Just heard the news on the radio that the singer - songwriter Bonnie Tyler passed away last night. She was one of the most powerful female artists of the modern era and was born in Wales on the 8th of June in 1951. It makes you wonder just what it is about the Welsh that they produce so many fine artists. Loads of material about her career and background out there on Wikipedia and Youtube and many other places. There are not too many of today's 'visuals' that can match that voice. Video loaded by Bonnie Tyler and with thanks.
Probably the best song recorded by an Irish artist during the nineteen sixties (1967), and from the middle of the showband era, the above song was later recorded by Marc Almond and there are a number of versions of it on Youtube. David McWilliams was born on the 4th of July 1945 and died on the 8th of January 2002. The song was banned by the BBC because of its connection to pirate radio and is unusual in that its chorus is said to have been phoned in from a telephone box. Fine piece of work. The showband era in Ireland then makes today's entertainment scene look very tame indeed and the talent of its artists was the equal of anything else at the time. Thousands would flock every weekend to county towns and carnivals where today you'd be lucky if you got a few hundred. Loaded by tryton111 and with thanks.
Searching for something to mark the occasion of the 4th of July, I settled on the above and its historical significance. Best remembered today for its mention in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem, 'Paul Revere's Ride', wheresome of the descriptive text is excellent; though I believe the poetic license tends to stray a bit.
The Irish connection to the American revolution is such that it would probably never have succeeded without them. British testimony (AI) estimates it at one - half of the total recruits and you can pick your own percentage. The Gaelic language was as common as the English one according to a number of historians and Washington is reputed to have said that if he had to make a last - stand he would make it with the the Virginia Scots- Irish. Driven from Ulster by the 'Penal Laws' they would help to lay the foundations of the United States of America.
The Catholic population who arrived after the Great Famine of the 1840s and who fought on both sides in the American Civil war of 1861 -1865, though predominantly on the Union side, will list like the Scots - Irish before them as some of the most important names in American history and yet for either there is very little mention of them here today; or commemorations of any sort for that matter and this does not reflect on us well as a people. The figure of those who fought in these conflicts is as great if not greater than in the first world war and there are more than a few commemorations for that. Strange. The above video was posted by 'Ye Old Tavern Tours' and with thanks.
The next meeting of our group takes place this Thursday night coming the 2nd of July in Trim Library, County Meath at 6.15pm and new members are always welcome. Membership is free and the library facilities are excellent so whether your interest is poetry or short stories or novels or music then we'd love to see you there. Hoping to have a book out by the end of the year if possible and that's always something to look forward to. See you there.
Orla Fay's second collection is a series of poems where the focus shifts from the everyday to the personal and where the gift is as much the view as of the lens through which she observes the world around her. Everything from the self-observed to remembering friends or those she has known or knows to patterns of war and conflict dipping into myths and mythologies both classical and local where she is as adept with words and references to detail as escape the ordinary. Published by Revival Press it retails at €15 Euro and is available in all good bookshops. One for your bookshelves.
Almost slipped by but today is the anniversary of the birth of one of the greats of the American country/folk genre whose lists of accomplishments and achievements are almost impossible to measure. Recorded by just about everyone who was anyone he also starred in a number of films and was an academic by any standard. Loaded by Muos Karaoke and with thanks.
* If you're reading this please type his name into the search box top left for some other great songs.
Kris Kristofferson: June 22 1936 - September 28 2024
A member of the Meath Writers'Circle in Ireland since 2001 and a once a upon a time Teacher/Instructor in Telecommunications. Now that's too much. Winner of The Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Award Poetry/Saggart Dublin 2009,runner up Boyle Literary Festival Poetry 2008, 2nd Dromineer Literary Festival Poetry 2007 and Shortlisted Goldsmith International Poetry Festival, 2005, 2007 and 2014 and Highly Commended and Shortlisted in many others as well. Joint third Jonathan Swift Creative Writing Award Saggart 2013. Third in the Goldsmith Poetry Competition 2015. Final Four Humorous Essay Listowel Writers Week 2017. Honourable Mention, Frederick Douglass Poetry Competition 2021 and short listed Trim Poetry Festival 2021. Highly Commended Cathal Buí 2024. 2nd Shahidah Janjua Poetry Competition 2024. Commended Francis Ledwidge Poetry Award 2025. Must Stop!
