The last two Saturday nights were a complete joy, both in great company. Last night’s gig was exceptional, every word was crystal clear and just a wonder to watch, loved every minute once again. Stunning version of ‘Ringin’ The Bell’ and love Johnny Boy into Ride On…gorgeous. Beautiful venue and all goes smoothly for us out front anyways….love to all..L x
Christy's reply
In the National Concert Hall last night I reflected upon many different things…I recalled playing in the nearby Baggot Inn 45 years ago…that smoke filled, gargle fuelled, exciting venue… I thought of my first gigs in the NCH almost 40 years ago… I thought of John Reilly singing in Mrs Grehans Pub 60 years ago….every song imbued with different memories and situations..I never dreamt that I’d end up in such priviledged circumstance as I enjoyed the last three Saturdays….the silence last night for Lyra, Ann Lovett, Lemon 7s…its truly awesome to experience that level of listening in a thronged Concert Hall ..I must add that the road crew create a perfect space for me..everything is set up to suit the gig…David Meade insures that the sound carries to every seat in the venue…Geoff shines light on the whole scenario, Johnny keeps me in tune and is alert to every turn the gig might take, Dickon insures that the sound on stage is optimum… Mick is at hand at all times and gets me everywhere I need to be, he knows the gig inside out, Paddy oversees every aspect both from stage and audience perspective..Its uplifting to be at the centre of such a tight team……Also, every venue has its own crew and staff..as we travel the high-ways and bye-ways we work with a great variety of skilled and dedicated people….
of course none of this would happen without the ongoing support of the many listeners who come to hear the gigs….songs need singers, singers need listeners, listeners need to be respected…
Ride On Lar
Hello Christy,
I wanted to post something very real this morning. This is as far from the weirdness as I could find. https://youtu.be/Mv_hasUk74Q
Rebecca
Absolutely magnificent last night In the NCH.
Some gig , some setting…. three magic nights there I’ve been told by very reliable sources.
Thanks Christy…. keep taking the tablets.
Christy's reply
From Frijiliana to Earlsfort Terrace…seasoned travellers
Sitting here in Malaga airport on the way back from a few days in the sun….. in Dublin town tonight for the NCH gig (we’re no fools…)
We took a day trip to Frigiliana the other day , so you could nearly say we are jetting back from Frigiliana …..
Looking forward to tonight….soften the blow of going back to the rain.
Christy's reply
Goodbye to the El Toro Brandy, the Vodka and The Stag
Hello Christy,
Anyone listening to the new Lankum album? Wow, it’s fathoms deep. Full of massive bleak spaces. I haven’t got to the end of it yet. I keep needing to come up for breath.
I went into the office in Halifax for a few hours on Wednesday. It really brought home to me how my life has changed since 2020, and me with it. It was awful being stuck in such a clean barren place, away from the silence, music, books, harp, piano. I popped into Sainsburys to pick up a sandwich. It’s massive, bright, noisy and filled to the ginnels with things I don’t want or need.
I think I’ve turned into a hermit.
Thankfully, there isn’t enough desk space to go into the office very often, wasting time sitting on a bus when I should be practising.
I’m very glad to see you back here this morning Christy. I miss you when you’re too busy to be here.
I love the answer that Pablo Casals, the great cellist gave when some one asked him why he still practised so intensely at 95 years of age,
“I think I see some improvement” he said.
Rebecca
Christy's reply
in 1968 I used to drive into Halifax most mornings when not away gigging…there was a gym in town where I’d go and sweat until the Upper George opened…A swift half gallon later I’d do the shopping and back out to Mixenden to my C F G & Am
many of us are turning into Hermits as we struggle to cope with this frantic new world…it gets weirder by the day…
Just booked tickets for your concert at the TLT Drogheda July 15th. I’ve been listening to your music for 20+ years growing up with my father & granda, I just wanted to say how excited I am to see you in person!
Maitiú Mac Mathghamhna
Ádh mór
Christy's reply
I like playing the TLT….
Drogheda has always been a good town for rambling Balladeers…
I’ll be excited myself at the prospect ….
returning to the green grassy slopes of The Boyne
That gig sounds fab, as described by Hilary.
I often wish there was a way to hear even a snippet of it, or see a set list….apart from getting to a gig.
The ‘live from lockdown with andy’ seems so long ago….i’d give all for the price of a live tune ( flight).
How is Andy and the coffee bean?
Rory
Hello Christy,
Well I though the gig stream was starting to flow but it looks like it’s dried up again. Damn! Oh well more time to practice and learn. I’ve heard that other people are struggling to get engagements too. I’m so grateful for the ones I’ve got.
I’ve moved Dalesman’s Litany down a bit. Well quite a lot really, the harp can’t play in every key. It doesn’t have a d flat.
I’m enjoying it in the new key.
Ed, I mentioned Wally Page a few weeks ago. I love his tune Hackensack.
Hi Christy,
Glad the gigs in the NCH went well.
Just heard the chat Dolores Keane had with Tommy Tiernan
at the weekend. If there has ever been a finer singer, I’ld love to hear them. Such soul. Such class.
Maybe Michael D will use his powers to get a street in Galway
renamed for her. Maybe he won’t …
Our pres. has a lot of reading to be doing these days.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Betimes if I’m typing in here I dont have relevant information immediately to hand, so I am capable to typing up something on an incorrect songwriter. Had someone mention ‘Wally Page’ earlier? That website on that Manchester gallery: very good.
Christy's reply
You’ve gotta take a chance sometime
stake it all on a glance sometime
let some feelings show
let somebody know…….(Declan Sinnott)
Declan used to sing this way back in Moving Hearts
Hello Christy,
Thanks to Dave for posting about the art gallery in Manchester. I had a good virtual wander and it took me right back happy days there in my youth. Also reminded me of the spectre of the imposter syndrome. I guess it’s something all artists have. Still there. I get better at ignoring it as I get older. I need to get over to Manchester to visit that gallery. It’s great to see things online but it’s hard to get the scale. I saw some Toulouse Lautrec things in Paris. They’re ginormous, like theatre backdrops.
Hope your work is going well. Jumping straight into a big song is energising me. Which came first, working on a song or mental wellbeing? Who cares. It works.
Great reminscing going on here. These young fellows who got jobs in the bank and preferred strumming guitars! I like it.
Patsy. Where do you get the energy? Mind you, being central, Moate, most venues are within reach. You could catch up on myself. I can account for about “thirty” gigs I’ve been at.
Great to hear that the Ann Lovett song got sung last night, Saturday, 25 March, in the light of particular events this weekend. Most appropriate. Lest we forget the Ireland of not-so-long-ago.
I’ve looked at that link, ‘contemporary six’, some great pictures including ‘The Crying Soldier’. It brought me back to that great track from ‘Ride On’. Has someone already mentioned that same track? Wally Page?
Christy's reply
‘Dying Soldier” was written by Ger Costello. We first met when Moving Hearts and The Outfit played some gigs together.Very much a song of the times we were living in when those two bands were on the road.
Patsy is one of a tight knit community of listeners who come to our gigs regularly…some come and go, others are regular 4711ers, we’ve lost some dear friends in the past few years…its heartwarming and inspiring to know that these songs are at the heart of it all…
Dear Christy, I’m celebrating my mother’s 78th birthday lunch today. She tells me a story that her mother (Mary, my grandmother) swore was true about Mary empathising with a young bank clerk in Bank of Ireland, Askeaton, possibly during the bank strike era? Dick (my grandfather) was the branch manager in Askeaton at the time. Turns out that the bank clerk named Christy enjoyed guitar playing more than working for the bank.
Would love to know if true ans if you can add any detail please? gregsheil@hotmail.com
Christy's reply
I was the junior clerk in the National Bank, Askeaton back around 1964..It was a two handed office and the Manager was a gentleman called Mr Rossiter…..I stayed with Mr and Mrs Nolan at the edge of town…I played and sang every chance I got…another lad staying there had 2 Joan Baez albums which introduced me to finger picking on the guitar..the Bank was on the square in Askeaton, I spent most of my time gazing across at Clocker Collin’s pub dreaming of Pint Bottles of Arthur’s glorious brew….I had three chords on my £3 guitar, “Rosin The Bow”, “Brennan on the Moor” and “The Leaving of Liverpool” were my best songs…I was an awful bank clark, hated every minute until 3 o’clock came..then out the door as soon as I balanced my remittances….every day since 1966 I give thanks for that bank strike….
(sometime later The National Bank, The Hibernian Bank and The Bank of Ireland amalgamated under the banner of the latter..back then customers were valued, respected and treated accordingly)
Hi C. Another cracker at NCH, a very current and comprehensive setlist, so moving to hear Tyrone Boys and Middle of the Island, you certainly stilled the night, gan dabht, as you did with They Never Came Home GRMMA. You owned that iconic stage, your nod to Liam Og was so appropriate, his performances there of the Brendan Voyage with Rita Connolly and the Orchestra were electric. Your seeking out and support for contemporary Folk and Trad music & performers is reflected in this article from NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/arts/music/irish-music-lankum-lisa-oneill.html, it’s great to see so many accomplished musicians & songwriters taking up the baton, many of whom will be celebrating the 10th Festival in Doolin in June. Beir bua agus beannacht. H
Christy's reply
The National Concert Hall has grown and expanded into a welcoming and hospitable venue..in its early years it sometimes appeared aloof and condescending towards musical genres deemed to be outside its self appointed “pale”…these times it has broadened the scope of its performances and become a venue for all people….from our perspective, its a pleasure to work there…. the staff there are welcoming and assist with all our endeavours..the new sound system is excellent, top of the range….I like gigging there….
we also attend NCH performances regularly and love the experience …
Back in 1965 I almost got to sing in that space before it became the NCH…then it was the UCD Exam Hall, Earlsfort Terrace… a story for another time
The last two Saturday nights were a complete joy, both in great company. Last night’s gig was exceptional, every word was crystal clear and just a wonder to watch, loved every minute once again. Stunning version of ‘Ringin’ The Bell’ and love Johnny Boy into Ride On…gorgeous. Beautiful venue and all goes smoothly for us out front anyways….love to all..L x
In the National Concert Hall last night I reflected upon many different things…I recalled playing in the nearby Baggot Inn 45 years ago…that smoke filled, gargle fuelled, exciting venue… I thought of my first gigs in the NCH almost 40 years ago… I thought of John Reilly singing in Mrs Grehans Pub 60 years ago….every song imbued with different memories and situations..I never dreamt that I’d end up in such priviledged circumstance as I enjoyed the last three Saturdays….the silence last night for Lyra, Ann Lovett, Lemon 7s…its truly awesome to experience that level of listening in a thronged Concert Hall ..I must add that the road crew create a perfect space for me..everything is set up to suit the gig…David Meade insures that the sound carries to every seat in the venue…Geoff shines light on the whole scenario, Johnny keeps me in tune and is alert to every turn the gig might take, Dickon insures that the sound on stage is optimum… Mick is at hand at all times and gets me everywhere I need to be, he knows the gig inside out, Paddy oversees every aspect both from stage and audience perspective..Its uplifting to be at the centre of such a tight team……Also, every venue has its own crew and staff..as we travel the high-ways and bye-ways we work with a great variety of skilled and dedicated people….
of course none of this would happen without the ongoing support of the many listeners who come to hear the gigs….songs need singers, singers need listeners, listeners need to be respected…
Ride On Lar
Hello Christy,
I wanted to post something very real this morning. This is as far from the weirdness as I could find.
https://youtu.be/Mv_hasUk74Q
Rebecca
sounds good
Absolutely magnificent last night In the NCH.
Some gig , some setting…. three magic nights there I’ve been told by very reliable sources.
Thanks Christy…. keep taking the tablets.
From Frijiliana to Earlsfort Terrace…seasoned travellers
Hi C. One word SUBLIME. GRMMA aris, beir bua agus beannacht, H
Thanks for being there..for being at the centre of the gaggle..for all your support
Hello Christy,
Just a little joke for April Fools, Day.
https://www.royalalberthall.com/about-the-hall/news/2019/april/the-great-rotation-royal-albert-hall-announces-details-of-major-building-project/#:~:text=The%20works%20will%20see%20the,for%20the%20next%20150%20years.
Thank goodness they’re not going to fill the dressing rooms with terrifying pictures of Margaret Thatcher and the, Queen.
I once had to go and help a Conservative Councillor with his laptop in Halifax Town Hall. There was a picture of Margaret Thatcher on the wall of the Conservative Room. I was so shocked!
Rebecca
Sitting here in Malaga airport on the way back from a few days in the sun….. in Dublin town tonight for the NCH gig (we’re no fools…)
We took a day trip to Frigiliana the other day , so you could nearly say we are jetting back from Frigiliana …..
Looking forward to tonight….soften the blow of going back to the rain.
Goodbye to the El Toro Brandy, the Vodka and The Stag
Traveled from Delco just to see your Wexford show last July. Spectacular and thank you. Please come visit! We have room!
I cant find my passport
Hello Christy,
Anyone listening to the new Lankum album? Wow, it’s fathoms deep. Full of massive bleak spaces. I haven’t got to the end of it yet. I keep needing to come up for breath.
I went into the office in Halifax for a few hours on Wednesday. It really brought home to me how my life has changed since 2020, and me with it. It was awful being stuck in such a clean barren place, away from the silence, music, books, harp, piano. I popped into Sainsburys to pick up a sandwich. It’s massive, bright, noisy and filled to the ginnels with things I don’t want or need.
I think I’ve turned into a hermit.
Thankfully, there isn’t enough desk space to go into the office very often, wasting time sitting on a bus when I should be practising.
I’m very glad to see you back here this morning Christy. I miss you when you’re too busy to be here.
I love the answer that Pablo Casals, the great cellist gave when some one asked him why he still practised so intensely at 95 years of age,
“I think I see some improvement” he said.
Rebecca
in 1968 I used to drive into Halifax most mornings when not away gigging…there was a gym in town where I’d go and sweat until the Upper George opened…A swift half gallon later I’d do the shopping and back out to Mixenden to my C F G & Am
many of us are turning into Hermits as we struggle to cope with this frantic new world…it gets weirder by the day…
Dia dhuit Christy
Just booked tickets for your concert at the TLT Drogheda July 15th. I’ve been listening to your music for 20+ years growing up with my father & granda, I just wanted to say how excited I am to see you in person!
Maitiú Mac Mathghamhna
Ádh mór
I like playing the TLT….
Drogheda has always been a good town for rambling Balladeers…
I’ll be excited myself at the prospect ….
returning to the green grassy slopes of The Boyne
This is the day that the spuds get sown.
Ol Jack Frost hasn’t gone away.
So a bit of fleece on top and
let Mother Nature take it from there.
get them in,bank them up, cover them over and hope for the best
Hello Christy,
Here’s a pic I wandered across yesterday.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid01QH2tgNvVqJ9L1EMbnvWERFa8kfKkANYTPmVomYwSfSNvvbQADwLAX64MG6rVa4hl&id=847680135
It should open for everyone.
Rebecca
what a great picture….
the joy and wonder on those young faces at the mere sight of Woody’s guitar….and him so happy to stand with them
That gig sounds fab, as described by Hilary.
I often wish there was a way to hear even a snippet of it, or see a set list….apart from getting to a gig.
The ‘live from lockdown with andy’ seems so long ago….i’d give all for the price of a live tune ( flight).
How is Andy and the coffee bean?
Rory
we’ll have to look into it
Hello Christy,
Well I though the gig stream was starting to flow but it looks like it’s dried up again. Damn! Oh well more time to practice and learn. I’ve heard that other people are struggling to get engagements too. I’m so grateful for the ones I’ve got.
I’ve moved Dalesman’s Litany down a bit. Well quite a lot really, the harp can’t play in every key. It doesn’t have a d flat.
I’m enjoying it in the new key.
Ed, I mentioned Wally Page a few weeks ago. I love his tune Hackensack.
Love to all.
Rebecca
we miss Wally
Hi Christy,
Glad the gigs in the NCH went well.
Just heard the chat Dolores Keane had with Tommy Tiernan
at the weekend. If there has ever been a finer singer, I’ld love to hear them. Such soul. Such class.
Maybe Michael D will use his powers to get a street in Galway
renamed for her. Maybe he won’t …
Our pres. has a lot of reading to be doing these days.
Tabhair Aire
Bourkey
Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn,Charlie Piggott, Ringo McDonagh, Dolores Keane…..De Danann……Galway’s Finest…..Happy Days
Betimes if I’m typing in here I dont have relevant information immediately to hand, so I am capable to typing up something on an incorrect songwriter. Had someone mention ‘Wally Page’ earlier? That website on that Manchester gallery: very good.
You’ve gotta take a chance sometime
stake it all on a glance sometime
let some feelings show
let somebody know…….(Declan Sinnott)
Declan used to sing this way back in Moving Hearts
Hi Christy,
31 YEARS THEY COULDN’T MAKE ME SAY! WE SUFFOCATE!
Hugs,
Francis
Hello Christy,
Thanks to Dave for posting about the art gallery in Manchester. I had a good virtual wander and it took me right back happy days there in my youth. Also reminded me of the spectre of the imposter syndrome. I guess it’s something all artists have. Still there. I get better at ignoring it as I get older. I need to get over to Manchester to visit that gallery. It’s great to see things online but it’s hard to get the scale. I saw some Toulouse Lautrec things in Paris. They’re ginormous, like theatre backdrops.
Hope your work is going well. Jumping straight into a big song is energising me. Which came first, working on a song or mental wellbeing? Who cares. It works.
https://www.kerlingallery.com/artists
I like the stuff by Dorothy Cross.
Rebecca
Great reminscing going on here. These young fellows who got jobs in the bank and preferred strumming guitars! I like it.
Patsy. Where do you get the energy? Mind you, being central, Moate, most venues are within reach. You could catch up on myself. I can account for about “thirty” gigs I’ve been at.
Great to hear that the Ann Lovett song got sung last night, Saturday, 25 March, in the light of particular events this weekend. Most appropriate. Lest we forget the Ireland of not-so-long-ago.
I’ve looked at that link, ‘contemporary six’, some great pictures including ‘The Crying Soldier’. It brought me back to that great track from ‘Ride On’. Has someone already mentioned that same track? Wally Page?
‘Dying Soldier” was written by Ger Costello. We first met when Moving Hearts and The Outfit played some gigs together.Very much a song of the times we were living in when those two bands were on the road.
Patsy is one of a tight knit community of listeners who come to our gigs regularly…some come and go, others are regular 4711ers, we’ve lost some dear friends in the past few years…its heartwarming and inspiring to know that these songs are at the heart of it all…
Dear Christy, I’m celebrating my mother’s 78th birthday lunch today. She tells me a story that her mother (Mary, my grandmother) swore was true about Mary empathising with a young bank clerk in Bank of Ireland, Askeaton, possibly during the bank strike era? Dick (my grandfather) was the branch manager in Askeaton at the time. Turns out that the bank clerk named Christy enjoyed guitar playing more than working for the bank.
Would love to know if true ans if you can add any detail please? gregsheil@hotmail.com
I was the junior clerk in the National Bank, Askeaton back around 1964..It was a two handed office and the Manager was a gentleman called Mr Rossiter…..I stayed with Mr and Mrs Nolan at the edge of town…I played and sang every chance I got…another lad staying there had 2 Joan Baez albums which introduced me to finger picking on the guitar..the Bank was on the square in Askeaton, I spent most of my time gazing across at Clocker Collin’s pub dreaming of Pint Bottles of Arthur’s glorious brew….I had three chords on my £3 guitar, “Rosin The Bow”, “Brennan on the Moor” and “The Leaving of Liverpool” were my best songs…I was an awful bank clark, hated every minute until 3 o’clock came..then out the door as soon as I balanced my remittances….every day since 1966 I give thanks for that bank strike….
(sometime later The National Bank, The Hibernian Bank and The Bank of Ireland amalgamated under the banner of the latter..back then customers were valued, respected and treated accordingly)
Hi C. Another cracker at NCH, a very current and comprehensive setlist, so moving to hear Tyrone Boys and Middle of the Island, you certainly stilled the night, gan dabht, as you did with They Never Came Home GRMMA. You owned that iconic stage, your nod to Liam Og was so appropriate, his performances there of the Brendan Voyage with Rita Connolly and the Orchestra were electric. Your seeking out and support for contemporary Folk and Trad music & performers is reflected in this article from NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/arts/music/irish-music-lankum-lisa-oneill.html, it’s great to see so many accomplished musicians & songwriters taking up the baton, many of whom will be celebrating the 10th Festival in Doolin in June. Beir bua agus beannacht. H
The National Concert Hall has grown and expanded into a welcoming and hospitable venue..in its early years it sometimes appeared aloof and condescending towards musical genres deemed to be outside its self appointed “pale”…these times it has broadened the scope of its performances and become a venue for all people….from our perspective, its a pleasure to work there…. the staff there are welcoming and assist with all our endeavours..the new sound system is excellent, top of the range….I like gigging there….
we also attend NCH performances regularly and love the experience …
Back in 1965 I almost got to sing in that space before it became the NCH…then it was the UCD Exam Hall, Earlsfort Terrace… a story for another time