Folk Tale

2011

1. Tyrone Boys

2. Folk Tale

3. My Little Honda 50

4. Easter Snow

5. Farmer Michael Hayes

6. On Morecambe Bay

7. Tiles and Slabs

8. Haiti

9. Weekend in Amsterdam

10. Ballydine

11. God Woman

Moving Hearts The Album

This was an exciting time. Donal and I agreed to work together and our next port of call was with Declan Sinnott who volunteered immediately. Then we gradually expanded. Richie Buckley played one gig in Kilkenny, Bill “Riverdance” Whelan left after one rehearsal citing political differences.† Tommy Moore came and left to join Paul Brady.

One by one we slowly assembled. Brian Calnan came from Cork to sit in the traps, Eoghan O’Neill ran out of Tipperary to drive hot bass up our spines, Keith Donald came down from the mountain blowing cool air through his reed, Davy left the camps and got up on the amps – the collective was completed by Matt Kelleghan, George and Cyril and we were ready to roll.

Faithful Departed 127074600893_faithfuldeparted

Irish Ways and Irish Laws 127074603269_irishwaysandirishlaws

Before the Deluge 127074610750_beforethedeluge

Planxty Live, DVD

Sleeve Note from Leagues O’Toole:

Amongst other things, the year 2004 will be remembered for the public re-assembling of Planxty for twelve concerts – two in GlĂłr, Ennis, in the music heartland of County Clare, and ten in the plush confines of Vicar St, Dublin – their first live performances in twenty-something years. †This is an event of some considerable historical and cultural magnitude, rendered all the more pertinent given the seamless realignment of Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Liam O’Flynn and Christy Moore.

Surreptitious rehearsals in Paddy Doherty’s Spa Hotel in Lisdoonvarna the previous October had revealed to the Planxty players that the chemistry was alive and well and ready to blow. And so it did, as each night the music tumbled magically from their fingers, smiles stretched across our faces, heads bobbed, feet tapped, Christy ‘hupped,’ and we all set adrift on a musical journey that would sail us through the full gamut of emotions.

A cast of odd characters starred each night; lusty blacksmiths, murderous Lords and adulterous Ladies, mighty mariners, raggle taggle gypsies, and shillelagh-wielding latchecos. There was drama, laughs, slagging, jubilation, reflection, and love coming from every corner of the room. The songs and tunes came to us from decades and centuries gone, from 17th century harp music, to the singing of John Reilly, to the priceless pages of the PW Joyce Collection.

‘The Starting Gate’ eases us into the music with delicacy and intricacy, quickly introducing that building block technique that marks so much of Planxty’s music; the blissful bouzouki-mandolin marriage, the otherworldly whistle, the drone, the raspy guitar, the thump of the bodhrĂĄn. And in the middle of this melee is Liam O’Flynn whose knife-edge precision piping raises a roar from the audience and elevates the music to the high heavens.

On his solo piece, ‘The Dark Slender Boy’ a mood of pin-drop rapture cloaks the room as Liam bends yearning notes and stretches whirring drones into this profoundly mournful music. In contrast, on ‘The Clare Jig’ his pastoral whistle dances gleefully between the double-bodhrĂĄn attack of Donal and Christy.

There are some fantastic stories told within the songs performed here. ‘Arthur McBride’ is an anti-conscription / anti-war song, and one which resonates as much with Planxty’s virgin audience as it does with veterans of the 70s. Here, Andy Irvine calls upon his colleagues to back him up on a suitably rousing rowdy-dow-dow chorus. The nine-minute plus ‘Little Musgrave’ is a poetically written fable of love, lust, infidelity, jealousy, murder, and remorse – the words to which Christy Moore found on pages scattered on the floor of an auctioneers in the early 70s. This particular rendition captures the singer in majestic free-flow.

We rarely discuss Planxty without referencing the unusual new flavours, arrangements, and instruments they brought to traditional Irish music. In a demonstration of their peerlessly inventive verve, they stitch ‘Blacksmithereens’ (a tune based on Andy’s first impressions of Balkans music) onto an old English folk song, ‘The Blacksmith’. This fiery performance is driven by Donal Lunny’s robust, rhythmic, bouzouki and underpinned by Liam’s dramatic phrasing, which prompts another round of hollering from the congregation.

The loudest roar though is reserved for one of the most celebrated segues in traditional music – that invisible bridge from ‘Raggle Taggle Gypsy’ to ‘Tabhair Dom Do LĂĄmh’. And who could deny Andy’s ‘West Coast of Clare,’ a lament of unrivalled pathos that has heads bowed in contemplation right across the venue. It’s rare to see an audience so possessed. It’s little wonder they received standing ovations every night upon entering and exiting the stage.

Nights like those in January and February of 2004 have been wished for, dreamt of, and fantasized about by thousands of Irish music fans for over two decades. We arrived excited, anxious, and downright nervous – there was a lot at stake; memories, expectations, and reputations. We left smiling, speechless, and wondering would we ever see their likes again.

It was a good start to the year.

Tracklist:
1. The Starting Gate 4.38
2. The Good Ship Kangaroo 4.31
3. The Clare Jig 3.14
4. Arthur McBride 3.59
5. Little Musgrave 9.20
6. Vicar Street Reels (2004) 4.21
7. The Blacksmith / Black Smithereens 5.03
8. The Dark Slender Boy 4.37
9. As Christy Roved Out 4.01
10. As Andy Roved Out 5.17
11. The Kildareman’s Fancy 4.15
12. Raggle Taggle Gypsy 5.46
13. The West Coast Of Clare 6.05

Words And Music

I can’t remember much about this or why we recorded it. Donal and I spent a lot of time in Windmill Lane and Liam and Andy came in when their schedules permitted. I heard the album a couple of year ago and thought I sounded whacked. I like Andy’s stuff and Liam’s stuff on this – but not my own singing.†

Lord Baker 127074642099_lordbaker

The Irish Marche 127074645067_theirishmarche

Thousands Are Sailing 127074647827_thousandsaresailing

Listen

2009

Track List

1. Listen
2. Does This Train Stop On Merseyside?
3. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
4. The Ballad Of Ruby Walsh
5. China Waltz
6. Barrowland
7. Duffy’s Cut
8. The Disappeared (Los Desaparecidos)
9. Riding The High Stool
10. Gortatagort
11. I Will
12. John O Dreams
13. Rory Is Gone

The Woman I Loved So Well

The original band augmented by Matt Molloy, Noel Hill, Tony Linnane and Bill Whelan. For me this was a different sounding Planxty again. There are tracks that I like but it lacks the fire that I loved in the early band. The set of reels nods in the direction but even on this track for me there is too much going on.†

I do like the band on “ Little Musgrave” but my own singing on this album sounds drawn and distant almost as if I was drugged. The band sounds more like a becalmed yacht than a whitewater raft.

We were coasting, over-fed and in need of the whip.
Still a good band but, they do though don’t they in anyways but!

The Tailors Twist 127064052532_thetailorstwist

Kellswater 127064055655_kellswater

True Love Knows No Reason 127063971922_trueloveknowsnoreason

Live At The Point 2006

Some Sleeve notes from ‘Live at the Point 2006’:

These recordings were made at The Point Depot in Dublin on December 29th and 30th and January 5th and 6th, 2006.

Since first stepping before the lamps I have played in all sorts of places, upstairs rooms and downstairs basements, outside halls and inside tents from Carnegie in Manhattan to the 12 Pole in Carndonagh. I have been singing in different lineups and some strange combinations.

This particular leg of the journey began in 2001 when I hooked up once again with Declan Sinnott. We
kicked off in Cleeres Theatre, Kilkenny back in 2001 and over the past 5 years it has developed into, what has become for me, the most satisfying period of my working life. Last year I decided I would like to mark the work by trying to get it
filmed & recorded. John Sheehan at Sony gave me the nod and the project began. I opted for a huge kip of a shed down-by where the Liffey flows into the sea. They call it The Point Theatre but it is in fact a railway depot, a shed that
can be dressed up into a fantastic venue. I have had many wonderful nights there both as an audient and as a singer. This gig began when Paddy Doherty got together with Peter Aiken and The Point crew to figure out how best to doll up the old building.

Davy Meade serviced the amps and laundered the pop shields while Dickon Whitehad tweaked the feedback in the foldback. (I like everything to be louder than everything else). Johnny Meade massaged the bowrawn, tuned the boxes and kept an eye on the clock. Geoff Ryan showed Tom Kenny where our good sides lay and how they might be lit. Philip King rounded up all the usual suspects including Maurice Linnane, Cian De Buitleir and Tina Moran et al, Best Boys one and all. When the Clapper Board came down Tim Martin had all the knobs well polished and turned up to 11. Michael Devine was all over the shop, himself and Crossroads keeping an eye on everything that moved and quite a few that didn’t. We were ready. We were well
catered and coiffed as, with trousers pressed, we made the long walk out to face the music.

The repertoire here spans the decades, old and new, all mixed together. As the songs tumbled out some were well rehearsed while others were more of the moment. I thank you for your support and encouragement. The way you have listened has always raised me up. The songs will live on as long as we sing and hear them.

Ride On!

After The Break

A guy called Kevin Flynn from Sligo was running gigs in London. He also ran the Ballisodare Festival in Sligo. This was an important festival at the time for it focused on a broad spectrum of pure music. Sadly it went the same way as the Lisdoonvarna Festival. Both were seduced into booking rock acts and they both lost the direction that had made them special in the first place.†

Kevin Flynn also ran the National in Kilburn and he began to book different members of Planxty. He then booked us all to play individually with Doc Watson at the Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn in 1978. Kevin put it all together and the inevitable happened – we decided to re-form.

We welcomed Matt Molloy on board and also had Noel Hill and Tony Linnane as guests. We assembled in St. Mullins Co. Carlow for lengthy rehearsals along with nights on the river. We did a ball breaking European tour and then recorded this album in Windmill Lane.

The Good Ship Kangaroo 127064149339_thegoodshipkangaroo

Burning Times

Some Sleeve notes from ‘Burning Times’:

RACHEL CORRIE

“This album is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Corrie who lost her life in Gaza. She stood before an American built, Israeli driven earthmover as she tried to defend a Palestinian home that was about to be demolished. She was armed with a megaphone. The Caterpillar machine drove straight over Rachel killing her in the earth.”
Frank Harte

Frank Harte moved on as I started to sing these songs.

For many of us singers he was The National Archive. He also was a dear Friend. The phone would ring…”Moore ye bollix, give us that one about the Beeswing” or maybe “how does that one about The Witches go, sing it for me”. No one in this wide world has anything like the store of songs that Frank possessed and with this treasure he was most generous. The phone would ring “Get up off your arse and we’ll go up to Mullaghbawn and sing a few songs”… He helped me so often, we had such fun and laughter and the tears flowed from all directions.

He was tickled and proud when 4,000 people listened in silence to Planxty playing “The Well Below The Valley” for it reaffirmed all he held dear about our song heritage, that these timeless treasures would outlive all memory of their authors, that the songs of the people still belonged to the people … that the oppressor writes the history while the people write the songs … Frank’s departure leaves a gap that only time will fill. He also leaves a legacy of 20,000 songs lovingly gathered, referenced and indexed during a lifetime of song. Many of them have been recorded in a series of 6 CDs with his long time collaborator and friend Donal Lunny …

How I wish I’d gone with Frank to Mullaghbawn …

Produced by Declan Sinnott
Engineered by Tim Martin
At The Well Road, Cork

Christy Moore: Vocals, Guitar and Bowrawn.

Declan Sinnott: Acoustic Guitars: Taylor812-ce, Guild F212 12 string, Martin 000-28, Martin HD 28, Gibson 1949 acoustic, Tanglewood TW45, Carmelo Del Valle (Spanish), Electric Guitars: Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson ES330 (1967), Tanglewood TW acoustic bass, Fender precision bass, Gibson (A series)
mandolin, Gibson Mandola, Keyboards.

Backing Vocals: Declan Sinnott, Mandy Murphy & Mary Greene.

 

Tracklist:

1. 16 FISHERMEN RAVING
2. MOTHERLAND
3. BUTTERFLY
4. MAGIC NIGHTS IN THE LOBBY BAR
5. AMERICA, I LOVE YOU
6. MERCY
7. BEESWING
8. THE LONESOME DEATH OF HATTIE CARROLL
9. MAGDALENE LAUNDRIES
10. BURNING TIMES
11. PEACE IN THE VALLEY ONCE AGAIN
12. CHANGES

Cold Blow and the Rainy Night

Donal rang me early one morning and said he would like a chat. This unnerved me somewhat not only for the rarity of such an event but also from the serious tone of his banter. He was leaving the band. 30 years on I can still remember feeling gutted. I had become dependant upon him in music, for me he was the heartbeat of the band.†

Johnny Moynihan joined as Donal left to blow his own bugle. Donal is irreplaceable and Johnny did not try. He came with his own repertoire, style and artistry and he simply changed the band.

Rehearsals became more challenging as we set out for London to record this album in Sarm studios London. The owner was a Coulter chum and I still remember feeling outside this loop.

We were only the band – the Producer and engineer were driving the session – at least that’s how I remember it. I did what I did more often in those days. I went on the piss. I awoke to the sound of a fracas outside the Irish club in Eaton Square. There was shouting and banging and I recognised voices. I got to the window just in time to see Andy kick into the wing of a seven series B.M.W, which then departed with haste. The band was sick and sore and a sorry sight. (These are purely my memories and may differ greatly from others). I was unable to play my keyboard parts and Phil Coulter sat in and deputised. When we returned to the island I was beginning to eye the exit.

Johnny Cope 127074437666_johnnycope

Cold Blow And The Rainy Night 127074445562_coldblowandtherainynight

The Little Drummer 127074449682_thelittledrummer

The Well Below The Valley

We were in full flight now. The gigs were pouring in and we were pouring gin. The ford transit (double wheel base) was burning oil and so was the band. No time for rehearsal, trying to get new music together would have been anti-social. We arrived at some kip in Kent and the strain was starting to show.†

The studio was a plaything of some English guitar hero and he dropped in once or twice like a squire and condescended. A fuckin’ right good guitar hero he was too. At the time we were having a bit of difficulty in communicating with each other but the work was done and we made a good album but without the fun of our two previous albums.

Hewlett 127074274188_hewlett

Solo Jig 127074288185_solojig

CĂșnla 127074256466_cunla

The Box Set 1964-2004

Download Booklet >>

YELLOW 

PINK
Yellow Triangle (3.32)
Dunnes Stores (3.48)
They Never Came Home (4.06)
Nuke Power (3.21)
Who Cares? (0.36)
Mullaghmore (4.39)
Hey! Ronnie Reagan (3.10)
St. Patrick’s Night in San Fernando (2.16)
Tim Evans (3.19)
Goose Green (Taking tea with Pinochet) (2.29)
In Zurich (2.24)
The Powdered Milk Brigade (1.06)
Folk Tale (2.53)
The Two Conneeleys (3.26)
Don’t Forget Your Shovel (4.12)
Quiet Desperation (3.01)		 January Man (4.25)
Poor Old Earth (4.04)
Tippin’ it Up (2.46)
PoitĂ­n (2.07)
1945 (3.24)
Little Musgrave (6.36)
Johnny jump Up (2.53)
Radcliffe Highway (2.35)
John O’Dreams (4.09)
Cold Blow (3.33)
The Raggle Taggle Gypsy (4.45)
El Salvador (3.55)
Jack Doyle (3.09)
Joxer (original) (4.39)
Intro (1.32)
Lawless (4.03)

BLUE

RED
Different Love Song (4.05)
Changes (4.43)
Ballindine (3.25)
Anne Lovett (3.08)
The Dalesman’s Litany (4.01)
Intro (1.04)
Farewell to Pripchat (3.43)
The Lakes of Pontchartrain (6.08)
Cricklewood (2.36)
Strangeways (2.58)
Wise and Holy Woman (4.01)
Veronica (3.33)
Cry like a man (4.34)
Vive la Quinte Brigada (5.08)
The auld Triangle (2.39)
Intro (1.06)
Brown Eyes (for Joe Sheeran) (4.03)
Johnny Connors (4.34)		 Lay with Me (3.28)
This is the Day (4.45)
Among the Wicklow Hills (2.33)
Aisling (3.20)
Grey lake of Loughrea (5.15)
All I Remember (2.56)
Someone to Love (2.56)
Trip to Carnsore (3.35)
Danny Boy (Derrylondon air) (2.46)
Ships in the Forest (3.11)
100 miles from Home (3.35)
Intro (0.56)
Smoke and strong Whiskey (4.16)
The way Pierce Turner sings (3.30)
Hamburg Encore Medley (9.20)
Tyrone Boys (4.45)

LILAC

GREEN
Hey Paddy (4.30)
On the Blanket (7.13)
Southern Winds (3.23)
Don’t Hand Me Over (3.29)
Shoot out the Streetlights (1.49)
The Bridge at Killaloe (Scariff Martyrs) (5.46)
North and South (4.03)
At the G.P.O. 1980 (1.30)
90 miles to Dublin (5.39)
Wicklow Boy (3.42)
Ballinamore (2.23)
Rialto Derry January 1993 (2.01)
The Armagh Women (3.41)
On the Bridge (2.59) Scapegoats (2.50)
“They Fouled the Ball Daddy” (4.13)
No Time for Love (9.01)
On a Single Day (2.58)		 Roots (1.30)
The Old Man’s Song (2.40)
1913 Lockout (2.17)
Seth Davy (3.22)
The Bould Rake (3.13)
Bridget’s Pill (3.12)
The Lark in the Morning (2.22)
Come by the Hill (2.39)
The Enniskillen Dragoon (2.20)
Weela Waile (4.39)
Whiskey in the Jar (3.08)
Intro (0.33)
Tribute to Ewan McColl (4.31)
Finnegan’s Wake (3.01)
Down in the Valley (3.07)
Paddy on the Road (3.20)
Three Drunken Maidens (2.33)

Live at Vicar Street

2002

We were giggin’ again and I felt the performances were worth capturing. The response to this collection would indicate that many of you agree with me.†

Track List – Live At Vicar Street, 2002

  1. Continental CĂ©ili.
  2. First Time Ever.
  3. A Pair of Brown Eyes.
  4. Biko Drum.
  5. Quiet Desperation.
  6. McIlhatton.
  7. January Man.
  8. Allende.
  9. Johnny Don’t Go.
  10. Wandering Aongus.
  11. Lisdoonvarna.
  12. Ride On.
  13. Tribute To Noel Brazil.
  14. Metropolitan Avenue.

Continental CĂ©ili 127080865935_continentalceili

Biko Drum 127080872948_bikodrum

January Man 127080875891_januaryman

Planxty the Album

Recording this album was a different Ballgame. Phil Coulter was riding over in London. He had landed us. In fairness no Irish label would sign us – so we were over in London hungry for action, and Coulter was the only one who showed any interest in us.

With no competition he gave us a shite contract and we signed everything away. All that said, 30 years on this album sounds good. He produced it well and although we would like to remix the early work, he did have the foresight and wherewithal to record the band at a time when no one else was listening.

We recorded in the Olympic studios near Picadilly and we stayed at the Irish Club in Eaton Square. There were nights of merriment and days that started late. The sleeve shot was done by Tom McIlroy and has received a recognition of it’s own. The picture is of our first appearance at the national Stadium in 1973.

This is the Day

2001

The three of us reconvened 16 years after “Ride On”, 20 years after “Moving Hearts”. Straight off it was a jell.†

My sister Terry sent me a version of Jackson Browne’s “How Long”. Wally Page sent me “So do I” maybe twenty years ago and it just reappeared from nowhere during the making of the album. “Johnny Don’t go” I got from the writer John Spillane maybe 7-8 years ago and it resting in a drawer.

“Veronica” I wrote upon hearing of the terrible fate of the late Veronica Guerin. McCarthy sent me “The Contender” a number of years ago. I’d wanted to record it for years but every chanter in Ireland was recording it – but I still felt there was another version to be done. I heard McColl sing “Companeros” in an English Fold club in Lincolnshire circa 1967.

“Cry like a man” I lifted straight from an album of the author Dan Penn. “Stitch” came from my good friend Mike Waterson in north Yorkshire via his brother in law Martin Carty. “Victor” came from Arlo Guthrie after a great night in Shinrone (or was it from Luke in Bray?). “Scallcrows” I wrote for Eamon Dunphy and Terry Keane. “The Pipers Path” from the singing of Lal Waterson who co-wrote the song. Hers was one of the unique voices I’ve encountered.

Track List – This Is The Day, 2001.

  1. How Long.
  2. So Do I.
  3. Johnny Don’t Go.
  4. Veronica.
  5. Jack Doyle (AKA The Contenders)
  6. Companeros
  7. Cry Like A Man.
  8. A Stitch In Time.
  9. Victor Jara.
  10. The Pipers Path.

Veronica 127080801193_veronica

Companeros 127080811950_campaneros

Scallcrows 127080825811_scallcrows

Traveller

1999

Three years after Graffitti Tongue and I’m down the garden with Leo Pearson and his boxes of magic and tricks.†

Burning Times 127080756180_burningtimes

Last Cold Kiss 127080752699_lastcoldkiss

Christy Moore Collection Part 2

1997

Fuckin’ suits are out to get me again!†

Matty 127080723799_matty

Folk Tale 127080726617_folktale

Sonny’s Dream 127080730771_sonny

Graffiti Tongue

1996

Fuckin’ rough slog. Fell out with one of me best mates and we’ve not spoken since. Hate that. Inis Maan, Passage East, Scariff, Kilmainham, Ballyvourney again, on the mattress, no sounding board, I can’t judge this work, good songs, harsh sounds.†

All my own making, my decisions, my responsibility, no blame at all on anyone else, good title, good sleeve idea but badly executed. I am not enjoying my work anymore at this time.

Yellow Triangle 127080628313_yellowtriangle

Minds Locked Shut 127080631374_mindslocked

North And South 127080634583_northandsouth

Live At The Point

1994

I played to 50,000 over 12 nights. Me and my guitar. Weird. I’d be totally fucked after it.† The cigar smoke was getting to me a bit. Some of the backroom boys were startin’ to lose the plot and believe their own publicity. I was believin’ in False Gods and that is bothersome and dangerous.

A fellow told me once that I was the greatest Irish writer since Sean O’Casey. I didn’t believe him. Then I discovered he’d never read either me or O’Casey!

Welcome To The Cabaret 127080443021_welcometothecabaret

Well Below The Valley 127080504826_wellbelowvalley

Nancy Spain 127080603142_nancyspain

King Puck

1993

Difficult to make until Neil McColl came and gave me a dig out. I was working with people, some of whom were very worried about laundry facilities in Ballyvourney.†

I don’t know what to say just now except I like some of this album very much.

Me And The Rose 127080354537_meandtherose

King Puck 127080389651_kingpuck

Lawless 127080396186_lawless

Smoke and Strong Whiskey

1991

Terrible title, strange album, sounds like I’m in a hurry, was very difficult to make, to mix, to finish, and to listen to. Some people love it, good enough for me.

Green Island 12708033425_greenisland

Fairytale of New York 12708033743_fairytaleofnewyork

Aisling 127080341976_aisling

The Christy Moore Collection 1981 – 1991

1991

This was released without any consultation and was a huge seller. It is a good compilation.

Ordinary Man 127074886593_ordinaryman

City of Chicago 127074889776_cityofchicago

Missing You 127074892419_missingyou

Voyage

1989

I got my head turned here by Warner suits. They came to my home and sat there telling me I should remix the album. An A & R wanker who fell asleep during the meeting, a big shot from London, the head of WEA Ireland, my manager and me.†

I listened to these shysters and took their counsel and allowed my album to be remixed. It was a rash and regrettable move on my part and to this day I regret it – but I learned.

Mystic Lipstick 127074867881_mysticlipstic

The Voyage 127074870929_thevoyage

Middle of The Island 127074873340_middleoftheisland

Compilation USA

1988

I was in New York to play Carnegie Hall. The gig sold out so Atlantic Records felt they should make some sounds. They invited me to their office and had a banner on the wall, which read “Atlantic welcome C. Moore to New York”. They released this compilation and lost the banner.†

No Time For Love 127074847938_notimeforlove

Dying Soldier 127074853120_dyingsoldier

Lisdoonvarna 12707485909_lisdoonvarna

Unfinished Revolution

1987

I’m still singing most of these songs – 15 years on. Always a good sign of an album. Don’t listen much to old albums and never to this. There is intensity about this work that I like to remember but not always to hear. Some wonderful guitar work from Des Moore and Declan Sinnott.†

Suffocate 127074772313_suffocate

Derby Day 127074778319_derbyday

Dr Vibes 127074780978_drvibes

The Spirit Of Freedom

1986

This album came about as the result of a trip I made to H Blocks. I left the Falls Road in a van that was clapped out. It was used daily to ferry prisoner’s families to and from the camp. I got the idea to try and raise money for a new van and that was the purpose of this album.†

WEA got to hear about it and sequestered it under terms of contract which is how it became Warner’s album which I had never wanted it to be. The Hungry Fuckers.

Forever on My Mind 127074749957_foreveronmymind

Back Home in Derry 127074756742_backhomeinderry

Granny’s Dustbin Lid 127074760934_granniesdustbinlid

Ordinary Man

1985

I really enjoyed the making of this. Donal and I were joined by Arty McGlynn who provided gorgeous licks. We made it in Nicky Ryan’s back garden and had a rare ole time of it. We were joined by various others but the four of us did the business.†

I may be repeating myself but this album proves yet again the magic of Donal Lunny. The riffs he created, the colours he painted, the sensitivity he shows, the help he offers, the performances he coaxes and all this done selflessly.

For me, there is no greater rock in all of Irish music and I am privileged in my tether. Of course, it helps that he’s a bogman and Gavin Wednesday has proclaimed the Culchie is the new cool. Far amach!

Sweet Music Roll On 127074729678_sweetmusicrollon

Matty 127074732663_matty

Hard Cases 127074735373_hardcases

Ride On

1984

Muckross Cottages 1984. Donal Lunny, Declan Sinnott and myself. The Eerie mobile, which had seen better days – 7 of the 16 channels were not functioning. The engineer was Marc Franc and between himself and Jim Donohue the tracks were recorded in a three-week period which was fun and very hard work.†

We had a few nights on the town, got barred out of Danny Manns and chucked out of Gabys Lobster shed. I’d love to record in Killarney again. I’ve many good friends around there and it’s always been a good place to hang out.

El Salvador 127074683436_elsalvador

Back Home in Derry 127074765329_backhomeinderry_ro

Vive LA Quinte Brigada 127074694467_vivelaquintebrigada

The Time Has Come

1983

A bit of a dogs mickey of an album that I recorded to step back onto the acoustic stage. It was my first serious outing as a writer with three of my own songs featured.†

“Don’t forget your shovel” became a very big hit when Ronan Collins began to play it every morning on his early show – he literally played it into the charts and this contributed to my work crossing over into the mainstream.

I also was being managed seriously for the first time and beginning to understand the workings of the music business, the moola and the shamboola and how to try and hang to a bit of if for myself and the family.

Wicklow boy 127074660344_wicklowboy

All I Remember 127074675820_alliremember_mh

H Block

1978

Having written ” 90 miles to Dublin” I became aware that there were a number of people who wanted to give support to the men and women on the Blanket in the H. Blocks and Armagh Jails.†

Mick Hanly wrote and performed “On the Blanket” Stephen Rea read 2 works by Bobby Sands and one by Brian O’Buille. Dan Dowd played ” Taimse im Colaid” Matt Molloy played The Rights of Man and Repeal the Union. Noel Hill and Tony Linnane played Reels and Anne and Frances Brolly sang “I’ll wear no convicts uniform”.

Thomas Ryan offered up his startling image for the sleeve and the special branch obliged us by raiding the launch and guaranteeing us much publicity. Thanks Lads.

Rights Of Man 127074584495_rightsofman

On The Blanket 127074586633_ontheblanket

90 Miles From Dublin 127074591564_90milesfromdublin

Live In Dublin

1978

This was a busy year. Once I had the Iron Behind the Velvet it was straight into rehearsals for this album. I had not worked with Donal Lunny and Nick Ryan since ‘73 so along with Jimmy Faulkner we decided to record some gigs around Dublin City.†

In the original Grapevine Arts Centre, Trinity College, The Meeting Place, Nicky Ryans Parlour and a quick run down to Pat Dowlings in Prosperous we recorded these tracks over 6 nights.

The first of my 3 live albums this one is from a time when my gigs were less than exhilarating. The more substances in the air, the less substance in the work. It’s still kicking about and recently I heard a couple tracks on radio and it sounded fine.

Little Mother 127074551715_littlemother

Hey Sandy 127074554888_heysandy

The Crack Was Ninety in The Isle Of Man 127074558535_thecrackwasninetyintheisleofman

Gortatagort

John Spillane

I sing The Field I sing The Farm

I sing The House my Mother was born

In Gortatagort Colomane

A green jewel

 

Sewn in a patchwork quilt of fields

Between the mountain and the River

In this time now and in another

Where I ran free with my brothers

Through the Longmeadow The Cnocan Rua

The Fortfield The Pairc na Claise

The Newhouse field The Guillane Field

The Clover Field The Rushy Field

 

Where the Red Fuschia weeps in The Hen’s Garden

And the angels bleed over Bantry Bay

 

I see The House I see The Yard

I see The Stall I see The Stable

I see The Haggart and The Sandy Field

I see The Hill I see The Well

I sing The Spring of Well Water

I sing The Field of Standing Stones

The South Rey Grass The North Rey Grass

The Break and The Paircin na hEornan

 

Where the Red Fuschia weeps in The Hen’s Garden

Where God foes to sleep in the hills and the valleys

Where the Moon rises over The Haggart

Where peace descends on Gortatagort

Where the angels bleed over Bantry Bay

 

Saddle up the old grey mare,

Tim Big Danny and Jacky Timmy

Are going across The Mountain

To Puck Fair

 

I sing The Field I sing The Farm

I sing The House my Mother was born

In Gortatagort Colomane

A Green Jewel

The Disappeared (Los Desaparacidos)

Wally Page

 

Mamma still waiting for someone to say

Sara Christina was found yesterday

And the ghost of not knowing still eats her away

Sara Christina’s still missing

In El Salvador that’s the way that it is

Say what you feel and you run all the risks

Of ending up on the casualty list

Lost but never forgotten

 

Los Desaparacidos

 

Los Paradiso covered in mist

Friends start acting like strangers

Beware of the dangerous Judas kiss

That carries you away

Stand with the Union, You’re taken up wrong

Stand with Romero they’ll block out the sun

As the Air Force lands in your face with a gun

And carries you away

 

The dirty face of a dirty war

On the streets of San Salvador

No fandango in here anymore

They’ve taken it all away

This could be paradise free of the spell

Of the Yankee dollar bills from hell

That keeps all the jailers and generals well

While the innocent ones go missing

Duffy’s Cut

Wally Page/Tony Boylan

 

In the summer of 1832

The sailing ship John Stamp

Tied up into the port of Pennsylvania

Up the ladder from the cargo deck

Poor men and women crept

Into the open skies above

 

Dia is Muire Dhuit agus Failte Romhat

Duffy’s my name, I cut through stone

Work for me, I’m one of your own

In dollars I will pay you

 

57 men signed up,

Duffy promised to fill their cup

If they cut the Malvern Valley up

Mile 59 had to be on time for the railway line

 

From Ballyshannon and The Glenties

They sailed right into hell

They suffered like the weeping Christ

Down Duffy’s Cut they sweat their blood

Into his wishing well

Were they taken by the sickness?

Were they hunted down like scum?

Was there poison in the water?

Was it cholera or murder?

The smoke that hid the bullets

From the barrel of the boss’s gun

 

The Blacksmith and the Holy Sisters

Good people through and through

Whispered prayers into the victims ears

It’s all that they could do

How come the bosses had silence on their lips

As 57 Irish Navvies were buried in a pit

No stone to mark their resting place

No one to mourn their passing

China Waltz

Donagh Long

 

Silver falls like painted dolls they sit

Their endless days now done

In fields of fire their hearts retire

Dancing the China waltz

 

Their younger years touched by thoughts

Their time has surely come

With all their cares thrown away

On love of a secret waltz

 

Dance me the China Waltz

Under the Easter moon

They move in silence their bodies rise and fall

Overtaken in the breaking light of dawn

 

The hard release steals the peaceful dream

Then takes your breath away

But here behind where love is blind

The sound of the China Waltz