THE funeral
takes place today (Tuesday) of Sligo’s first queen of country music, Maisie
McDaniel. Maisie died suddenly at her home in Yeats Drive, Cranmore, at the
weekend.
Maisie was regarded as the
leading female singer on the country music scene in Ireland in the 1960s. In the
early days of Irish television she hosted her own show “Jamboree” which went out
on Sunday nights for several years.
Along with her husband,
Fintan Stanley, who was one of Ireland’s finest accordion players, she sang in
all the top venues in the country in the 1960s and early 1970s. The couple lived
at Rathcormac for many years.
Before hitting the big time
Maisie began her singing career when she performed at Sligo’s Feis Ceoil. A
native of Garavogue Villas, among her better-known hits were
A Room Full of Roses and
Pick
Me Up on Your Way Down.
A highlight of her career was when she
performed with legendary US singer Jim Reeves when he visited Ireland. In a
newspaper article some years afterwards Reeves described Maisie as one of the
best female singers in Europe. He went on to say that she could make it big on
the country music scene in America if she wished to move there.
Mary Black to bring her celebratory
tour to West
To celebrate 25 years in the music
business, Mary Black is bringing her anniversary tour to the West, with dates in
Galway, Sligo and Ballinasloe. This hard working, unpretentious singer has been
part of the Irish music scene for over a decade, during which she has won every
possible accolade available to an Irish singer. A seminal figure in Irish
musical history, Mary’s distinguished career has spanned over 25 years - from
her early days in Dublin folk clubs, through ever-escalating success with ten
platinum solo albums to her credit, one of which - ‘No Frontiers’ - spent 56
weeks in the Irish Top 30.
Mary has also recently released a new album - ‘Twenty Five Years, Twenty Five
Songs’. Tickets, priced at •40 (subject to booking fee) for the Sligo concert in
the Radisson SAS on Thursday, June 12, are available from Third Wave Music
Centre, O’Connell Street, Sligo (071-9147811). Tickets for the concert in the
Radisson Galway on Wednesday, June 11, are available from Redlight Records,
Eglington Street and tickets for the concert at the Carlton Sheerwater,
Ballinasloe on Friday, June 13, are available from the hotel itself at
090-630400 and also from Stronges, Main St, Ballinasloe at 090-9645455.
Saw Doctors celebrate their 20th anniversary
On the eve of their 20th anniversary,
the Saw Doctors
will play in the TF, Castlebar on Friday,
July 25. The next day, they’re holding a big celebration concert in Galway with
lots of special guests. It’s now 20 years since Mike Scott of The Waterboys
discovered Davy and Leo playing in the back room of the Quays Bar in 1988 and
invited a very young looking Saw Doctors to play support around Ireland, as part
of The Waterboys’ Fisherman's Blues Tour
A
night of trad with Collis Family
A night of
traditional music with the Collis family is set to take place in the Coleman
Centre this Saturday, June 7th.
The Collis family musical expertise is rich indeed and their musical talent is
widely acclaimed. The family name is synonymous with traditional music and the
fostering and promotion of the whole cultural movement. The late Tom Collis was
a famed musician and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann County chairman for many years.
His family have inherited his musical talent and are fine exponents of it.
Fionnuala, Deirdre and Patricia with Cian and Caoimhe Kearns will be joined by
Sylvie Golden on the stage in Ceolaras Coleman on Saturday, June 7th. The
concert commences at 9p.m., doors open at 8.30p.m.. Seats are on a first come
first served basis.
This will be a memorable night’s music, from true and talented performers with a
genuine love and regard for the music they play.
Don Baker in concert at Castlecoote House
THE INIMITABLE Don Baker will kick
start a series of cultural evenings and lunchtime concerts at Castlecoote House.
The concert series is being launched in keeping with the owners’ wish to have as
wide an audience as possible to share in this wonderful house and grounds.
Because of its long and fascinating history, Castlecoote House, which up until
recently had largely been inaccessible to the public, is hoping to host local,
national and international events with a view to becoming a centre for cultural
pursuits.
A long time personal friend of the owner of Castlecoote House, the inimitable
Don Baker will kick start the season on Midsummer’s night, Saturday, June 21st
with an intimate two part show.
During the break concert goers can relax with a glass of wine and tour some of
the wonderful reception rooms at Castlecoote House. Don has in recent years
refined his tours to ‘intimate evenings’ where he can create a rapport with his
audience as when he first began the circuit with Johnnie Norris in the early
70s. Don will be joined by guitar virtuoso Gerry Hendrick who toured with The
Rolling Stones and also toured Europe with Andrew Strong and the Commitments
.Gerry is a session musician and like Don is continuously in high demand. So an
exciting and entertaining evening is in store and as space is limited tickets
are likely to sell out quickly so it is advisable to book early to avoid
disappointment. For ticket information contact info@castlecootehouse.com or
phone 0906663794
Bubble Hits Ireland Louis’ Big Ones
• Sundays 3-5pm
Mayo’s very own Louis Walsh will be
hosting his own weekly show on the country’s new - and only - dedicated music
station.
Bubble Hits Ireland is now live in all
digital homes throughout Mayo and you can tune in to ‘Louis’ Big Ones’ every
Sunday from 3-5pm.
The programme will showcase your
favourite current pop records and will also feature breaking hits that he tips
for the top.
Louis said: "This show is a going to be
great. Every week I will work with the team at Bubble Hits selecting songs I
like for my show. It will be THE place to see who is going to be the next big
thing. It's about time Ireland got it's own music channel - and its great to be
part of it.
“Bubble Hits has a proven track record in
the UK and Europe. It's a music channel that plays music, and not those boring
reality shows - it's just music TV, the right way. At last we'll have Irish
music by Irish Bands on an Irish channel.”
The station will cover all of this year's
summer festivals including Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Cois Fharriage and Live at
the Marquee in Cork.
Managing director James Hyland, said:
“It's awesome to have Louis on the Bubble Hits team. The addition of ‘Louis’ Big
Ones’ will really mark our arrival in Ireland. Bubble Hits Ireland is already
set to be a massive success, based on the success of Bubble Hits in the UK.
“We can't wait to give Irish bands a
platform to showcase their music. Up until now, there has been no reason for
upcoming bands to produce a music video. Now bands will be able to reach a
bigger audience and have an excuse to make great videos.”
RTÉ
International: It’s coming soon!
THE NEW Irish TV service for Britain is to be called RTÉ International, The
Irish Post can reveal.
And the new channel could also be operational ahead of the previously scheduled
date of March 17, 2009.
The service is set to be called RTÉ International and not Diaspora TV as
originally thought.
The news will come as music to the ears of the 850,000 Irish-born people in
Britain who have long sought for Irish television to be available to them
outside of Ireland.
Now RTÉ is preparing to provide that link to those living abroad and viewers
here can look forward to Irish news, sport and entertainment beamed directly to
their screens.
This week the national broadcaster is also recruiting on its website for several
positions relating to the new channel, which is dedicated solely to the Irish
and those of Irish descent living in Britain.
RTÉ International is looking for
applications for the role of full-time channel manager.
And the successful candidate, who is expected to possess a thorough knowledge of
the Irish and British television markets, will be responsible for the scheduling
and delivery of suitable content to the Diaspora community scattered across the
country. The role of channel administrator is also being advertised on the RTÉ
website.
The move to introduce a Celtic television channel in Britain follows a
long-running Irish Post campaign to establish a dedicated service especially for
the Irish in Britain.
Details of the new service released so far indicate that the channel will be a
hybrid of RTÉ One and RTÉ Two with some additional programming from TG4.
The One, Six-One and 9 o’clock news bulletins will be carried live. It will also
carry a range of h o m e g r own Irish programming that will be of interest to
Irish communities abroad. The introduction of the Diaspora channel comes on the
back of last year’s Broadcasting (Amendment) Act. Enacted in April 2007, the Act
gave national public service broadcasters, RTÉ and TG4, digital terrestrial
television obligations. It also required RTÉ to set up a digital television
channel for Irish citizens living abroad.
Commenting on the new service Ireland’s Communications Minister Eamon Ryan said:
“I know that many of these people have been looking for an RTÉ channel in
Britain for some time.
“This new channel will provide the Irish abroad with a valuable link to home.
“And I will be working closely with Minister Dermot Ahern to ensure that
vulnerable groups in Britain will be supported in receiving the service.”
Journalist Terry Keane Dies at 68
Sunday, 1 June 2008 21:52
The well-known columnist and fashion journalist Terry Keane has died. She was
68.
Ms Keane's son-in-law Diarmuid Gavin confirmed this morning that she passed away
in St Vincent's Hospital after a long illness.
She is survived by her children Jane, Madeleine and Justine. Her son Tim died in
2004.
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Terry Keane was born Ann Teresa O'Donnell of Irish parents, a doctor and a bank
official, in Guildford, Surrey, in 1939.
She spent time in Ireland as a child during the war and returned to study
medicine in Trinity College Dublin. She dropped out without taking a degree and
later married a young barrister, Ronan Keane.
The couple separated in the 1990s, and Ronan Keane went on to become Chief
Justice.
Terry Keane was the principal contributor of the Sunday Independent's
long-running gossip column, The Keane Edge. In the column there were often hints
of a relationship with a prominent political figure, named in the column as
Sweetie, and her relationship was widely known in certain circles, though never
openly confirmed.
However, in 1999 Terry Keane revealed on the RTÉ One programme, The Late Late
Show, that the figure had been the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey.
She also gave the story as an exclusive to rival newspaper The Sunday Times,
although she was still employed by Independent News and Media, and abruptly left
the Sunday Independent.
The enduring
appeal of songsmith Hennessy
The late Christie Hennessy’s duets album The Two Of Us has rocketed to the top
of the Irish album charts. Graham Clifford speaks to some of those featured on
the album and asked why Christie means so much to so many.
AT THE time of his death last December Kerry-born singer/ songwriter Christie
Hennessy wasn’t content with taking to his rocking chair or reminiscing on times
past.
Instead, the Tralee messenger boy who made London his home used his energy to
record the duets album The Two Of Us, which has taken the Irish charts by storm.
Despite his deteriorating health Christie worked tirelessly on the album
enticing some of Ireland’s top artists to lend their voices to the lyrics of a
genius.
Icons of Irish folk music such as Mary Black and Paul Brady are just two of the
many performers to contribute to this most poignant and fitting farewell salute
album to one of Ireland’s most gifted craftsmen.
Speaking to The Irish Post this week Mary Black said: “I was delighted to be
involved in the Christie Hennessy duets album.
“It was an honour to be asked as he was a gifted songwriter and a true
gentleman.
“Although he’ll be sadly missed his spirit lives on through his songs.” These
sentiments were echoed by Paul Brady who recorded his track on the album just
four days before Christie passed away.
He said: “Christie was very much an unorthodox artist, his song construction and
the topics which he sang about were unique.
“He invented his own sound not using traditional forms and I believe his style
was wonderfully contemporary.”
The decision to record the duets album came after a meeting with fellow Irish
artist Luka Bloom.
He said: “It was obviously something which Christie was thinking about for a
while but it was only when we met after performing for the Dalai Lama in Derry
last year that he decided to go for it.
“Christie had penned a song which he, I and my brother Christy (Moore) could
sing together for the Children in Crossfire charity.
“We recorded it and shortly afterwards Christie said he was going to use it on
this duets album,” he added.
Describing the former labourer as “totally unique” within the Irish music scene
Luka Bloom maintains Christie’s methods of operating made his achievements all
the more impressive.
He said: “His gift was a very special one, I mean he was a songwriter who
couldn’t read or write, tools you’d think were vital for such a task.”
Another close friend of Christie’s who benefited from his songwriting was
Frances Black.
In 1994 she released the Hennessy-written All The Lies That You Told Me to
massive acclaim.
She said: “He was so full of warmth and charisma and it was no wonder that
everybody loved Christie.
“A truly gorgeous, gorgeous person he was simply a joy to be around and he will
never be forgotten by lovers of Irish music everywhere.”
Others who jumped at the chance to perform on Christie’s curtain call album were
Ronan Keating, Aled Jones and his daughter Hermione Ross.
Sligo’s Tommy Fleming who had known Christie for 11 years before his passing
said: “As a songwriter he set the bar very high for the rest of us.
“In an industry which at times can be cruel he stood out as being exceptional.”
On the album Fleming performs Oh Jealous Heart — a track about emigration from
Ireland which was immortalised through the lilting vocals of Moya Brennan.
She too spoke this week and of Christie said: “He was the sweetest man who was
always interested in others and encouraging of others.
“Christie enriched the lives of everyone he met by giving hope and teaching
others to have faith in themselves.
“The name Christie Hennessy will forever be embedded in Irish music.”
Search for rising talent in Connacht
The search is on to find Connacht’s musical stars of the future. Talent Rising
2008 is accepting entries from unsigned bands and solo musicians, to compete for
prizes worth more than €10,000.
Five days’ recording time in a professional studio (with accommodation provided)
and 500 full colour pressed CDs, are up for grabs, courtesy of Tanglewood
Guitars Ireland.
Other prizes include a professional drum pack with rim mounts, professional
handheld microphones and sets of studio headphones, courtesy of West Coast
Audio, as well as prizes from the Music Store, Castlebar and a cash fund of
•1,000.
Entry forms are available from the Royal Theatre, Castlebar. Email
danielle.walsh@royaltheatre.ie, log on to www.royaltheatre.ie or call 0818 300
000.
The closing date for entries is Friday, June 13. Applicants will be contacted
with the time and date of their preliminary heat