15 August 2009 at the BSC

A very full night of songs at the Boylers last Saturday. The night had a beginning, middle and end and then an extended encore! There were men singing women’s songs and women saying men’s rhymes and some singing songs to tunes of other songs. (Make that into a song and we’ll give you an extra singing slot!)

Declan Coyne told us, “For I was nothing to him, Though he was the world to me”, an old song, sometimes called The Sad Song (as if there were no other) and sometimes, The Palace Grand.

Frank was in reminiscent mood:
My youthful days are past and it makes my heart feel weary,
As I sit in the cart in the wilds of the prairie.
Hunting the deer that skip around the beaver,
While my thoughts fondly stray to the Bogs of Shanaheever .

Nora, Mary and Marion were thinking of exiles as well: “Dear exiles all who hail from Boyle”, “The crowded streets of Brooklyn” and “I am a lonely exile” (Cill na Martra).

Eugene was more in party-mode with the Irish Jubilee, and he remembered every last one of the 30 or more verses on the menu. Here’s a taster:
We ate oatmeal till we could hardly stirabout, Ketch-up and hurry-up, sweet-kraut and sauer-kraut;
Dressed beef and naked beef and beef with all its trousers on, Soda crackers, fire crackers, Cheshire cheese with breeches on;
Beefsteaks and mistakes were down upon the bill of fare, Roast ribs and spare ribs and ribs that we couldn't spare;
Reindeer, snowdeer and dear me and antelope, The women ate so much melon, the men said they cantaloupe;
Red herrings, smoked herrings, herrings from old Erin's Isle, Bangor loaf and fruit cake and sausages a half a mile;
Hot corn, cold corn, and corn cake and honey-comb, Red birds and red books, sea bass and sea foam;
Fried liver, baked liver, Carter's little liver pills, And everyone was wondering who was going to pay the bill.

Marion told of a famous greyhound, Mary of a “young cowboy”. George was Down by Lough Arrow’s side. A second from Mary : the Water is Wide and Clare was By Clyde’s bonnie banks, (Blantyre explosion). Breege sang about Willie the ploughboy, Paddy from Elphin sang about The Shady boy, Tony was weeping at 19, Clíona sang Two sisters for Clare and Mary and the Charlady’s Ball to keep with the theme of the Irish Jubilee and the Races at Killadoon (I can’t forget all the thrills I met...). Ronnie Drew’s anniversary was remembered in a rendering of Monto from a visitor to Boyle who saw our advertisement in the window of Dodd’s and dropped in.
I’ve missed a few, I know, and can only mention in passing the matchmaking story, the food story, the driving lesson tale, Percy French, My name is Delaney, a name that won't shame me and a Song for Ireland.

This writer had to leave before the encore, so I can’t say with certainty what happened next. Who could?

Be there next month for the beginning of our FOURTH year. Ó neart go neart.

Music and song in Strokestown House

The next "Reel thing" concert takes place in Strokestown House,Co.Roscommon.
Thursday 13th August
8pm sharp.

It features the husband and wife team of Martin Quinn(accordion/fiddle) and Angelina Carberry(banjo). Their guests on the night are Patsy Hanly(flute) and Pauline Hanly(singer).

Contact 0906625824 for information/bookings.