Photo: Michael John McCarthy, Siobhan McSweeney and myself outside Green Note, London

Cork to Dublin train, September 30th, 2024

Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza. Hurricane Helene. Harris and Trump. Ukraine.

I have been in several places since my last entry.  Prague. London. Oxford. Luton. Cork. Bandon. Glanmire. Crosshaven.

It was so good to be back in Czech Republic. So many memories to be walked through. Some new ones made. I caught up with old friends Zuzana and Cormac for dinner the night before leaving for London. We had a great meal together at Podolka on the banks of River Vltava.  I took the tram back to my Airbnb for an early night before a very early start. I fell asleep on the flight to London the next morning.  Seeing my guitar in seat next to me, a man woke me to ask what kind of music I played. Making this the only time I’ve not been happy to talk about myself.

 

There are now only 9 of the limited edition blue vinyl left. Buy yours here.

 

Prague steps at night

It had been many years since I played London. My gig at the Green Note was rescheduled in the summer when England qualified for the European Cup final.

I’d heard many great things about this venue and I was glad to finally have the chance to play there. I was supposed to play in the smaller downstairs room but when the upstairs act cancelled last minute I was moved to the main room.

I stayed at our friend Lauren’s very cool apartment near Shepherds Bush Market. Fairly sure I’d been at this tube stop in a past tour/life but I can’t remember why. I really liked this area with it’s market, delicious smelling restaurants and bakeries. I had a great falafel for lunch and an equally important nap before heading to the gig.

All the staff at Green Note were very helpful and friendly. My friend, the fellow Glanmire man, John Blek was booked to play the day after me. I chatted with Tom at the door about John and Roxanne de BAstion and Gabriel Moreno and a few other mutual friends who’ve crossed the threshold.

Talk of John Blek reminded of a time circa 2015, when he and we both opened for Mick Flannery at Glor Theater in Ennis. I remember an older woman at the merch table afterwards:

“I better buy one off each of ye, otherwise you’d only be fighting”

Then glancing back and forth between me at 5 foot 7,  and John at t 6 foot something, before saying to to me,

“And you, you’d have the ankles chewed off of him”.

Meanwhile back in London, Cormac Nagle did a lovely opening set. I enjoyed his demeanor and his Americana influenced British folk sound. I was very please with the turn out and for the first time since Denmark Street, and the 12 Bar Club days, I feel like I might have a new home for my music in London.

One of my famous-est and most talented friends, Siobhan McSweeney ( Sister Michael in ‘Derry Girls’) came along and it was great to catch up with her and our mutual friend Michael John McCarthy before and after the show. Also in attendance was Roxanne de Bastion, London based singer songwriter, critically acclaimed author  of The Piano Player of Budapest, and long time friend to Big City Folk.

I met up with my old UCC Live Music Society friend, Cobh man, professional comedian, London resident, speed talker, Keith Farnan. According to Keith it’d been 16 years since we met. I joked he was speaking at a speed fast enough to cram those 16 years into one lunch. He reminded me of a time we had ended up sitting next to each other on a transatlantic flight. I had somehow stored away that memory but I remember it now.

Two Cork Clowns – Myself and the very funny Keith Farnan get caffeinated in London

What followed was a Mr. Bean like series of mishaps as I tried to make the relatively short and typically very easy journey from London to Oxford. My Oxford Tube bus failed to show up. I conferred with a woman at who was also stranded at the bus stop who suggested a taxi to Paddington tube station, and a train from there was best plan. So we did that. She was a young artist on her way to an exhibition opening. Her late father had been from Cork. We got to chatting about Cork and travelling while grieving. On arrival at Paddington I raced to the ticket machine, bought my ticket, raced to platform, handed in my ticket,

“That’s your ticket receipt, not your ticket”

Fuck.

Raced back to machine with suitcase, guitar and record bag.

Wow. Train tickets still there. Missed the train. And the off peak hours.

Had to pay a supplement to go on a completely packed peak rush hour train.

I do not like being on a full train with all my bags.

Anyway, I got there. Small problems.

The Oxford gig was a house concert at my friends Emma and Jan’s house. I really loved it. They are such welcoming and inspiring people and I always enjoy playing in their home.

Another early morning taxi to a bus to Luton airport flight to Cork. Notable mention for the very funny and friendly bus driver.

My sister Emma picked me up at the aiport. We went to Ballincollig to visit our sister Kim before returning to Bandon for the last gig of the tour. This was at Bandon Folk Club in the Town Hall. Massive thanks to Emma and Paul for helping fill the place and Ivan, Liz, Asha and Louie for all their work in making it happen. Also, special thanks to Laura McCarthy and Tom Jordan for the magical opening set and for agreeing to join me for a rousing rendition of ‘The Boys Are in the Kitchen Sink’ at the end.

Extra bonus special thanks to Fia, Willow and Analie for helping out at the merch table.

One of my all time favourite songwriters, Ger Wolfe after my gig at Bandon Folk Club

Crosshaven, Co. Cork

Dublin to JFK, October 1st, 2024

Ground invasion has begun in Lebanon.

My mother’s neighbor served with Irish Army/ UN in Lebanon. I spoke with him the other morning about the latest news from there. So much sorrow for the people who’ve inherited these horrors.

I played a few songs for my nieces and their friends at Emma and Paul’s house in Bandon Saturday afternoon. A young man called Jamie, accompanied me on guitar. He was 13 and already well able to play. I was very impressed. Saturday night we went back to my mother’s house. Returning home and Dad not being there felt sad and weird. His car in the driveway momentarily tricked my brain into thinking he was home. Still, it was nice to be back and be there with family. It bucketed rain most of the time I was back. I went for a walk in the rain and chatted with Dave and Dad in my head. What a year. An old man passing by nodded, “It’s wet”, true enough. I called Warren on the phone and talked with him for a mile or two. Sunday morning I had a coffee with my good friend Neil Cremin at Bean and Leaf in Glanmire.

Two of my late father’s sisters, Ann who lives in NYC and Eithne, who lives in Brisbane, visited and it was really great to catch up with them for a while. We went to see the grave. My aunt Eithne was in Australia when Dad died. He spoke to her on the phone a couple of days before he died and spoke of her the day before he died. I feel very blessed now that Dad has so many siblings. He is buried in his beloved Crosshaven. It’s a very peaceful spot. I did manage to have quiet cry there.

Auntie Rock – Ann and Eithne help carry the gear in Cork’s Kent train station.

Emma dropped myself and my two Aunties to the 12:25 train. Roadworks in Crosshaven caused us to miss that train but thankfully the woman behind the counter reminded me, “Your ticket is flexible and so are most of the staff”

Our train was massively delayed as there was a fatal accident further up the line. My thoughts went out to this person and their family. We were stopped in Port Arlington for over two hours. I was grateful to have my aunts for company. Grateful also to for once not be in a hurry. Unfortunately the delay meant I didn’t get to visit my aunt Madeleine who is currently in hospital in Dublin. We stayed with yet another lovey aunt, Patricia in Malahide.

I took a taxi to the airport very early this morning. The Nigerian man driving the car asked me “What’s going on with Trump? I do not think he could be a candidate in democracy like Ireland”

Sreanga – Now that’s a cool word.

Grief has been my silent travel companion on this tour. To be away from my wife and daughter for three weeks whilst in this head has been hard. The gigs have been lovely.  Like so many times before, I have felt so buoyed by the community of people who come along and by the friendships I have found in all these places. This tour was different though. I am in a space somewhere outside of happiness or sorrow.  I’ve been thinking about this a lot this past year. We lost our dear friend Dave suddenly in February. Then Dad at the end of July. Two people with whom I was very close.

I have known this realm of peripheral feelings for a long time but it has been more intense in recent months . A heightened sensitivity. I mean that very literally. I am moving through the world differently than I did last year. Especially on this solo tour. I feel like, well, mostly I feel “fine”, grateful, extremely inspired and,  a kind of content happy sad. A feeling that both words fail.

Home

Many NY and MA gigs coming up:

This week

Sayra’s Wine Bar, Rockaway tonight 7pm

Log House Concerts, Westport, MA Saturday

Scratcher, NYC Sunday