Uncautionary Tale

larinseGot up t’other mornin’ feelin’ a bit worse for wear…a late session with too many jugs below in the widda’s , terrible pain in me head and was just sittin’ down to with me fag and cup of tea to study the racin’ page and in she comes with her shoppin’ and says ’move yer feet, I hafta sweep there’ …and I know she was in one of those moods……out I goes annyway and down by the flatroofs and into jemmy’s and called for a half-one and a bottle from jim just to settle meself, but it was it did no good, I felt like I was being watched ….swallied them down and into tommys and called for a large one, and lookin’ behind the counter saw this mysterious lookin’ figure.. eyein’ me from the lounge. Went out to the street in a bit of a panic, down to barney macs and looked in – no one there – ordered a pint and there was me sittin’ at the end of the bar when into the snooker room from the toilet walks yer man. I swallied down me drink real quick and out inta the fresh air….feellin’ real uneasy and almost ran own larince’s street , looking back in case I was followed….inta the larince and luckily there was no one there, had a nice pint and felt a bit better and was just comin’ out the front door and there I seen him in the alley… and me heart near dropped…out immediately to tullyallen and the morning star and had hardly taken a sup of me drink when there he was comin’ outa the lounge, he put the heart crossways an me and I left me drink there and out the door immediatley and straight down king billys glen and out the road to dolly’s …….and as I axed the barman for a half-one ..  and there was yer man sippin’ a glass of stout in the lounge and lookin’ at me with those strange penetratin’ eyes. I couldn’t stand it any more..and walked straight up to him and says.. ‘jaysus …can you not give a man a bit of peace.. who the hell are you ???…. And he says to me ..’Jaysus John , give it a rest, I’m the fuckin’ taxi man.’

mornin star

Joe Ryan

Joe Ryan fiddle

Joe Ryan was born and reared in Inagh Co Clare and died in March 2008. Despite being steeped in the fiddle music of his native Co Clare, Joe spent much of his life in the Drogheda area, living with his brother Jim in Cooperhill, Julianstown on his return from working in England in 1962.

Joe left his native Clare in 1951 to seek work in Dublin and worked in the building trade until a bad economic slump in 1953 forced Joe and his fellow-tradesmen seek work in London.

Joe’s three major recordings are

Joe & Eddie

Joe Ryan (fiddle)  and Eddie Clarke (harmonica) ; Crossroads : 1981 . This is a magnificent recording  of two great musicians at the height of their powers. Their duets are stunning, so close is their playing that it is hard to distinguish between the fiddle and the harmonica. This recording was issued by Green Linnet on L.P. and Cassette.

dereoite 1

An Buachaill Dreoite – Reels, Jigs, Marches , Waltzes, Set Dances, Airs, Flings and Mazurkas from the legendary Clare Fiddler.

Recorded by Harry Bradshaw in the back lounge of McHugh’s Pub, Chord Road, Drogheda in 1994 and issued by Clo-Iar-Chonnachta.

Clo Iar-Chonnachta 1995 – CICD113

joe8

Two Genetleman of Clare Music – Gerdy Commane and Joe Ryan – Custy’s Music .

Recorded in Gerdy Commane’s house in Kilnamona by John O’Connor in 1999.