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Touchline
April, 2008I suppose ye thought I was gone off the face of the earth with ne'er a word to my faithful fans this long time! My life has been a whirl-a-gig of adventure and change and inspiration recently, a rough passage of which I will endeavour to sketch for you.
I got home to my native land of Ireland for ten days to celebrate my son James' twenty first birthday. Thinking deep about this special rite de passage, I found myself remiss in the following: I have written songs about dolphins, ships, paramours, donkey's gudge and presidents so why could I not honour my son James with a song; my only son into the bargain? So, in the considerable quietness of my winter home in Dunedin, Florida, I began a little tribute, a confession even from a father to a son. I don't know where this stuff comes from: I guess the Greeks were more in tune with the Muses than we are; but these Muses are certainly there and ready to do duty to support the artist if he or she is genuinely in search of the truth and endeavours to genuinely turn the vicissitudes of life into art. Anyway, they certainly answered my call and responded wonderfully; I first tested the waters and sent an early draft of the song to a few close friends like Donie Carrol, Tony Canniffe, Damian Brett, and Máirtín de Cógáin and they honoured me by saying they were moved by the lyric.
After a few lovely concerts and gigs with Mick Moloney and friends in New York, including the sweet reunion with an old friend, Paul Brady, at the Landmark Tavern in Hell's Kitchen where we had a lovely few tunes together and with Paul's old Johnsons comrade, Mick Moloney , I returned to the Old Country. Gave a house concert at my dear friend and patron's historical home, Creagh House, Doneraile, Co. Cork on my first night but after a siesta, and as usual Micheal O' Sullivan and his wife Laura put on an prodigious dinner party for their varied and interesting guests. I am now, more or less, the official bard of the O' Sullivan family!
Had a welcome return to sailing in Cork harbour early in the first week of March with melodeon player supreme and ace sailor Dave Hennessy, my cousin Billy Daly, and Curly O' Connell. We sailed across to Dirty Murphy's pub in East Ferry (mentioned in the eponomous song) and had a lovely day out in a brisk force 7 but Curly's fine, weatherly yacht Annie took it in her stride. The day was sweet, given to boat talk, summer sailing plans around Carberry's Hundred Isles in West Cork and the woes and ways of the world. Damian had me doing gigs in Carlow, his adopted town during the week, where I officially opened Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish language Week) in that man's town. Deinadh an rud ar fad beo ar an raidieo aitiúl , comhrá suimiúl oscailte in dteannta Gaeil na gCeathar Locha agus tar eis duinn an rud a chur fé lán tseoil, bhuailamar isteach go dti tabhairne deas i gcoir coirm ceoil big agus seisiún amhránaíochta in a dhiaidh. Gan amhras, b'í Bríd de Róiste and bhean iontach a chur tús le hamheochaint na Gaelinne i gCeatharloch agus guimíd gach rath uirthi san aimsir fháistineach rompi.
B'é lá breithe mo mhic an príomh rud do bhi sa chloigeann agam ansin; agus é beartaithe don Aoine san "Halla" i nDúglais,Co Chorcaí. Isn't it amazing that my native village of Douglas is still, despite relentless development , in the county of Cork. There in the "Tinny Shed" or St. Columba's Hall, all of James' friends, his girl friend Sarah whom I was meeting for the first time, my beautiful ex-wife Evelyn and a bunch of oldies celebrated this young man's coming of age in the grand style. James himself, I'm glad to learn, has resumed his music lessons after an unfortunate lapse and is now strumming away on the the guitar; I'm not going to berate him for forsaking his piano; I'm happy that he's playing at some instrument. His pals, I'm glad to relate, are getting found of the songs and ballads of an old fogie like me, and I had to devise devious methods to escape from their gregarious company and The Hall, the unofficial cultural centre of Douglas, such was their enthusiasm.
Headed for my official Irish residence, Tigh Will Uí Laoi, Feothanach, Ballydavid, Co Kerry next morning. I hadn't been home for such a while, there was a lot of airing, opening of windows and lighting of fires and quite a bit of boring accounancy and bookkeeping to be organised. Went back to my summer stomping ground, John Benny's in Dingle in the Saturday for a gig with John Benny, the landlord and able accordion player and we were joined by Mark on fiddle and there was a very healthy gathering for a miserable night in early March. Ba dheas liom na comharsa a chloising ag labhairt na Gaelinne tar éis aifrinn an Domhnaigh ar a' gCarraig. Bhí stoirm geallta don oiche (far worse than Florida!) ach, iontach an scéal é! Ná fuil shiobín nua ag mo chomharsa Seamus Ó Bealaoch ó thuaidh i mBaile na mBoc! Chaithamar oíche iontach ann, James, Laurence Courtney agus mise, ag seimnt ceoil do Mháire, bean Shéamuis agus tintreach ghorm ag lasadh na gcnoc! Ba ar éigean go dtugamar na cosa linn thar Dhroichead na gCláracha i dtreo na Feothanaí mar ná feadar arbh bhaisteach nó sáille do bhi fuinn.
Next morning, I had to head for the Rebel City of Cork again, for the last farewell before returning to Columbia's shores. Had a lovely night at the famous Corner House in Leitrim Street where the Lee Valley Stringband were in outstanding form, having just recorded a new album and returning from a spate of gigs. There was a nice few days with Donie and Teresa in New York and then and before I knew it, Máirtín de Cógáin was touching down at Tampa airport and after a few hard days rehearsals we've begun work on our album, the first featuring that mythical band, Captain Mackey's Goatskin and Stringband. The album, with a working title "Soldiers' Song" is a celebration of the Irish abroad and soldiering; embroiled in the wars of the world; backing the wrong side; the righ side and weaving their way through the broadcloth of history. Thus we have songs about the Munster Fuisiliers, The Fenians, The Fleur de Lis, American Civil War and a couple of stunners on the Spanish Civil War by Ron Kavana. The studio, Full Wave Sound Studios, is only the loft of a bowl from my apartment which is really civilised. If ye keep your eyes on the site, we may include a rough mix of one of the tracks soon. My next album for release , Irish Eyes, has been mastered beautifully by Dirk Powell in Louisiana and as soon as Joe Boske completes the artwork, we'll set a release date. Watch this space and don't get despondant if I don't get back very quick.
Ever and always, Jimmy.