Performing a special guest slot, opening the show for Padraig Jack on 15th May. A great thrill to open the show for such a wonderful songwriter as Padraig and to meet and hang out with the legendary Anto Thistlewaite (Waterboys & Sawdoctors) in the green room after the gig. A beautiful listening gig, full of heart.
Released on 31st January 2024, the 1500 anniversary of St Brigid and the eve of the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc. Song for Brigid is a celebration of the Celtic Goddess and Christian Saint. The song features a collaboration with acclaimed Connemara Sean Nós Singer Sarah Ghriallais. Song for Brigid heralds the coming of spring, and celebrates us moving from darkness into light. The Song is for release on 31st January 2024, the 1500 anniversary of St Brigid and the eve of the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc.
“Our prayers we raise to Brigid, woman of the earth, the winter it is leaving us, and the land is giving birth”
A wonderful welcome in Sarah’s home in Connemara to record Sarah as she contributed an Irish spoken word part to the beginning of the song. The song which was written a few years previously.I felt the song was yearning for feminine energy, ”Brigid is a towering figure in Irish history. I wanted to capture that spirit of the Gael in the song. Sarah’s unique and celebrated singing style draws from the ancient well of the Gaelic tradition and way of life, which added new layers of depth and meaning to the song.”
“Word rang through the valley, Everyone belongs, All on earth are welcome, to the banquet in the Sun.”
I took the this picture while out walking the prom along with other happy go lucky Galwegians. I have been privileged to have worked many years in the area of homelessness, met some wonderful characters who taught me so much. However these past few years, I have never seen so many people sleeping on the streets. This particular picture really makes me emotional, I think it may be the art piece of the Galway Hooker beside where this homeless person is sleeping. The Galway Hooker is such an iconic image of all that is good about Galway, and look what we have become !!! Surely we can do better than this.
This Wednesday 04th December 2pm to 6pm we will be doing our annual Busking event for the Homeless of Galway on Shop St, Galway. All the money collected will be going towards COPE Galway’s Resettlement team and will go directly to their work on the ground supporting people to move out of homelessness.
This year as always, we will have the wonderful support of the people of Galway with their generosity which is so inspiring. Musicians from The Western Hotel and The Imperial Hotel Thursday Sessions who call themselves the ‘Eyre Square Ceili Band’ will be joining us. Jim Cotter will be bringing his band of merry men and women from the Mervue Community Music session which meets every Friday in Mervue GAA Club and the musicians from Killorans will be marching in from Salthill to join us on Shop St. As usual it will be all hands on deck, Singers, Dancers, jugglers, bucket shakers, comedians and chancers all welcome, for a great cause.
I can’t stop writing songs, I suppose it’s a good complaint and I always did like a fresh challenge. I met Evelyn, a nun who started writing in her 80’s at a Spiritual talk recently and she told me that she had a book launch coming up. I asked her what the name of her new book, and she said: ‘Like the River Flows’. Instantly I said, I’ll write a song for you as I loved the title. She scuttled off and came back with the book, I brought it home, that night I had a song written. A couple of days later I had another song written, all inspired by her book. My words go as follows;
“Swift – the river flows, gushing down the mountain, Through the rushy glen, where the blackbird sings Amen. Dancing with delight, an orchestra of light, nourishing the land where the hare and pheasant stand. Flow river flow gently she goes back into the ocean of love, Flow river flow, gently we go back into the ocean of love.”
So we have met since, and she read from the book and I sang the songs and she is happy that the songs are complementing her text. She is launching her book in Ballinasloe Library on 30th Nov 2019 and in Croí Nua, Galway city on 7th Dec 2019. Looking forward to it, that’s what I love about songwriting, it always leads me down unusual and wondrous paths where I meet some really interesting people.
2024 is the 16th year that I’ve been involved in organising a Christmas Busk to support local charity COPE Galway in their work with the homeless in Galway. Each Year, come hail, rain or shine, a large group of musicians gather to busk on Shop St, Galway. It is always a great atmosphere and a very heart filled occasion. The generosity of the people of Galway always lifts my heart with infusing it with the real meaning of Christmas. Each year, those willing to sing, dance, play an instrument, shake a bucket, tell jokes all come along to make it a wonderful community event for a great cause.
Song – Hope is the Answer
Looking for Musicians, Singers, Dancers Bucket Shakers for our annual Christmas Busk for COPE Galway Homeless Resettlement & Tenancy Sustainment Service
This is a song I wrote about homelessness in Ireland. It is performed at a fundraiser for Cope Galway Homeless Resettlement team on Shop Street, Galway on 6th December 2017. We raised over 900 euros for Cope Galway and the great work that they do on the day. Thanks to all the Galway musicians/buskers who turn up every year for this annual event and especially this year where it rained so heavily – non stop in a Galway fashion. We had every instrument guitar, banjo, tin whistle, flute, pipes, bodhran, accordian, dancers and singers all for a great cause, well done everyone
I dedicate this song to my beautiful sister Gemma who died 7 days before Christmas 4 years ago, and to her wonderful daughter Orla and to all, family and her many many friends who loved Gemma so dearly. There is a tradition in Ireland that when a robin visits it is a sign that their relatives are still around and in the spiritual community. I had one such visit from a Robin in a time of difficulty, which inspired this song as did the annual Children’s carol service which Gemma started and is still held in Gemma’s name every year in Ballymore Eustace, county Kildare. Thanks to all who keep this wonderful carol singing tradition alive. Ar dheis Dé go raibh anam dilis, Contae chill mhantáin abú.