Vince “all the way from Tipperary” Kiely launched straight into the October Mixtape in Callanan’s as Fear an Tí bang on time and kept us going at a great gallop all night. The first teller, Mary Walsh, took us to within a few miles of her native place and back to the penal times in the 1700s, the parish of Matehy and the notorious Captain Fox and his yeomen.
The next teller, Paul O’Sullivan, didn’t just give us an ode to Jim Mountjoy who founded the Jazz festival, he gave us an ode to Cork and its characters. Jim died earlier this year and Paul’s story paid tribute to the visionary man and his legacy for the city.
Julie Crowley’s folk tale introduced us to a poor man with a wife, 7 children and terrible misfortune one year when his crops failed. In search of work, he walked and he walked and he walked for 13 miles until he met a man who offered to solve his problems with gold and silver but at what cost?
Cathal Ó’Loingsigh took us to the break with some fine playing on the banjo – the Groves (hornpipe), An siocán sneachta by Joe Carey, John Kimmel’s jig and Seán sa Cheo.
Deirdre O’Mahony told us a story about Davy, a fierce nice fella but not great at anything and bad luck followed him wherever he went. Until one eventful day when he set a fish free, got fired and met a strange man who offered to turn his luck around.
Coppers and Brass on the tin whistle was how Meath man, Stevie O’Brien, introduced us to Patsy Harrington, a travelling piper from Mohill, Co. Leitrim. Patsy was a small little lad, who had the finest pipes and the finest horse in the country thanks to the widow O’Hara. The widow’s wake turned into quite the night for Patsy!
The final story of the night came from Vince Kiely himself. He took us back 1901 and all the way to the high north of Canada, Dawson town, south of the Klondike River and the little wooden church and the feast of St. Eustace, the patron saint of trappers and hunters. Then he brought us even further north and the unlikely pairing the Killer Kelly and the Reverend Russell taught us that despite all our coping skills in adversity ‘It’s the small things that get you’.
Cathal brought the night to a close with a slow air on the box, An Buachaill Caol Dubh followed by three polkas.
Thanks a million to Max Bell for these excellent photos that captured the night so well, great to have him back. Thanks to Rob Crowley and Eileen Crowley for making us feel so at home in Callanan’s. Thanks to Paul for manning the door. Thanks to Deirdre for putting it all together. Thanks to the tellers and musicians and most of all thanks to the listeners for making the night extra special.
The Gab 