Long time no speak on here Christy, I hope all is well in your corner of the world, my friend.
I’ve not seen yourself and Declan play live since your last trip to the Concert Hall in Glasgow some years ago, when you very kindly included an outstanding rendition of Folk Tale in your set, after some rather inelegant begging on my part!
Having now reluctantly accepted that we’re unlikely to see you in these parts again, I’ve got myself a flight, hotel and ticket booked for a weekend in Dublin to see you at the National Concert Hall on Saturday.
A beer free night at the gig, then Sunday I’ll be on the porter in your fine city, in and around The Ha’penny Bridge Inn, one of my favourite pubs in Dublin.
No requests this time, just really looking forward to catching you live once again. I’ll be clapping my hands red raw from row W!!
A beautiful concert for Womens Aid on Sunday, really enjoyed, thank you and everyone that made it happen…songs haven’t heard in age and that’s the beauy of your gigs, each one different with many changes to a set lit yet still we know every single song…lovely to here the Dunnes Stores song again…lots of highlights..a couple of weekends ago I was watching four former World Champions at play in a snooker tournament in Goffs, Kill….and it brought back memories of past events in the same venue, 1983 my brother brought me to see Alex Higgin play Jimmy White in the quarter finals of the Irish Masters…standing room tickets we got eventually…and of course your own six nights there, altho I can’t remember the year. It’s still a beautiful venue and the arena is perfect for snooker and concerts….any memories that stand out from that run in Goffs? p.s. we saw Ray Reardon in the afternoon match..hope all is brilliant..
Christy's reply
Morra Lar,
First things first..thank you for the freshly baked bread…soon as I got home I cut two slices, spread the butter on and then smeared with Blackberry jam….only severe self control prevented me from going back for more….I’ve spent the last 80 years tasting a wide variety of Irish Brown Bread and yours is certainly top class….yum yum Lar…
now to Goffs…..way back around 30 years ago I played 17 successive nights in Goffs…..after the first gig i was booked into the K.Club…baled the following morning and checked into The Embassy Hotel in Kill after night two…the following morning I realised that I needed to head home which I did for the next 15 nights…there was snow around at the time….
went to the snooker there a few times…also attended a conference there once….
by the way…across the road in Kill village there is a memorial scultpture to Liam Óg O’Flynn
Who knew today was ‘World Curlew Day’.. enough to listen to yourself and Dr.Sinnott playing “So Do I” .. I found myself down a rabbit hole reading Thomas Hardy poetry and had not before realised the connection..Wally married the lyric and melody to perfection with this song.. it stands as my favourite from your vast repertoire.. P.S I can still taste the scones with jam and fresh cream in Moate..
Christy's reply
just had a listen to that track…. Donal Lunny also played a big part on that recording of Wally’s beautiful song…..I’m hearing his Bouzouki, some keyboard bass and a few distant colours wrapping it up, Declan has at least two guitars and the percussion , I’m singing to the playing of my guitar which I cant hear in the mix…
It was an interesting project…we’d not worked together since the Ride On album 17 years previously….we started in Declan’s Kilkenny studio, then another Kilkenny studio before finishing at Pulse studio in Dublin…
It marked a return to gigging for me after a two year lay off….got a burst of confidence and energy one day in Declan’s studio and we played in Cleere’s venue the following night…I was fierce nervous going back out but Declan and Donal had my back …the ball was back in , the game back on….
Delighted to have been to your show last night which was great. And better still Woman’s Aid got a great donation. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. Judy
That’s quite a setlist from Vicar St…. impossible to fit all the other songs you mentioned in as well ….. so many songs , so little time in the context of a live gig.
One thing is for sure , your shows are always thought provoking and always entertaining….always a special mix .
Nobody does it better..
A mighty contribution to the women’s aid cause as well.
Christy's reply
Good to hear from you…..I hope all is going well ….we finished the Vicar St run for another year….now the Concert Hall looms and another trip to Slíabh Russell….hopefully see ye along the way
Morning Christy,
What a wonderful tribute you paid to our great women last night. The first hour was an emotional roundup of women related songs, Veronica,Lyra, Ann etc. When put together as you did last night, we need to take a hard look at ourselves at times. Another fantastic Gig, and an amazing contribution to Women’s Aid. It was very apparent you put a huge amount of thought and preparation into it.
Ride on.
Best regards
Patsy.
Christy's reply
what a great inter-county front table…Kerry, Roscommon,Westmeath and Dublin…
lovely hurling
Hi C. GRMMA, one of the most uplifting gigs I was ever at in Vicar St. The setlist was just perfect, the rendition of BT was outstanding, all those wonderful anthems !! The solidarity with Women , as survivors, as activists , as holders of wisdom, and women affected by trauma & conflict either personal or political in Derry or Palestine or Henry St. Not forgetting the massive donation to Women’s Aid for practical supports in the Community. It was entertauning too a great balance with Ordinary Man, Lisdoon, The Voyage & Joxer. BEIR BUA AGUS BEANNACHT GO DEO. H
Christy's reply
Women’s Aid gig…..Vicar St…..20/4/26
1. City of Chicago…..(in memory of Moya Brennan)
2. Quinta Brigada
presentation of Proceeds to Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid (50,000 Euro)
3.Burning Times
4.Veronica Guerin
5.Black & Amber
6.Delerium Tremens
7.Magdalen Laundry
8.Brendan’s Voyage….(in memory of Sr Stan Kennedy)
9.Lyra Mckee
10.Lonesome Death Hattie Carroll…(for Natasha O’Brien)
11.Stitch in Time
12.Beeswing
13.Ordinary Man
14.Lemon 7s
15.Anne Lovett
16.Lingo Politico
17. Shovel
18.Dunnes Stores ( Sandra Kerr’s Tribute to the Women of 1984)
19. Honda 50
20.Palestine
21.Yellow Triangle
22.Nancy Spain
23.The Voyage
24.Joxer
encore
25 Ride On
26.Lisdoonvarna
then into the oxygen tent for a rub of the Extreme Unction before heading home after an enjoyable gathering…
I had planned a different gig but I sensed a need to lighten the load betimes…the room was divided between those there to support the purpose of the gig and those who came to hear the more popular songs…I enjoyed the task of seeking a balance…I sometimes ponder and realise that, basically, its about entertainment..there I’ve said it !!!….but within the work its is possible to reflect upon the vagaries thrown up around us ..blockades, elections, gerrymanders, anti social tendencies , corrupt practice all mixed in with cage fighters, Saab drivers,holocaust deniers, Israeli Nazis, Trump apologists, Healy Rays, Lowrys, Bowsies, Sisters of Charity, ….
thanks for the prompt prompt last night…I think it was on V3 of Lyra McKee…I had other songs prepared but failed to work them in…Yellow Furze Woman, God The Mother,Cumann na mBan,On The Bridge, Time has Come, Motherland, Well Below The Valley, Tyrone Boys,Time has Come and others…..but I felt it best to go with the flow !
I’m gonna try and gather these together, to see if I can make a worthwhile collection….Time alone will tell
Long time no speak on here Christy, I hope all is well in your corner of the world, my friend.
I’ve not seen yourself and Declan play live since your last trip to the Concert Hall in Glasgow some years ago, when you very kindly included an outstanding rendition of Folk Tale in your set, after some rather inelegant begging on my part!
Having now reluctantly accepted that we’re unlikely to see you in these parts again, I’ve got myself a flight, hotel and ticket booked for a weekend in Dublin to see you at the National Concert Hall on Saturday.
A beer free night at the gig, then Sunday I’ll be on the porter in your fine city, in and around The Ha’penny Bridge Inn, one of my favourite pubs in Dublin.
No requests this time, just really looking forward to catching you live once again. I’ll be clapping my hands red raw from row W!!
Cheers.
Dave.
A beautiful concert for Womens Aid on Sunday, really enjoyed, thank you and everyone that made it happen…songs haven’t heard in age and that’s the beauy of your gigs, each one different with many changes to a set lit yet still we know every single song…lovely to here the Dunnes Stores song again…lots of highlights..a couple of weekends ago I was watching four former World Champions at play in a snooker tournament in Goffs, Kill….and it brought back memories of past events in the same venue, 1983 my brother brought me to see Alex Higgin play Jimmy White in the quarter finals of the Irish Masters…standing room tickets we got eventually…and of course your own six nights there, altho I can’t remember the year. It’s still a beautiful venue and the arena is perfect for snooker and concerts….any memories that stand out from that run in Goffs? p.s. we saw Ray Reardon in the afternoon match..hope all is brilliant..
Morra Lar,
First things first..thank you for the freshly baked bread…soon as I got home I cut two slices, spread the butter on and then smeared with Blackberry jam….only severe self control prevented me from going back for more….I’ve spent the last 80 years tasting a wide variety of Irish Brown Bread and yours is certainly top class….yum yum Lar…
now to Goffs…..way back around 30 years ago I played 17 successive nights in Goffs…..after the first gig i was booked into the K.Club…baled the following morning and checked into The Embassy Hotel in Kill after night two…the following morning I realised that I needed to head home which I did for the next 15 nights…there was snow around at the time….
went to the snooker there a few times…also attended a conference there once….
by the way…across the road in Kill village there is a memorial scultpture to Liam Óg O’Flynn
good man Lar
Who knew today was ‘World Curlew Day’.. enough to listen to yourself and Dr.Sinnott playing “So Do I” .. I found myself down a rabbit hole reading Thomas Hardy poetry and had not before realised the connection..Wally married the lyric and melody to perfection with this song.. it stands as my favourite from your vast repertoire.. P.S I can still taste the scones with jam and fresh cream in Moate..
just had a listen to that track…. Donal Lunny also played a big part on that recording of Wally’s beautiful song…..I’m hearing his Bouzouki, some keyboard bass and a few distant colours wrapping it up, Declan has at least two guitars and the percussion , I’m singing to the playing of my guitar which I cant hear in the mix…
It was an interesting project…we’d not worked together since the Ride On album 17 years previously….we started in Declan’s Kilkenny studio, then another Kilkenny studio before finishing at Pulse studio in Dublin…
It marked a return to gigging for me after a two year lay off….got a burst of confidence and energy one day in Declan’s studio and we played in Cleere’s venue the following night…I was fierce nervous going back out but Declan and Donal had my back …the ball was back in , the game back on….
Delighted to have been to your show last night which was great. And better still Woman’s Aid got a great donation. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. Judy
Thank you….
That’s quite a setlist from Vicar St…. impossible to fit all the other songs you mentioned in as well ….. so many songs , so little time in the context of a live gig.
One thing is for sure , your shows are always thought provoking and always entertaining….always a special mix .
Nobody does it better..
A mighty contribution to the women’s aid cause as well.
Good to hear from you…..I hope all is going well ….we finished the Vicar St run for another year….now the Concert Hall looms and another trip to Slíabh Russell….hopefully see ye along the way
Morning Christy,
What a wonderful tribute you paid to our great women last night. The first hour was an emotional roundup of women related songs, Veronica,Lyra, Ann etc. When put together as you did last night, we need to take a hard look at ourselves at times. Another fantastic Gig, and an amazing contribution to Women’s Aid. It was very apparent you put a huge amount of thought and preparation into it.
Ride on.
Best regards
Patsy.
what a great inter-county front table…Kerry, Roscommon,Westmeath and Dublin…
lovely hurling
Hi C. GRMMA, one of the most uplifting gigs I was ever at in Vicar St. The setlist was just perfect, the rendition of BT was outstanding, all those wonderful anthems !! The solidarity with Women , as survivors, as activists , as holders of wisdom, and women affected by trauma & conflict either personal or political in Derry or Palestine or Henry St. Not forgetting the massive donation to Women’s Aid for practical supports in the Community. It was entertauning too a great balance with Ordinary Man, Lisdoon, The Voyage & Joxer. BEIR BUA AGUS BEANNACHT GO DEO. H
Women’s Aid gig…..Vicar St…..20/4/26
1. City of Chicago…..(in memory of Moya Brennan)
2. Quinta Brigada
presentation of Proceeds to Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid (50,000 Euro)
3.Burning Times
4.Veronica Guerin
5.Black & Amber
6.Delerium Tremens
7.Magdalen Laundry
8.Brendan’s Voyage….(in memory of Sr Stan Kennedy)
9.Lyra Mckee
10.Lonesome Death Hattie Carroll…(for Natasha O’Brien)
11.Stitch in Time
12.Beeswing
13.Ordinary Man
14.Lemon 7s
15.Anne Lovett
16.Lingo Politico
17. Shovel
18.Dunnes Stores ( Sandra Kerr’s Tribute to the Women of 1984)
19. Honda 50
20.Palestine
21.Yellow Triangle
22.Nancy Spain
23.The Voyage
24.Joxer
encore
25 Ride On
26.Lisdoonvarna
then into the oxygen tent for a rub of the Extreme Unction before heading home after an enjoyable gathering…
I had planned a different gig but I sensed a need to lighten the load betimes…the room was divided between those there to support the purpose of the gig and those who came to hear the more popular songs…I enjoyed the task of seeking a balance…I sometimes ponder and realise that, basically, its about entertainment..there I’ve said it !!!….but within the work its is possible to reflect upon the vagaries thrown up around us ..blockades, elections, gerrymanders, anti social tendencies , corrupt practice all mixed in with cage fighters, Saab drivers,holocaust deniers, Israeli Nazis, Trump apologists, Healy Rays, Lowrys, Bowsies, Sisters of Charity, ….
thanks for the prompt prompt last night…I think it was on V3 of Lyra McKee…I had other songs prepared but failed to work them in…Yellow Furze Woman, God The Mother,Cumann na mBan,On The Bridge, Time has Come, Motherland, Well Below The Valley, Tyrone Boys,Time has Come and others…..but I felt it best to go with the flow !
I’m gonna try and gather these together, to see if I can make a worthwhile collection….Time alone will tell