Ditch Cassidy and angels' voices

I haven't been out at night much for the last fifteen years - too busy working, minding me wains and reading to be bothered leaving my comfy couch at the end of a long day to struggle through a packed pub where one has to compete with blaring music or bloody sport on TV to chat to friends.

But for the last few months I have taken to joining Jemser on the odd Sunday night in a pub called 'The Slaughtered Lamb' in Swords, ( built on the site of what was once an abattoir) known locally as 'The Lamb'. The bigger lounge in the back caters for the younger crowd, bands and loud music and scantily clad young women - it also attracts a large Easter European crowd - our lovely new Irish who keep our little town going. It is in the smaller bar to the front that myself and Jemser go. The clientele in the Lamb is as varied as the band members of Ditch Cassidy's band - a lot of the audience members of the same age profile Jemser and I belong to , and a nice healthy smattering of younger people who just enjoy a great night's music.

Ditch Cassidy is something of a legend in Dublin - he has been fronting bands singing blues/soul/rock since the 1960s - his voice has that lovely raspy wellworn quality neccessary for a singer in this genre. He works with two other musicians (sorry lads - didn't catch your names ) a fantastic lead guitar who loves the instrument he plays and a solemn sweet young dreadlocked bass player completes the eclectic trio. They bring the house down every night they play (mostly Sundays from 9.30pm on).

Last night Ditch called on a young woman Ciara Moran to sing a few numbers. Jesus! The hairs on the back of my neck stood up! You know the feeling you get when you are in the presence of greatness? Well, Ciara Moran's rendition of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' gave me that - it was in-bloody-credible, and if her full time job is not somewhere in the music business it should be. A name to listen for folks. Definitely.

One In Four - Omos

I have just spent a most incredible evening in St Stephen's Church off Merrion Square ( better known as the Pepper Canister).

The occasion was a cultural evening - an evening of readings and music to honour those in this benighted isle of ours who have experienced sexual violence. To try to empathise with these victims and to show them that we take a collective cultural responsibility towards them and endeavour to help ease their healing through the disciplines of words and music.

The line up was superb. Theo Dorgan m.c'd, RTE radio were recording it for future broadcast, Christy Moore, Don Baker, Eleanor McEvoy, Shaz Oye and Karan Casey provided the musical end of the night. Dearbhaile Crottry performed an extract from Bailegangaire by Tom Murphy and Joe O'Connor, Roddy Doyle, Nuala Ni Domhnaill andLia Mills all read from their work and Margaret Kelleher read two poems by Seamus Heaney which the great man had selected for the evening.

Each performer outdid the one before, each made the other's performance shine, enhanced it almost until at the end of the night we the audience were left in no doubt but that we had been part of a very, very special evening.

I know it's a cliche - but sometimes cliches are the only words that will aptly describe something. When Karan Casey wound up what had on occasions been a very, very intense and disturbing night with Nina Simone's anthem of hope 'New Dawn, New Day' the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my skin prickled. For you know, I do think there is hope for our little republic yet. We are in the process of tearing down all our old sacred cows, Church, State, Banks and big business. What we will be left with remains to be seen.

But once we are peopled by those like the courageous survivors of horrific acts, people brave enough to stand up and come forward, who may perhaps feel they are reliving (often over and over and over) the whole sordid sorry horror again. Once we are peopled also by artistes like those in the Pepper Canister tonight - people willing to observe, analyse and show us our sins and our ability to heal from those sins. With people like these among us then yes, yes, Ireland of the future may well be a very, very fine place to live.

Doing a Barack on it.....

What to blog aimlessly about today, or it it aimless blogging or aimlessly blogging?
'Tis all pure sh**e anyway. My imagination has deserted me for the last few weeks and Ii couldn't engage with a fictional character or an idea if it put a ring on my finger and married me. What to do?

Continue blogging aimlessly I suppose. Another possible ghost-writing project coming my way soon, so that might kickstart something for me.

Son #1 has started to write lyrics but isn't ready to show them to the world, well myspace at least, he is doing his first official 'gig' - two numbers as opening act at some charity gig in a small country pub a few miles from where we live. All thoughts of exams have flown from his music oriented brain and I'm quite sure I will be asked,
'Will you tell me what you think Mam' a thousand times between now and the gig. I'm bloody tone-deaf and if I say 'it's wonderful' he'll think - 'sure, she hasn't a clue'. If I say 'I'm not mad about it' he'll think - 'she still hasn't a clue and she doesn't even love me enough to lie'.

Jemser says I should not project my own anxieties onto my children. Actually they weren't the words he use. He said 'Not everyone is as irrationally unsure of themselves as you.' He's right. Maybe that's why I can't write at the moment (except for aimless etc...)

I have to do a Barack on it. Then I'll conquer the world - but I still won't think it had anything to do with any talent I had (or hadn't)

Promise next blog will be positive, forward looking ,dynamic.......