Unscripted ‘session’ in Athy library every first Friday

GROWING up in Athy in the 1970s, we were encouraged to attend first Friday Mass in the Dominican church by the Christian Brothers. They told us that if we attended Mass on nine consecutive first Fridays, then we would be sure of a place in heaven. Try as I might, I never did manage the nine first Fridays, a soccer match, summer holidays or a dose of the flu breaking the chain, so I would have to start all over again. This is all by way of an introduction to another first Friday event in the aforementioned Dominican church, now the resplendent Athy Community Library.

For the past couple of years, a group of dedicated musicians, singers and storytellers have come together on the first Friday of every month to provide a couple of hours of excellent entertainment. In the best tradition of ‘the session’ it is unscripted, vibrant, fresh and all under the direction of the loquacious and entertaining ringmaster; JJ Wright. I dropped in last week, early enough to get a good seat, while Ann Keenan Kearney introduced me to the new staff at the library ‒ Heather Law, Erica Birchall and Johnny Ashmore. 

Rob Chanders kicked off proceedings with a lovely version of The Roads of Kildare, this was followed by Ger Gibson on guitar singing Past the Point of Rescue before Jimmy Doody got up to sing I Wish I Had Someone to Love. I heard Johnny McEvoy sing this once in The Brewery Tap in Tullamore, but Jimmy’s version was magnificent, heartfelt and full of emotion.

Peadar Doogue chipped in with a few tunes on the banjo before George Hutchinson sang Forty Shades of Green and if you closed your eyes you could well have imagined yourself at the Grand Ole Opry listening to the man in black himself. Ger Bissett rattled out the Rattling Bog on the banjo and was accompanied by an ensemble of musicians including newcomer Tony Breen, who told me he is a relative of the legendary Dan Breen, maybe we will hear The Galtee Mountain Boy at the next session, which was lively and lifted the attendance of almost 70 people who turned up. Lily Bracken then brought the audience on a bilingual journey with the tale of Michael Mór and City Sue, a witty and clever recitation warning of the dangers of accepting ‘an invitation to stay the night in seomra a hocht. Not to be outdone, the legend that is Dinny Donohue took the floor to tell a few aul yarns, delivered with perfect pace and timing. He is one funny man.

Jim Byrne gave us the Aldi Lidilly Diddilly song it was a really clever piece and well performed. Margaret Brennan has been central to the Good Friday sessions since it first started and sang a Tom Paxton song and a song by one of my favourite singers Nanci Griffith. Mick Delaney hammered out, no pun intended, a great version of Joe Dolan’s Goodbye Venice and Michael Drennan gave us his interpretation of the Perry Como classic And I Love You So. I then learned a new song when Caroline Mulhall sang the Buck Owens ballad Play Me The Waltz of the Angels. Caroline is a fabulous singer and really gave this song all it deserved. Before the morning finished, Jimmy Bolger gave us a version of Brendan Graham’s Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears, the story of Annie Moore, the first Irish immigrant to pass through Ellis Island, another favourite of mine, and Jimmy really did it justice.

The group is taking a break for the month of August but will be back on the first Friday in September, stick the date in your diary and come along and enjoy a great morning of song, story and great music. Well done to all concerned.