Hi Christy,
Listening to your recording of ‘Newbridge my town’ i got to thinking about how we all have wondrous songs of our hometowns.
Whether it is Lily, or Where i come from, Teribus, Hail to the Banner, or even New York New york ,there is something magical about a song of the place that is home…. is where the heart is.
It stirs the blood, warms the heart, gets the worst crooner crooning and makes mere acquaintances instantly become blood brothers.
You must have sung of scores of towns and villages, lands and cities but i guess that none gets the goodbumps rise like a ballad of the place you call home.
Best regards from Bonnie Teviotdale,
Rory
Christy's reply
“I know some folks who say that I’m a dreamer
I’ve no doubt there’s truth in what they say
but sure, a Body ‘s bound to be a dreamer
when all the things he loves are far away”
from “The Isle of Innishfree” written by Meath native Dick Farrelly…a favourite song of both our Mother and our Uncle Jimmy
Hi Christy,
Great recommend! I’ve listened to the “The Speech Project” through three times already. I’ve never heard anything like it. It feels like I’m eavesdropping on my favorite musicians. Intimate yet universal. The musical accompaniment seems to wring out every last bit of meaning to what is being said. I’m embarrassed to say this is my introduction to Margaret Barry.
Buck
Christy's reply
Jettison all feelings of embarrassment…the world is full of beautiful sounds we have yet to discover…each day brings new revealations….
I found an old copybook today that I last opened in 1976….it was lovely to see the songs I was working on back then…Michael Hayes, Kangaroo, John O’Dreams, Lass of Aughrim,Men of Knoydart,, Kilruddery Hunt, No Time for Love,Yellow Bittern among them….Lord Baker, Nuke Power,
Hi Christy,
Just had a friend recommend Joe Cooley to me. I’ve been listening to his album “Cooley”. Great stuff! About 90% of my education on Irish music comes from this platform and the great recommendations from fellow contributors. All the best. Stay safe.
Buck
Christy's reply
Joe Cooley’s legacy lives on in the music ….he has influenced many of our finest Accordeon players…I’ve heard his name mentioned,his influence quoted by numerous exponents of the Tradition….Joe Burke,Tony McMahon and Mairtín O’Connor to name but three….
some years back,Gerry Divers recorded a beautiful album called “The Speech Project” which features speech elements of Joe Cooley’s Legacy ( it also features Maggie Barry among others) I mention this album at every opportunity….
Dear christy, let’s replace lockdown blues with lockdown reds.
Celebrate the passing of the great Spanish robin hood, Lucio Urtubia.
He was against Franco, for Che and for the people. Let us sing companeros and viva la quinta for his memorey, and of his and our father’s father’s fathers and mother’s mother’s mothers.
Regards rory
Hi Christy,
I can’t believe I’ve just come across this site only now. Just wanted to say I have been a huge fan of yours since I got a present of 2 cassettes of your music Live in Dublin 1976 and Planxity/Planxty. From the beautiful 2 island swans to Before the Deluge those cassettes were my pride and joy. Now that they have been replaced with C.Ds and on Deezer along with all your other releases they have been a joy to listen to over the past few months. I came across your tribute to Luke Kelly on the Dubliners Late Late tribute Album recently and I was blown away by it. I am surprised that it hasn’t received more plaudits and airplay. It’s a powerful song and of course you put every emotion into it. A fantastic tribute to a fantastic artist. Thank you for all you have done, thank keeping me company all these years. Beir Bua.
Emmet
Christy's reply
That “Tribute To Luke” was written by Mick O’Keeffe from Kilkenny.. I played a gig in “Sheeran’s of The Ridge” back in 1977 and met Mick for the first time…years later he sent me this song which I performed only once, on the Dubliner’s Late Late Show tribute…..
Thanks for your feedback…songs keep me going
Hi Christy,
Lovely to hear your memories of your grandparents. When you said you “feel privileged to have witnessed their ways” it really struck a chord. My mother and her family came to Boston from Ireland many years ago and had to fight for everything they got. Being raised by a tough, take-no-nonsense Irish-Catholic mother was difficult at times but I came to realized her success came as a result of that toughness. She in now 90 years old and lives with in our house with us. Even though she has increasing difficulty communicating coherently, I feel blessed to witness her daily routines and never-quit mentality. One of the great joys in our lives is listening to you music together (the whole family). Looking forward to session #8. Thanks for all you do.
Buck
Christy's reply
Our parents had so much to share….so much history and information is carried away when they leave….I’m often reminded of questions that can never be answered…there are many gaps in my own family history that can never be filled….I was too “busy” to sit and ask….
my Grandparents were Ellen Sheeran,Brigid Dowling, Jack Power and Christy Moore….I spent boyhood time with three of them
Hi Christy
Lovely to hear memories of your grandparents. I lived with mine and they were a generation who were content with less.
My grandads health wasn’t good due to WW1 he didn’t walk well because he’d had trench-foot, and his eyesight was bad as a result of mustard gas. He was awarded the George Cross but refused to have it presented by the king because he said every man on that field deserved one, in fact years later he gave it to a man collecting scrap metal. But I still have the certificate, dated 1918 awarded to him for carrying many wounded through enemy fire. Because he couldn’t return to work they ran a sweet shop from their front room and just got on with things. Very proud of them.
Still loving your lockdown sessions constantly watching No 5 at the moment. Cheers Pam
Christy's reply
Thank you for sharing some of your family history Pam….reading your post this morning gives such deep insight into your life’s experience…10 lines that read like a movie….
session 8 is in the can but we are experiencing technical difficulties….
Hello Christy,
That’s such a vivid picture of your forebears. The circles keep turning. I don’t know much about my grandparents’ early lives. Just snippets. People round here can keep very quiet about things. My mum told me that my dad’s mother came from the northeast and was so poor that they dug up turnips in fields and stole them when she was a girl.
Please can I thank everyone who replied to my question about Gullane and rey. Hillary, if we’re ever in the same place, please let me buy you a drink. You nailed it so beautifully. Thankyou.xxx
Rebecca
Christy's reply
a timely reminder…we are not that far removed from hardships unimaginable
Will you be gigging at any stage this year in Ireland. We had to let’s to see you in may in UCH Limerick but as per civic had to be cancelled .
My son is still a great fan and if you know in next few months we would be first in line for tickets
Kind regards
Paula
Christy's reply
Hi Paula,
It all depends on how the situation evolves..no one knows what way the winds gonna blow…I’ve been posting weekly gigs on face book and youtube….but nothing compares to the real thing…its a confusing and difficult time for everyone..but none more then those involved in keeping the island in motion…I salute all front line workers, all who keep essential services in motion, hundreds of thousands who labour daily to keep us safe,healthy, fed and watered….
all this while others seek to re-open those very same systems that spread covid so rapidly around the globe ….
Stardust, I am so sorry, I have no words. It’s all wrong.
Rebecca
Christy's reply
Our Leaders were shocked,grim statements were made,
they shed tears in the graveyard as the coffins were laid,
the injured were abandoned year after year
seems like our leaders shed crocodile tears
Hi All. Maybe it’s a Kerry / Cork thing, Gullane refers to a standing stone or perhaps in strict academic terms a pillar stone, it’s a common enough name for a townland or even a field, where there may be large stones or boulders. For instance according to google Kilnaruane Pillar Stone is located about 1 mile southwest of Bantry atop a drumlin in a square enclosure in a field, it is thought that a monastery may have been founded there by Brendan the Navigator ( yes of Voyage fame ) in the 6th century AD. As for Rey or maybe even Rae that is a different story, it could also relate to a townland or even a field and is possibly an anglicised and shortened prefix from the Irish language. There is a Renasup in Gneeveguilla in Kerry, which is interesting name in itself but another days worK !! Looking forward to Session 8 níos déanaí beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
Fair Play to you H….forever a Champion of “An Ríocht” (this time with a nod towards The Rebel)
in our old place,long since gone,we had a “Spring Field”, a “Bog Meadow”,a “Cassidy’s Garden” ( I’ll never get to the bottom of that),an area called “The Bottom’s” adjacent to our turf bank, a “Back Paddock”, a “Sow’s Patch”,a “Fairy Bank”, the “Duck Pond” and other fields whose names are long since lost to me
as well as “Cassidy’s Garden” (where all the veg was grown) Granny Moore also had a “Flower Garden” by the hall door…
while she was able, she tended this constantly, a Gold Flake dangling from lips,(lips that seldom smiled)
as far as I can recall, neither Granny,Auntie nor Uncle had a word of Irish between them…
yet they were steeped in the old ways of the Land…there were very few distractions from daily/weekly/yearly routines…
their lives depended upon essential routines …
ploughing,harrowing,sowing,planting,thinning,
thrashing,harvesting,saving,milking,churning,killing,salting,plucking,
drawing water constantly,tending calves,chicks, bonnamhs (a hint of Irish perhaps !)
no electricity,plumbing,car,tractor,phone, once a week to Mass in Pony & Trap…
there was a (big battery) Radio….the batteries would go McCabe’s in Newbridge for recharging….
Newbridge was 5 miles away, I never once recall seeing them “in the town”……
as far as I can recall, from far off boyhood memory, they seemed to be simply contented…..cocooned in a covid-free lockdown…
they displayed no “civilised sophistication” whatsoever..they were totally aware of, and focused upon, Nature’s bounty and demands…
I feel priviliged to have witnessed their ways
We really enjoyed listening to Christy (Documentary 1994) via YouTube (Hilary🤞) You open with Paul Doran’s ‘Natives’ it’s a wonderful song…for all of our languages we can’t communicate. Thinking Guillane is the name of the person who owns the field and that rey grass is John’s pronunciation of rye grass! I’d be glad to hear what Agnes thinks. Le grá Mary
Christy's reply
Paul Doran also wrote “The Gardener”
I’m currently working on a new song from Paul
he’s a true wordsmilth
and a master of melody
So have we a documentary on Ponchatrain to come? I more associate that song with Paul Brady. I’d never heard of that ex-Fairport Convention singer. Sandy Denny replaced her apparently.
Christy's reply
like you,I always associate songs with certain singers…..”Panis Angelicus” with the Woodner Quinn….he was a Master Sergeant (and Baker) in the Irish Army…he hurled for Moorefield and sang with the Dominican Choir in my Native Town of Newbridge….
when Paul replaced me in Planxty in 1974 he added Pontch to his repertoire and then recorded ,what became for many, a definitive version of Mike Waterson’s song….sadly Mike died before I could ascertain where he got the song…
Dear Christy good evening,
You’d go crazy if you think about it….i spent a couple of lovely hours repeatedly spinning the Unfinished Revolution tonight.
It is a collection of very diverse tracks , or so it feels to this musically uneducated bloke ,but what a fine mix. Dr Vibes is a beautiful tune by Declan for me it has the feeling of a kirk. Shane’s Brown Eyes, and one that i don’t recall hearing live in the abovementioned lyrics from Suffocate.
I enjoyed fishing it out again, and i will keep it on the turntable for a while yet..
Regards
Rory
Christy's reply
“Paddy maintains we’re all yellow inside….
gun-smoke got him, no mistake”
its 35 years since that album….I wanted to call it “Messenger Boy” but got talked around…back then I allowed outside elements influence some of my decisions…
I love Des Moore’s Guitar playing…incredibly accomplished, coolest head
Great questions Rebecah, don’t know really, used to link Guillaine field with a fancy French sounding family name, and Rey grass as grass grown for hay.
But as Christy says we all have our own field names to sing to.
I was thrilled just now to discover your weekly online concerts – enjoyed Ep. 7 and looking forward to the previous ones. You’re looking and sounding great. Discovered you while planning my first (2014) trip to my ancestral lands (played Lisdoonvarna on me iPhone while driving into Lisdoonvarna). For my third visit in 2018, I bought a ticket to your mid-August show in Salthill, then arranged the rest of my trip (air, hotels, itinerary) around that event. And got a second row seat in front of you and Declan – a terrific show! Thank you for continuing to do what you do so well. Keep safe, and keep sane.
Christy's reply
“when he ran out of candles he was forced to make a stop
he tied up in Long Island,put America on the map”
…..( St. Brendan’s Voyage)
Catch you later Greg, (soon as Donald sorts things out!)
Well Christy, I do hope you are well, in good health and surviving the comings and goings at home in Ireland.
I have all your songs, well my collection of them, on my iPod, and play them regularly in the car. As they are listed alphabetically I often hear beautiful songs from Paddy on the Road…. The gorgeous Avondale pops up almost at the start, followed very soon by Cricklewood. Both songs, like many others, speak to significant moments in the history of our people and the English connection. Maybe one or the other might feature in an episode? Or did you do Cricklewood recently? I think it is time I listed this very very special set list! Mind yourself and all your family.
Christy's reply
John B Keane and Dominic Behan….two legendary men of the pen….Kerry & Dublin to their core….
I learnt John B’s “Cricklewood” from the late Tony Grehan of Boyle, County Roscommon when we shared a Bed-Sit in Moss Side Manchester back in 1967. A year Later I met Dominic Behan and learned “Avondale”, his tribute to Charles Stewart Parnell.
I used to gig both songs in the late 60s….they fell from the set list but never from memory..
“I am a bold buck-navvy and I wont detain you long”
I like a challenge,and hope that someone can help with Rebecca’s question…I’ve tried word searches and am frequently led to a serious medical condition and someone facing serious legal issues in the US…
Excellent news about ‘Pontchartrain…’ a favourite of mine for several decades now…fantastic that its receiving high profile RTE coverage.What another great legacy by Mike Waterson ,via your good self as collector and conduit to a wide audience…Amongst several good online pieces about the enigmatic back story to the song -‘Mainly Norfolk’ has a few references to New Orleans/Irish links…adding to the questions,but not clear answers…but,there’s a mysterious aspect to the song- a major part of its appeal.Are you involved with the RTE programme?
Hi Christy,
Listening to your recording of ‘Newbridge my town’ i got to thinking about how we all have wondrous songs of our hometowns.
Whether it is Lily, or Where i come from, Teribus, Hail to the Banner, or even New York New york ,there is something magical about a song of the place that is home…. is where the heart is.
It stirs the blood, warms the heart, gets the worst crooner crooning and makes mere acquaintances instantly become blood brothers.
You must have sung of scores of towns and villages, lands and cities but i guess that none gets the goodbumps rise like a ballad of the place you call home.
Best regards from Bonnie Teviotdale,
Rory
“I know some folks who say that I’m a dreamer
I’ve no doubt there’s truth in what they say
but sure, a Body ‘s bound to be a dreamer
when all the things he loves are far away”
from “The Isle of Innishfree” written by Meath native Dick Farrelly…a favourite song of both our Mother and our Uncle Jimmy
Hi Christy,
Great recommend! I’ve listened to the “The Speech Project” through three times already. I’ve never heard anything like it. It feels like I’m eavesdropping on my favorite musicians. Intimate yet universal. The musical accompaniment seems to wring out every last bit of meaning to what is being said. I’m embarrassed to say this is my introduction to Margaret Barry.
Buck
Jettison all feelings of embarrassment…the world is full of beautiful sounds we have yet to discover…each day brings new revealations….
I found an old copybook today that I last opened in 1976….it was lovely to see the songs I was working on back then…Michael Hayes, Kangaroo, John O’Dreams, Lass of Aughrim,Men of Knoydart,, Kilruddery Hunt, No Time for Love,Yellow Bittern among them….Lord Baker, Nuke Power,
Hi Christy,
Just had a friend recommend Joe Cooley to me. I’ve been listening to his album “Cooley”. Great stuff! About 90% of my education on Irish music comes from this platform and the great recommendations from fellow contributors. All the best. Stay safe.
Buck
Joe Cooley’s legacy lives on in the music ….he has influenced many of our finest Accordeon players…I’ve heard his name mentioned,his influence quoted by numerous exponents of the Tradition….Joe Burke,Tony McMahon and Mairtín O’Connor to name but three….
some years back,Gerry Divers recorded a beautiful album called “The Speech Project” which features speech elements of Joe Cooley’s Legacy ( it also features Maggie Barry among others) I mention this album at every opportunity….
Dear christy, let’s replace lockdown blues with lockdown reds.
Celebrate the passing of the great Spanish robin hood, Lucio Urtubia.
He was against Franco, for Che and for the people. Let us sing companeros and viva la quinta for his memorey, and of his and our father’s father’s fathers and mother’s mother’s mothers.
Regards rory
Morra Rory,
farewell Lucio,
Hi Christy,
I can’t believe I’ve just come across this site only now. Just wanted to say I have been a huge fan of yours since I got a present of 2 cassettes of your music Live in Dublin 1976 and Planxity/Planxty. From the beautiful 2 island swans to Before the Deluge those cassettes were my pride and joy. Now that they have been replaced with C.Ds and on Deezer along with all your other releases they have been a joy to listen to over the past few months. I came across your tribute to Luke Kelly on the Dubliners Late Late tribute Album recently and I was blown away by it. I am surprised that it hasn’t received more plaudits and airplay. It’s a powerful song and of course you put every emotion into it. A fantastic tribute to a fantastic artist. Thank you for all you have done, thank keeping me company all these years. Beir Bua.
Emmet
That “Tribute To Luke” was written by Mick O’Keeffe from Kilkenny.. I played a gig in “Sheeran’s of The Ridge” back in 1977 and met Mick for the first time…years later he sent me this song which I performed only once, on the Dubliner’s Late Late Show tribute…..
Thanks for your feedback…songs keep me going
Hi Christy,
Lovely to hear your memories of your grandparents. When you said you “feel privileged to have witnessed their ways” it really struck a chord. My mother and her family came to Boston from Ireland many years ago and had to fight for everything they got. Being raised by a tough, take-no-nonsense Irish-Catholic mother was difficult at times but I came to realized her success came as a result of that toughness. She in now 90 years old and lives with in our house with us. Even though she has increasing difficulty communicating coherently, I feel blessed to witness her daily routines and never-quit mentality. One of the great joys in our lives is listening to you music together (the whole family). Looking forward to session #8. Thanks for all you do.
Buck
Our parents had so much to share….so much history and information is carried away when they leave….I’m often reminded of questions that can never be answered…there are many gaps in my own family history that can never be filled….I was too “busy” to sit and ask….
my Grandparents were Ellen Sheeran,Brigid Dowling, Jack Power and Christy Moore….I spent boyhood time with three of them
Hi Christy
Lovely to hear memories of your grandparents. I lived with mine and they were a generation who were content with less.
My grandads health wasn’t good due to WW1 he didn’t walk well because he’d had trench-foot, and his eyesight was bad as a result of mustard gas. He was awarded the George Cross but refused to have it presented by the king because he said every man on that field deserved one, in fact years later he gave it to a man collecting scrap metal. But I still have the certificate, dated 1918 awarded to him for carrying many wounded through enemy fire. Because he couldn’t return to work they ran a sweet shop from their front room and just got on with things. Very proud of them.
Still loving your lockdown sessions constantly watching No 5 at the moment. Cheers Pam
Thank you for sharing some of your family history Pam….reading your post this morning gives such deep insight into your life’s experience…10 lines that read like a movie….
session 8 is in the can but we are experiencing technical difficulties….
Hello Christy,
That’s such a vivid picture of your forebears. The circles keep turning. I don’t know much about my grandparents’ early lives. Just snippets. People round here can keep very quiet about things. My mum told me that my dad’s mother came from the northeast and was so poor that they dug up turnips in fields and stole them when she was a girl.
Please can I thank everyone who replied to my question about Gullane and rey. Hillary, if we’re ever in the same place, please let me buy you a drink. You nailed it so beautifully. Thankyou.xxx
Rebecca
a timely reminder…we are not that far removed from hardships unimaginable
Hi Christy.
Will you be gigging at any stage this year in Ireland. We had to let’s to see you in may in UCH Limerick but as per civic had to be cancelled .
My son is still a great fan and if you know in next few months we would be first in line for tickets
Kind regards
Paula
Hi Paula,
It all depends on how the situation evolves..no one knows what way the winds gonna blow…I’ve been posting weekly gigs on face book and youtube….but nothing compares to the real thing…its a confusing and difficult time for everyone..but none more then those involved in keeping the island in motion…I salute all front line workers, all who keep essential services in motion, hundreds of thousands who labour daily to keep us safe,healthy, fed and watered….
all this while others seek to re-open those very same systems that spread covid so rapidly around the globe ….
Thanks for the link,Christy
RIP Christine and long may your song resound .in memory of all who were lost at Artane.
Dave
In Poppintree,Coolock,Bonnybrook and Artane
Families abandoned time and again
Stardust, I am so sorry, I have no words. It’s all wrong.
Rebecca
Our Leaders were shocked,grim statements were made,
they shed tears in the graveyard as the coffins were laid,
the injured were abandoned year after year
seems like our leaders shed crocodile tears
Hi All. Maybe it’s a Kerry / Cork thing, Gullane refers to a standing stone or perhaps in strict academic terms a pillar stone, it’s a common enough name for a townland or even a field, where there may be large stones or boulders. For instance according to google Kilnaruane Pillar Stone is located about 1 mile southwest of Bantry atop a drumlin in a square enclosure in a field, it is thought that a monastery may have been founded there by Brendan the Navigator ( yes of Voyage fame ) in the 6th century AD. As for Rey or maybe even Rae that is a different story, it could also relate to a townland or even a field and is possibly an anglicised and shortened prefix from the Irish language. There is a Renasup in Gneeveguilla in Kerry, which is interesting name in itself but another days worK !! Looking forward to Session 8 níos déanaí beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40017512.html
Fair Play to you H….forever a Champion of “An Ríocht” (this time with a nod towards The Rebel)
in our old place,long since gone,we had a “Spring Field”, a “Bog Meadow”,a “Cassidy’s Garden” ( I’ll never get to the bottom of that),an area called “The Bottom’s” adjacent to our turf bank, a “Back Paddock”, a “Sow’s Patch”,a “Fairy Bank”, the “Duck Pond” and other fields whose names are long since lost to me
as well as “Cassidy’s Garden” (where all the veg was grown) Granny Moore also had a “Flower Garden” by the hall door…
while she was able, she tended this constantly, a Gold Flake dangling from lips,(lips that seldom smiled)
as far as I can recall, neither Granny,Auntie nor Uncle had a word of Irish between them…
yet they were steeped in the old ways of the Land…there were very few distractions from daily/weekly/yearly routines…
their lives depended upon essential routines …
ploughing,harrowing,sowing,planting,thinning,
thrashing,harvesting,saving,milking,churning,killing,salting,plucking,
drawing water constantly,tending calves,chicks, bonnamhs (a hint of Irish perhaps !)
no electricity,plumbing,car,tractor,phone, once a week to Mass in Pony & Trap…
there was a (big battery) Radio….the batteries would go McCabe’s in Newbridge for recharging….
Newbridge was 5 miles away, I never once recall seeing them “in the town”……
as far as I can recall, from far off boyhood memory, they seemed to be simply contented…..cocooned in a covid-free lockdown…
they displayed no “civilised sophistication” whatsoever..they were totally aware of, and focused upon, Nature’s bounty and demands…
I feel priviliged to have witnessed their ways
We really enjoyed listening to Christy (Documentary 1994) via YouTube (Hilary🤞) You open with Paul Doran’s ‘Natives’ it’s a wonderful song…for all of our languages we can’t communicate. Thinking Guillane is the name of the person who owns the field and that rey grass is John’s pronunciation of rye grass! I’d be glad to hear what Agnes thinks. Le grá Mary
Paul Doran also wrote “The Gardener”
I’m currently working on a new song from Paul
he’s a true wordsmilth
and a master of melody
So have we a documentary on Ponchatrain to come? I more associate that song with Paul Brady. I’d never heard of that ex-Fairport Convention singer. Sandy Denny replaced her apparently.
like you,I always associate songs with certain singers…..”Panis Angelicus” with the Woodner Quinn….he was a Master Sergeant (and Baker) in the Irish Army…he hurled for Moorefield and sang with the Dominican Choir in my Native Town of Newbridge….
when Paul replaced me in Planxty in 1974 he added Pontch to his repertoire and then recorded ,what became for many, a definitive version of Mike Waterson’s song….sadly Mike died before I could ascertain where he got the song…
Sandy Denny……..one of the great voices
Dear Christy good evening,
You’d go crazy if you think about it….i spent a couple of lovely hours repeatedly spinning the Unfinished Revolution tonight.
It is a collection of very diverse tracks , or so it feels to this musically uneducated bloke ,but what a fine mix. Dr Vibes is a beautiful tune by Declan for me it has the feeling of a kirk. Shane’s Brown Eyes, and one that i don’t recall hearing live in the abovementioned lyrics from Suffocate.
I enjoyed fishing it out again, and i will keep it on the turntable for a while yet..
Regards
Rory
“Paddy maintains we’re all yellow inside….
gun-smoke got him, no mistake”
its 35 years since that album….I wanted to call it “Messenger Boy” but got talked around…back then I allowed outside elements influence some of my decisions…
I love Des Moore’s Guitar playing…incredibly accomplished, coolest head
Great questions Rebecah, don’t know really, used to link Guillaine field with a fancy French sounding family name, and Rey grass as grass grown for hay.
But as Christy says we all have our own field names to sing to.
you got me thinking Pat
I was thrilled just now to discover your weekly online concerts – enjoyed Ep. 7 and looking forward to the previous ones. You’re looking and sounding great. Discovered you while planning my first (2014) trip to my ancestral lands (played Lisdoonvarna on me iPhone while driving into Lisdoonvarna). For my third visit in 2018, I bought a ticket to your mid-August show in Salthill, then arranged the rest of my trip (air, hotels, itinerary) around that event. And got a second row seat in front of you and Declan – a terrific show! Thank you for continuing to do what you do so well. Keep safe, and keep sane.
“when he ran out of candles he was forced to make a stop
he tied up in Long Island,put America on the map”
…..( St. Brendan’s Voyage)
Catch you later Greg, (soon as Donald sorts things out!)
Well Christy, I do hope you are well, in good health and surviving the comings and goings at home in Ireland.
I have all your songs, well my collection of them, on my iPod, and play them regularly in the car. As they are listed alphabetically I often hear beautiful songs from Paddy on the Road…. The gorgeous Avondale pops up almost at the start, followed very soon by Cricklewood. Both songs, like many others, speak to significant moments in the history of our people and the English connection. Maybe one or the other might feature in an episode? Or did you do Cricklewood recently? I think it is time I listed this very very special set list! Mind yourself and all your family.
John B Keane and Dominic Behan….two legendary men of the pen….Kerry & Dublin to their core….
I learnt John B’s “Cricklewood” from the late Tony Grehan of Boyle, County Roscommon when we shared a Bed-Sit in Moss Side Manchester back in 1967. A year Later I met Dominic Behan and learned “Avondale”, his tribute to Charles Stewart Parnell.
I used to gig both songs in the late 60s….they fell from the set list but never from memory..
“I am a bold buck-navvy and I wont detain you long”
Hi Christy
I like a challenge,and hope that someone can help with Rebecca’s question…I’ve tried word searches and am frequently led to a serious medical condition and someone facing serious legal issues in the US…
Excellent news about ‘Pontchartrain…’ a favourite of mine for several decades now…fantastic that its receiving high profile RTE coverage.What another great legacy by Mike Waterson ,via your good self as collector and conduit to a wide audience…Amongst several good online pieces about the enigmatic back story to the song -‘Mainly Norfolk’ has a few references to New Orleans/Irish links…adding to the questions,but not clear answers…but,there’s a mysterious aspect to the song- a major part of its appeal.Are you involved with the RTE programme?
All the best -grateful for songs and stories…
Dave
cant sleep,wrestling with Morpheus,
Guillaine
Bound to get it right sometime
Bound For Glory