to catch a gig soon-ish.
Hey Marty,…We’ll be ready to rock when you ready to roll
Attached a song and words to celebrate Limerick’s
involvement in this years All-Ireland Hurling Final.
The song is
entitled “Connors Goes to Croker” and is a Limerick take on “Joxer
Goes to Stuttgart.”
It is written by Jacki and John O’Connor and
performed by the O’Connors and Tadhg Maher
https://youtu.be/QAvoMyEa8g0
Hope it all goes well..great to see Limerick back…I know Mick Hanly will be standing tall…Best of luck
Christy, ye also did Limerick as a stop on the anti-nuke tour. Yourself, Freddie and the band, and possibly Barry? I had been recruited by Frank as a volunteer (initially) for the Carnsore gig and looking at “One Voice” that may be a beardy me behind the mountain of loaves on p226. Helped set up the limerick gig when down in NIHE.
“NC” – the gig Planxty did in the theatre in Newbridge College. Maybe ‘73?
Looking forward to seeing you in Bray on Friday
The road show was made up of The Freddie White Band, The Early Grave Band and the Theatre group who assembled for the tour….I played with Donal Lunny, Jimmy Faulkner, Johnny Moynihan, Freddie’s band was Jimmy Faulkner, Declan McNelis, Matt Kelleghan, among the actors were Fergus Cronin,Suzie Kennedy, Louise Phelan, Jack Lynch..we were aided and abetted by, amongst others, Peter Clarke, Frank The Yank, Art O’Broin, Art O’Leary,Marie Creed, Frank Connolly…each town we visited had pre-arranged venues, accomodation and publicity…the collective considered the event to have been a success and thoughts soon turned to the second Carnsore Point event…
Some of the participants are still “on the bus”!
That Planxty gig was in Newbridge College Theatre in 1972…. Donovan was living close by and came to the gig….he invited us to support him on his 1972 Irish Tour,
that went really well for us…by the time we got back to Dublin the Planxty sound was starting to reverberate…..
Hi Christy – travelling over from England to see you in Carlow in September. 30 years since I first saw you in Killarney as an 18 year old blow-in. Seen you many times since – Birmingham, Hammersmith, even a tent in a field in Ross-on-Wye! You were a great man in ’88 when the craic was ninety-one and you’re a great man now after the journey of a lifetime. Hope I can maybe shake your hand in Carlow and can say I met a hero.
Slainte Christy – all the best!
Jase
wherever we are we are all blow ins…Carlow is an Historic town,we blew in there in 1976 and blew out again in 1978…I always enjoy singing there…there is a very good dining hall attached the venue……
Dear Christy, we are travelling around southern Germany right now, after joining two Van gigs in Köln and Schwetzingen. Open air with temperatures up to 38 degrees … Must have been hell for the musicians but Van managed well – still wearing a posh suit and fedora and in good voice as always … The venue in Cologne was spectacular: the stage right in front of the huge cathedral …. There was a nice smell of Eau de Cologne in town, reminding us of all the good 4711er friends … Now we are spending some days in the Black Forest with Traudel and Horst, talking about your music and having fun … And we are dreaming of Irish weather – rain, drizzle, showers, storm – all would be welcome right now …
greetings from Éire….
Van is the traveling man….
I had some good gigs in Koln back in the 80s and 90s..
greetings to German songsters and confectioners
Howya Christy, I hope all’s well with you. I’m attending a motorcycle rally here in South Dakota, I’m after riding out here from New Jersey and me arse is killing me. Anyway today I was riding across the Badlands of South Dakota with the ghosts of Sarah Maclane and Billy Grey so I livened it up with some tunes from Planxty, Christy Moore and Flyod Westerman for good measure. Hope you get a kick out of that, there’s a massive sound system on this bike ! Wonderful experience, you’d love it here, I’ll send on some photos for fun.
I was riding across The Bog of Allen on Sunday…the Honda 50 was flat out as Kildare beat Mayo in the U20 All-Ireland Football Final…. I had a HD screen attached to the Handlebars ….as the final whistle blew I hit the humpback bridge near Allenwood and we flew thru the air til we landed at Dag Weld’s where the hurling was just about to start between Galway and Clare..its very confusing here at the moment..as if the Hurling and GAA was not enough our Irish Women made it thru to the World Cup Final… Sunday became a blur of Hurling Hockey and GAA….the bad news ( apart from the hockey) is that my Honda 50 has a bent chassis, the cylinder head is cracked and some hoor robbed the ( custom built) panniers when I was at Mass in Kilmeague on Sunday evening..they’re gonna put it out on Garda Patrol this week for I had some topshelf ganja and 2 bottles of sweet poteen secreted in them then there Panniers..
hope you have more luck in your travels..watch out for thon KKK Chapter of Hells Angels…I hear they are a horrid bunch of lewdermawns
Came over from the States last October and saw you in Belfast and will be coming over again this October and have tickets for the show in Donegal. I read on a web site that you don’t sing, The boy from Tamlaghtduff anymore, is that true? If not would love to hear it when I come over in October. It was a grand show in Belfast last year and looking forward to another this year. Thanks and cheers.
let me know which night in beautiful Bundoran.. and re-mention the song…we’ll do our best..
I sing Tamlaghtduff occasionally..only when the air is right
Just tipping in to thank JimBob, and Christy’s reply, for the heads up about The Olllam – I’ve been wearing out the YouTube repeat wotsit ever since.
A band with twin low whistles … heaven, like bits of Moving Hearts meets bits of Afro Celt, and such a smooth groove.
Perfect music to melt to in a heatwave, and I can hardly wait to repeat listen in winter! xx
.The Olllam have created a fresh sound….sorry to have missed them this time round….hope to catch them live next time they gather here
KILDARE u20s All – Ireland Champions 2018 ……..
Last year the Intermediate Women’s Title
This year the U 20’s Mens title
are we on the way back John?
will that scaffold in Lunny’s garden become a permanent fixture?
I had a dream last night about St Conleths Park (The Pitch)
The Pope was blessing the sod, Jack Barnes was on the gate, Joe Wolfe was guarding the Bicycles,The Bun was catering, Mrs Kearn’s was dispensing ice cream, Roly Ives and Paddy Brady were stylists for the home team,Bob Duggan was running the line, Eddie’s was never open, your clock was stopped,Rasher Conlon was sunbathing down The Strand, The Boiler was layin 2/1 the field..The Mons was moaning for money, Paddy Cullen was in charge of the envelopes,Bro Lazerian eloped with Sr Philomena, Fr McNally was in a fowler,
Reggie Mooney was singing,Mick Bowdren discovered hair oil, The Black Arrow defeated the Super Six, Dr. Dan stitched up the combatants..
them were the days John
Christy, just wondering if you’d be free to sign some record sleeves at the Mermaid gig on Friday, and a couple of books as gifts to some emigrants who continue to be massive fans?
First saw you with Planxty in the theatre in NC back in the early seventies, and have great memories of the anti-nuc roadshow in ‘78 (with Frank the Yank) and many gigs since.
Sure Richard…
no prob…
Frank Skelly was a true one off..
He was one the small number of people who organised and ran the First Carnsore Anti-Nuclear Festival ( 40 years on there are hundreds of claimants)… Frank was a stickler,
the day after he organised 60 volunteers into a long line,down on their knees, they moved across the site and cleared up every morsel of rubbish from Martin Ronan’s land..
He also travelled the country on the Anti-Nuclear-Roadshow-Bus when we played Newbridge, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Tralee,Galway, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Dundalk and Dublin…he lead the troupe through many sticky moments before we arrived back to Dublin weary and footsore but content with our achievement…
Frank-the-Yank died a few years ago…thanks for sharing the memory
Theatre in “NC”..where might that be?
Hi christy,
Hope your enjoying the GAA championship…some stuff being played!!
Quick question, I’m looking to book my flights home over Christmas/ new years, are you playing vicar street or any other Christmas date gigs? I’d like to plan the trip around a gig.
Thanks very much
Tommy.
pencilled in but not on sale Dec 17,18, Jan 2,3,
dont know when they will go up….I
hope it works out for you…Safe Travels
hi folks, a diversion from christy’s fantastic music for a wee moment….
can i suggest any music lover has a wee skeck this weekend at hawickfest.com . last night we started the festival with one of the three remaining bay city rollers (eric falconer) performing, paul rose and many others including the fab reece hillis (who aims to tour ireland later this year)
today and tomorrow we welcome folk heroine charlie dore and the international star dean friedman, amongst many,many others. check out our ‘heart of hawick music festival’ facebook page for live streams etc
anyway, let us ‘ride on’
cheers folks
Ride On Rory