Hello there and thank you for clicking on. Yes, to quote poet T.S.Eliot April is the cruelest month. A friend of mine passed away and left me feeling just a little lonely. Just a little sad. And like a snail sensing danger, I crawled back into my shell and waited for the shadow to pass.
And it did.
I’d like to say hello to LIAM in 4th Class of the Drumshanbo National School who kept gently nugging me throughout April to get get back on the blog and write. Cheers Liam.
well now.. what else is new… I’ll tell ye.
I’m playing with a new band. Thats something new alright. Annie Perry, who is a fab fiddler living out Cootehall way and Larry Dolan a fine guitar and mandolin and music teacher who lives out in Agrina and meself, have stacked out fists in a tower and decided to work on our music. As Larry said last night at band rehearsals “ Music is a gift. There are so many people who would love to be able to play and can’t. We have the gift. Let’s keep making the most of it and share it”
And viola as the say in Canada, now I’m in abrand new band. What are ye called eileen? I’ll tell ya.. We’re called “The Darling Buds of May”
And we’re playing this Sunday night at the Watersplash Pub in Cootehall Co. Roscommon. It’s the Golden Oldies Club nite hosted by publican Paddy Reagan and with us is our very special friend and fantastic singer Mr Owen Reagan. Come on out . It starts at 9pm. Its an unplugged session so you can have the chat and there’ll be no worries about getting your eardrums split open by the loudspeakers.
That new.. what else?…..
Well didn’t we have a great Fleadh on the 2 weekends ago. We certainly did. Hats off to our crew and everyone who made the weekend such a success. Pity about the rain on Sunday- a big thanks to the Flower Market stall holders that came all the way from Amagh and from Mayo to sell their plants and to the local crafts people and gardeners and farmers who also braved the rain for the afternoon. Also thanks to Micheal the Crepe Homme and to MaireClare with her wonderful Monster Cafe-coffee and tea van. What a great addition to any festival or event.
I got lots of picture… lots and lots of picture BUT I also have just a little bit of memory left in the old computer and have to get that sorted before I can upload anything so here’s a lovely shot of… well I don’t know what until I check the library… give me a second
Pretty good picture huh!
but lets have another for the those who don’t know Drumshanbo…
A Swan at Acres Lake….
What else eileen????? Tons… Hoards… lots of stuff… but I have to go… there was a CD launch at Flynn’s in Agrina and I really wanted to make it on time AND I have to put the chicken in the oven before Declan the Cat gets at it, cause Saturday nite there’s a clothes swap in Cootehall and chicken would be a good thing to bring along so I have to do it now… but please return sometime soon. I will have some of my very short stories up to read and more pictures of the small country town and words about the next parade and the next puppet show I’m directing and the book I’m writing and the garden that have yet to really dig into ( my own)… so… here’s a shot to take you away. My main man-Declan… Slán
April is the cruelest month — but here come the Darling Buds of May!
Ah, the promise of spring….
Look forward to a toe tapping or heart breaking tune of yours…audio? video?
Love the swan photo, brings to memory Martha Wainwright’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “The Traitor”.
Here’s to blossoms unfolding, toni
Hello Toni and thank you fro leaving a comment. Yes the Darling Buds of May are indeed a promise of an Irish summer- for as we here in Letrim come into the merry month of May we also begin our summer! Everything here begins just a little bit sooner than the rest of thr world- or so it seems.
I hope you’re well in New York. xei