Have just received (19th November) FLYING INTO MYSTERY and listened to it once.It has given my Brita and I,many thoughts.A truly fine set of songs with great singing,playing and arranging.”December 1942″ tore at our hearts,bring tears to our eyes,what words and tune.Thank you Christy for all your music and works,it is truly wonderful to have this C.D.Hope to see and hear you over here some suitable time.All the best,yours aye.
Christy's reply
JG & Brita…thank you.. dont know when I’ll be back “over” ..but I will sing December 1942 on RTE TV tonight after 10 PM
Hi C. Congratulations on the new CD, great gentle sounds with wonderful lyrics. December 1942 is the stand out track for me, at the moment anyway, such a wonderful build up of lyrics and melody. Your singing in such soft, calm tones for a very serious and disturbing topics works yet again. Johnny Boy Gasun and Van Diemen’s Land are also in the frame. I am happy to see your grá for An Riocht with mentions of Killarney, Kilgarvan and Killorglin across the songs. Best of luck with the LLS and the upcoming run in Vicar St. You are the gift that keeps on giving to the nation and the world. We are blessed to and privileged to be listeners. beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
Christy's reply
Killarney, Kilgarvan,Kanturk and Kilmeague……
sending best wishes to Trá Lí, Knocknagoshel, Dingle,Castleisland and all other centres of excellence in that humble Kingdom….may all Roses & Gay Bachelors bloom..
its all go here in RTE..gotta go and get my make up on
Christy congrats on the lifetime achievement award and well done on recent album..Plenty more in ya though keep up the rockin and rollin and rollickin and bollockin! Best of luck on Late Late tonight- message from Mgt Walsh Coolcullen via west Cork
Christy's reply
Hey Margaret….we’re all a long way from The Brow and Protestant Road tonight…great to hear from Coolcullen….to think its 45 years since we landed in there on top of ye….could not have had better neighbours
A real joy this morning listening to “Flying into Mystery”.. just to say thanks for a beautiful collection of songs..to the writers, players, mixers, harmonizers, carriers, sleeve & video creators and to you for presenting it all to us in a special way. Go raibh maith agat.
Hello Christy,
New album day, there’s nothing like diving into the new sea and waiting to see what you’ll meet.
I wonder how many of us are listening to the digital version while waiting for the postman
So far I met the mother of the sea, the god opening her ribs for the little man, the guy with the geese and the lilting, the Savage dogs,, the long grass, the mumbling priest, Valerie on the liffey, Gasún (that’s going to take some swimming round). Getting caught in a snare…………
So many words, all shining ike stained glass.
Thankyou.
Congrats on the award 🙏 always warms my heart to see ye celebrated. Watching a lunar eclipse just now in Tennessee. Fired this up earlier to maybe help those who would like to grab the song off ye. It was off the cuff. Felt like it, so did it 👍
great to see Johnny Mulhearn’s “Matty” getting a spin……also recorded his “Continental Céilí” and “Hard Cases” way back in mid 80’s… a truly unique song writer Johnny captures the feeling of an era which he describes with rural lingo….he has always worked closely with Wally Page..Him the true Bard of the NorthSide
Great day for Fying into Mystery….
A wonderful collection of songs and songwriters… look forward to a long drive in the van to listen to it a few times with no distractions.
Did you get a jag in each arm ? , we got our Boosters yesterday, the arm is a wee bit sore this am but so glad to have it in the system.
Christy's reply
make sure you have plenty of juice in the tank and remember your tax disc….
Nurse gave me one in the left,one in the right and a quick jab in the you know where to keep me on the straight and narrow
Dear Christy, thank you, and Ricky Lynch, for December 1942.
Never has a more moving song been written and performed since yellow triangle.
Rory
Christy's reply
Yourself and Patsy are a pair of loyal supporters, what a boost to get two such responses before 8 am on the day of release…Shine On You Crazy Diamonds
Hi Christy,
Just downloaded “Flying “ while on the late night break…… congratulations it’s a really beautiful piece of work. Looking forward to the real thing landing on the mat in the morning.
Ride on.
Christy's reply
Morra Patsy….Thanks for thumbs up….its been a wonderful distraction having these songs in my life these past two years…(a few of them for much longer)….learning,shaping, arranging,rehearsing and recording them has been a saviour during these (ongoing) pandemic times….a grand variety of verses from Wally Page,Paul Doran, JIm Page, Gary Moore, Mick Hanly, Ricky Lynch,Tom Tuohy,Bob Dylan, myself and a couple of Trad.Arr…
I’m here in the early morning scratcher contemplating tonights outing on the Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy. I’ve been invited to sing 3 of the songs and talk about the process.What a great opportunity to launch a bunch of songs. Its 49 years since I first played the Late Late….back in 1972 Gay Byrne invited Planxty on to play “The Cliffs Of Dooneen”…
Tonight I’m hoping to perform “Clock Winds Down”, “Johnny Boy” and “December 1942” but knowing Ryan, anything might happen..myself and himself are a pair of rawmaishers …we could set out for Gloccamaura and end up in Wooloomaloo… which I much prefer to carefully scripted conversations
Great to have some gigs coming up…hopefully they will go ahead but nothing is certain these times, between Climate,Covid, Brexit, Mica And Mrs Brown I’m half afraid to switch on the Telly….life was much simpler before TV….get the rosary said, out the door, down to The River.Mickser singin “Gentle Swallow” and you’d never know who you’d meet
Dear Christy,
A ‘lifetime’ it got me thinking.
What if you surpass all your achievements with more success in the next part of your lifetime?
Do you then get to play from the roof of the GPO ( like the Beatles ,and i suppose you’d pass the audition).
Is this really just a ‘once in a lifetime’ achievement or were David Byrne and Talking Heads wrong?
Mind you Joyce wrote that : “Drugs age you after mental excitement. Lethargy then. Why? Reaction. A lifetime in a night. Gradually changes your character.” though accolades are not likely to change the character of our favourite Lily White even in a nightime.
So in the next 60 years of performing keep on keeping on with the Tractors, Blackbirds, Box Sets, Aran sweaters, Bodhrans, protests, LPs, choc ices, international brigades, shanes, Folk Tales, albatrosses, hiace vans, roses of tralee, mugs of tea, tents by the Lee, pagan rituals and bogie’s bonnie belles.
Well done lad, but i bet Mrs Moore deserves even more of a medal for her lifetime achievement …thus far.
Take care ‘our friend’
Best regards
Rory
Christy's reply
It has been more a question of turning up, of fitting in with whatever happens…
but turning up as well prepared,well rehearsed and as fresh as is possible…. which, across earlier decades, was not always the way …
the journey has had many detours, crossed roads, peaks and valleys… I been high and I been low Rory but today, Thanks Be, I have gratitude for these cards that I’ve been dealt…
This old site has opened up lines of communication that I appreciate..
better then those nights when I’d sit up all night chuntering with any thirsty duck I’d happened upon…”the same again and whatever you’re having yourself”
It’s great to see the show back on the road. Most of us probably don’t realise the effort that must go into getting it all together, even more so now.
I keep thinking of these lines from Before the Deluge:
“Some of them were dreamers //
And some of them were fools //
Who were making plans and thinking of the future //
With the energy of the innocent…
Looking back, it really does seem like we were all a lot more innocent before the “deluge” in 2020. Peace in the Valley came to mind in the beginning too…
Anyway, in the absence of the gigs over the last while, I’ve gone back to some of the DVDs. There’s something very different about watching the performance, seeing a singer totally immersed. Viva La Quinte Brigada from the Live at the Point 2006 DVD stands out (not to mention Declan’s playing), as does On The Bridge from the Barrowlands DVD — I get totally mesmerised by the power of this version of that song.
This got me thinking. Have you ever considered making a DVD of the Vicar Street gigs? I don’t believe one exists. The Planxty DVD from Vicar St in 2004 is of such quality, both the performance and the production. I have no idea the extra work that would be required for such a project, of course! It’s just, when I think of a Christy gig, my mind goes straight to so many wonderful nights at The Vicar!
Christy's reply
Justin, I often dwell upon those long ago days of innocence…I would not swap early golden memories for all the devices,foreign holidays,push button gratification,instant news,endless excesses,…..but I too remember the start of it…the arrival of the “electric”, the car,washing machine, tv,fridge,supermarket,…life got easier for many , others left behind….
Thanks for those flashbacks to Planxty in Vicar, to that night in Barrowland, the one captured beautifully by Philip King, the other by Don Coutts both of whom assembled teams who captured the essence….I just love the intimscy of the audience shots from Barrowland…..and the captured interplay from Vicar Street
I dont know if there will be another DVD….nothing planned but,hopefully,still got some singing to do….the voicebox still opening, the body still functioning to carry it..
thank you for your thoughtful post….gotta get up now and get moving…today is booster shot day and I’m hoping for a flu jab chaser…
Have just received (19th November) FLYING INTO MYSTERY and listened to it once.It has given my Brita and I,many thoughts.A truly fine set of songs with great singing,playing and arranging.”December 1942″ tore at our hearts,bring tears to our eyes,what words and tune.Thank you Christy for all your music and works,it is truly wonderful to have this C.D.Hope to see and hear you over here some suitable time.All the best,yours aye.
JG & Brita…thank you.. dont know when I’ll be back “over” ..but I will sing December 1942 on RTE TV tonight after 10 PM
Hope it goes well tonight
sound
Hi are you coming to Scotland to gig regards Andy
that would be nice
Hi C. Congratulations on the new CD, great gentle sounds with wonderful lyrics. December 1942 is the stand out track for me, at the moment anyway, such a wonderful build up of lyrics and melody. Your singing in such soft, calm tones for a very serious and disturbing topics works yet again. Johnny Boy Gasun and Van Diemen’s Land are also in the frame. I am happy to see your grá for An Riocht with mentions of Killarney, Kilgarvan and Killorglin across the songs. Best of luck with the LLS and the upcoming run in Vicar St. You are the gift that keeps on giving to the nation and the world. We are blessed to and privileged to be listeners. beir bua agus beannacht go deo. H
Killarney, Kilgarvan,Kanturk and Kilmeague……
sending best wishes to Trá Lí, Knocknagoshel, Dingle,Castleisland and all other centres of excellence in that humble Kingdom….may all Roses & Gay Bachelors bloom..
its all go here in RTE..gotta go and get my make up on
Christy congrats on the lifetime achievement award and well done on recent album..Plenty more in ya though keep up the rockin and rollin and rollickin and bollockin! Best of luck on Late Late tonight- message from Mgt Walsh Coolcullen via west Cork
Hey Margaret….we’re all a long way from The Brow and Protestant Road tonight…great to hear from Coolcullen….to think its 45 years since we landed in there on top of ye….could not have had better neighbours
Christy, Sat here enjoying your latest gift to us all.
Hope to see you over here/over there next year…
thanks so much, Jay
Hey Jay…..thank you
A real joy this morning listening to “Flying into Mystery”.. just to say thanks for a beautiful collection of songs..to the writers, players, mixers, harmonizers, carriers, sleeve & video creators and to you for presenting it all to us in a special way. Go raibh maith agat.
Good luck for the LLS tonight.
Kev
Whallup Kev
Congratulations on the award and new album Christy, it’s a lovely piece of work. Sound as a bell and work like hell!
you can take the man outa the bog
Hello Christy,
New album day, there’s nothing like diving into the new sea and waiting to see what you’ll meet.
I wonder how many of us are listening to the digital version while waiting for the postman
So far I met the mother of the sea, the god opening her ribs for the little man, the guy with the geese and the lilting, the Savage dogs,, the long grass, the mumbling priest, Valerie on the liffey, Gasún (that’s going to take some swimming round). Getting caught in a snare…………
So many words, all shining ike stained glass.
Thankyou.
Rebecca
you are a woman of words…thank you
Congrats on the award 🙏 always warms my heart to see ye celebrated. Watching a lunar eclipse just now in Tennessee. Fired this up earlier to maybe help those who would like to grab the song off ye. It was off the cuff. Felt like it, so did it 👍
Keep well
https://youtu.be/rc-K2gMk6MA
great to see Johnny Mulhearn’s “Matty” getting a spin……also recorded his “Continental Céilí” and “Hard Cases” way back in mid 80’s… a truly unique song writer Johnny captures the feeling of an era which he describes with rural lingo….he has always worked closely with Wally Page..Him the true Bard of the NorthSide
“O Saint Teresa of The Roses”
Great day for Fying into Mystery….
A wonderful collection of songs and songwriters… look forward to a long drive in the van to listen to it a few times with no distractions.
Did you get a jag in each arm ? , we got our Boosters yesterday, the arm is a wee bit sore this am but so glad to have it in the system.
make sure you have plenty of juice in the tank and remember your tax disc….
Nurse gave me one in the left,one in the right and a quick jab in the you know where to keep me on the straight and narrow
Dear Christy, thank you, and Ricky Lynch, for December 1942.
Never has a more moving song been written and performed since yellow triangle.
Rory
Yourself and Patsy are a pair of loyal supporters, what a boost to get two such responses before 8 am on the day of release…Shine On You Crazy Diamonds
Hi Christy,
Just downloaded “Flying “ while on the late night break…… congratulations it’s a really beautiful piece of work. Looking forward to the real thing landing on the mat in the morning.
Ride on.
Morra Patsy….Thanks for thumbs up….its been a wonderful distraction having these songs in my life these past two years…(a few of them for much longer)….learning,shaping, arranging,rehearsing and recording them has been a saviour during these (ongoing) pandemic times….a grand variety of verses from Wally Page,Paul Doran, JIm Page, Gary Moore, Mick Hanly, Ricky Lynch,Tom Tuohy,Bob Dylan, myself and a couple of Trad.Arr…
I’m here in the early morning scratcher contemplating tonights outing on the Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy. I’ve been invited to sing 3 of the songs and talk about the process.What a great opportunity to launch a bunch of songs. Its 49 years since I first played the Late Late….back in 1972 Gay Byrne invited Planxty on to play “The Cliffs Of Dooneen”…
Tonight I’m hoping to perform “Clock Winds Down”, “Johnny Boy” and “December 1942” but knowing Ryan, anything might happen..myself and himself are a pair of rawmaishers …we could set out for Gloccamaura and end up in Wooloomaloo… which I much prefer to carefully scripted conversations
Great to have some gigs coming up…hopefully they will go ahead but nothing is certain these times, between Climate,Covid, Brexit, Mica And Mrs Brown I’m half afraid to switch on the Telly….life was much simpler before TV….get the rosary said, out the door, down to The River.Mickser singin “Gentle Swallow” and you’d never know who you’d meet
My German seller was over-fast this time. It’s a great album! Thank you Christy for twelve impressive songs. Each one so fine and with strong voice!
Nice One Guenter
Congratulations on the RTE Folk Award Christy
I’m looking forward to receiving your new album
greetings to you Yas…. always good to hear from The Far East
Here’s the second beauty
https://youtu.be/OdnZfWeyDuI
Rebecca
Thank you Dominic Behan
Hello Christy and All,
I’ve been listening to a couple of recordings of Avondale.
One from 1969 and the other from 2013.
Time travel is all around us on the Internet.
Both recordings are beautiful and it’s magical to hear what 44 years of work does to a singer and a song.
Here’s the first one
https://youtu.be/XPTtrQ3HKeg
Rebecca
Dear Christy,
A ‘lifetime’ it got me thinking.
What if you surpass all your achievements with more success in the next part of your lifetime?
Do you then get to play from the roof of the GPO ( like the Beatles ,and i suppose you’d pass the audition).
Is this really just a ‘once in a lifetime’ achievement or were David Byrne and Talking Heads wrong?
Mind you Joyce wrote that : “Drugs age you after mental excitement. Lethargy then. Why? Reaction. A lifetime in a night. Gradually changes your character.” though accolades are not likely to change the character of our favourite Lily White even in a nightime.
So in the next 60 years of performing keep on keeping on with the Tractors, Blackbirds, Box Sets, Aran sweaters, Bodhrans, protests, LPs, choc ices, international brigades, shanes, Folk Tales, albatrosses, hiace vans, roses of tralee, mugs of tea, tents by the Lee, pagan rituals and bogie’s bonnie belles.
Well done lad, but i bet Mrs Moore deserves even more of a medal for her lifetime achievement …thus far.
Take care ‘our friend’
Best regards
Rory
It has been more a question of turning up, of fitting in with whatever happens…
but turning up as well prepared,well rehearsed and as fresh as is possible…. which, across earlier decades, was not always the way …
the journey has had many detours, crossed roads, peaks and valleys… I been high and I been low Rory but today, Thanks Be, I have gratitude for these cards that I’ve been dealt…
This old site has opened up lines of communication that I appreciate..
better then those nights when I’d sit up all night chuntering with any thirsty duck I’d happened upon…”the same again and whatever you’re having yourself”
Hello Christy,
It’s great to see the show back on the road. Most of us probably don’t realise the effort that must go into getting it all together, even more so now.
I keep thinking of these lines from Before the Deluge:
“Some of them were dreamers //
And some of them were fools //
Who were making plans and thinking of the future //
With the energy of the innocent…
Looking back, it really does seem like we were all a lot more innocent before the “deluge” in 2020. Peace in the Valley came to mind in the beginning too…
Anyway, in the absence of the gigs over the last while, I’ve gone back to some of the DVDs. There’s something very different about watching the performance, seeing a singer totally immersed. Viva La Quinte Brigada from the Live at the Point 2006 DVD stands out (not to mention Declan’s playing), as does On The Bridge from the Barrowlands DVD — I get totally mesmerised by the power of this version of that song.
This got me thinking. Have you ever considered making a DVD of the Vicar Street gigs? I don’t believe one exists. The Planxty DVD from Vicar St in 2004 is of such quality, both the performance and the production. I have no idea the extra work that would be required for such a project, of course! It’s just, when I think of a Christy gig, my mind goes straight to so many wonderful nights at The Vicar!
Justin, I often dwell upon those long ago days of innocence…I would not swap early golden memories for all the devices,foreign holidays,push button gratification,instant news,endless excesses,…..but I too remember the start of it…the arrival of the “electric”, the car,washing machine, tv,fridge,supermarket,…life got easier for many , others left behind….
Thanks for those flashbacks to Planxty in Vicar, to that night in Barrowland, the one captured beautifully by Philip King, the other by Don Coutts both of whom assembled teams who captured the essence….I just love the intimscy of the audience shots from Barrowland…..and the captured interplay from Vicar Street
I dont know if there will be another DVD….nothing planned but,hopefully,still got some singing to do….the voicebox still opening, the body still functioning to carry it..
thank you for your thoughtful post….gotta get up now and get moving…today is booster shot day and I’m hoping for a flu jab chaser…
as the sand slips thru the opening
Congratulations and well deserved Christy. “Even an old dog needs a pat now and then”. From an older dog in the old hometown.
From Hawkfield to Kilbelin,Chinatown to Rosie’s Lane
the Lilys of the Shortgrass dream of comin home again