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Category Archives: Music

Medal of St. Patrick Conferred on Eva Hamill by Bishop Gerard Clifford; Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Saturday 25 February 2012.

Leave a comment Posted by on February 27, 2012

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Food and drink, Music, Photography, Religion

Strictly Come Dancing; St. Patrick’s Clubrooms, Saturday 4 February 2012

Leave a comment Posted by on February 5, 2012

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Entertainment, Food and drink, Games, Health and wellness, Music, Organizations, Photography

Epiphany; Missing; Leah; Silvia

5 Comments Posted by on January 8, 2012

Friday 6 January 2012.

Up 09.00 +. Exercised and showered. Ate before that weetabix and milk for breakfast. Dressed in grey Robbie small-check slacks, “Trinity” T-shirt, sky blue Greenore semi-polo T-shirt, black and grey Mizuno golf gansy, braces, navy 2011 FootJoy golf socks, tan two-tone Javari zipped boots, glasses, brown Oakmont golf jacket for outer wear, blue and grey Nike barred nightcap style golf headgear. Rosanna culled some of my papers. Spent the day listening to the radio and kept off the Acer and the Dell. Drove in to GreenLife DR c 18.00 and struck a free basket of balls with the 3-metal, rescue club, driver, 7-iron. The dispensing machine was not operating so JC gave me a ¾ full bucket of balls which he retrieved from behind the scenes. Coffee afterwards buckshee from Rickie – I made it myself. He works in Ridley’s and was just filling in. Rosanna met Jane Savage at 18.30 in Strandfield and returned home long after me. Patrick Sheelan called in the late morning soon after I finished dressing. Searching for his brother Gavin, 19, who is missing. He carried a photo and gave a description of what his brother was wearing when last seen. The HQ of the search is in The Pats’ Complex. Nice pop music on RTE Radio 1 20.00 —-> 22.00. Cooked a pot of porridge. Ate half of it hot with honey and later for supper ½ of it cold with honey. Used an almost full balloon wine glass full of flakes. Washed my teeth before bed and earlier trimmed my toenails. 00.07. Wrote notes for this journal sitting on the side of my bed dressed in pyjamas.

Saturday 7 January 2012.

Up 09.00. Breakfast of weetabix, milk, coffee. Went back to bed. Up again. Exercised; showered; dressed the same as yesterday. Hung about the house while Rosanna tidied and culled a lot of papers continuing the work she began yesterday. Lunch: 4 pieces of brown bread, butter, cheese, garlic spread, one piece with marmalade; tea. Ate a large juicy tart orange. Siesta. Text from Leah. “Will arrive c 19.30.” Ate beef dinner before mass.

· Christ Be Beside Me

· The Lord’s My Shepherd

· Amazing Grace

· Sweet Heart of Jesus

A Marist priest with white hair and beard. Very small congregation. Frances and Catherine Baldwin both absent. Small forces but the choir was good nevertheless. Fidelis was there in tune. I went in and gave the prompt to the “children” to come out for the offertory. However they missed their cue. But I had warned the priest beforehand and he astutely saved the day calling for the children to come out. Gave €10 in the envelope to include the “6th”. Earlier drove to McCrystals’ for change of a €20 note. Bought a Snickers Duo and 2 scones. Ate one cherry scone with a glass of milk. Gave €2 to Brainwave on the way in to the church. Met Mrs. Wehrly coming out. Gavin Sheelan was found dead today by the helicopter up around Sleanaglough, RIP, (19). Leah who arrived before I went to 19.30 mass showed me the Kindle I bought for JJ. It’s a library! A small slim piece of equipment. Drank 1 ½ glasses of red after mass. Ate some chocolates, some ice-cream and later before bed a bowl of cornflakes and milk. Writing now, 22.20, sitting on the side of my bed dressed in flip-flops, pyjamas, black robe, glasses. Going to wash my teeth and retire. Rosanna cried off golf today. I play tomorrow DV. Did not get a chance to e-mail Silvia tonight. Early in the morning?

Entertainment, Food and drink, Games, Health and wellness, Music, Religion, Uncategorized

Lordship Parish Christmas Party Sunday 27 November 2011

1 Comment Posted by on November 28, 2011

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Entertainment, Food and drink, Music, Religion, Travel

Reef; Mattock; Eddie Caffrey; Argentina

Leave a comment Posted by on September 19, 2011

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Saturday 17 September 2011.

I decided to take it easy today and neither exercised nor showered. Listened in my black collared robe, short pyjamas, white Reef flip flops; to Ireland score a famous victory 15 – 6 over Australia in a World Cup match described in New Zealand by that peerless commentator Michael Corcoran. I think I may have had the heat on and anyway I felt very comfortable. I am not sure but I think Rosanna returned unobtrusively this morning from her short “holiday” in Greenore. Grilled German sausages, fried potato, beans in tomato sauce, boiled Roosters in their skin, an orange; for lunch. I think I took a siesta in preparation for the “broadcast” mass. News gradually filtered in to the church that The Pat’s scored an impressive victory over Mattock although they had been reduced to 14 men for most of the second half. The mass was a kind of victory, too. Everything went ahead with good forward motion and the choir was assertive even if the sound was not always top quality. Catherine banished me into the back row along with the men where I felt less isolated and more relaxed and had a good view of everything. Had a few chats with Eddie Caffrey who did the recording. Very personable, talkative, in good humour, he told me he likes the look of the church and had not been aware of its existence until very recently.

· Majesty

· Psalm. Like The Deer

· Alleluia. Liam Lawton’s (Speak, O Lord)

· Offertory. Be Still

· Holy Holy

· When We Eat this Bread and Drink this Cup We Proclaim your Death, Lord Jesus, Until you Come in Glory.

· Amen

· Lamb of God

· Communion. Only A Shadow (Catherine Baldwin, Frances McCrystal; duet). Instrumental (Young Arthur, flute; Leanne Caraher, violin; Ann Murphy, organ). Jesus, Name Above All Names

· Exit. Our God Reigns

My best note “glory” turned out to be the worst in the recording when I heard it tomorrow morning? I took a group photo afterwards; a shot of Fr. Murphy and Eddie Caffrey in the vestry; one of Christine Gallagher and Eva Hamill in the aisle behind the organ. Ate a sausage sandwich made with barrel bread and drank a cup of coffee before I went to bed. Postponed my journal. I think, somehow, that I did not wash my teeth. Silvia made her way over to me after mass and presented me with a little paper parcel, “A gift from Argentina.” It later proved to be a medal, a Madonna inscribed, “Italy.”

Food and drink, Games, Music, Photography, Religion

Black Van; The Cardinal; Incomplete; Scribbled; Coal

1 Comment Posted by on June 11, 2011

Friday 10 June 2011.

Exercised. Dressed in black “legal” 42” slacks, Argyle grey/black/pink socks, black patent Clarks, white FootJoy golf T-shirt, navy old Stena fleece, sky blue Nike golf cap with on orange ball marker pinned to the peak, glasses. Paul McNeill parked his black van behind my iQ in Main Street, Dunleer. Joined in singing, “Abide with Me,” in the parish church at 12.00. Fr. Murphy’s brother spoke at the lectern. The Cardinal (Seán Brady) was the principal celebrant at mass and he preached extremely well on Fr. John Murphy’s life and person. Bishop Clifford performed the obsequies in Mosstown graveyard where I took out ostentatiously my one decade rosary beads, which were given to me as a gift in Italy. I also tried to sing along with the Salve Regina intoned by all the priests at the end of the burial ceremony. I was delighted to meet Nikki Mackin both before and after the burial ceremony in the graveyard. Shook hands with Fr. John McKeever who looked at me disapprovingly; and with Fr. Pádraig Murphy: at the top of the sloped field where my car was parked. Lovely morning and Fr. Pádraig seemed in the best of humour. I said I was going to see if my brother was up out of bed and that I would try to annoy him. Anyway Teddy gave me tea and chocolate cake. I was not wearing dentures and my left upper gum was sore so I could not masticate anything hard or tough. Played ball with the shitzu. John Byrne showed me round the GAA centre in Darver. Unfinished driveway. Gym, showers, meeting rooms, kitchen, toilets; state of the art: assembly room; incomplete. 6 pitches. The main pitch exactly the same dimensions as Croke Park. A few pitches with artificial surfaces. At home ate salad including ham, cheese, balsamic vinegar; three slices of buttered brown topped with pâté; one slice of buttered brown topped with marmalade; a mug of tea. Fire lit. Rosanna gone to be sub in Greenore for Miele 4xball match v Dundalk. Surprisingly Greenore won I found out when Rosanna returned home near mid-night. Read e-mail. Long phone call from Dessie who wanted to know about the funeral. Ate an orange. Later I came up from the sitting room and prepared sardines-on-toast and put marmalade on a slice of buttered brown. Demolished all with a mug of tea. Scribbled journal for the past two days into my reporter’s notebook. Mentioned Greenore Golf Club to Fr. John Murphy’s brother after the burial and had, by chance, a bit of a conversation with Anthony Murphy, a nephew of Fr. John’s, who is editor of The Dundalk Democrat. Put on my pyjamas and washed my teeth before getting in to bed at 23:45 preparing to rise early for golf tomorrow with Con Rice, Niall and Aidan Mulvanney. Left the ventilator open. Charged the fire in the White Elephant Lounge with coal twice this evening.

Computers and Internet, Food and drink, Games, Health and wellness, Music, Organizations, Religion, Travel

Honey; Grey Silk; Buttered Baguette; National Anthem; Renew

Leave a comment Posted by on April 15, 2011

Renew Group

Thursday 14 April 2011.

Went through a full routine this morning; tea, toast, butter, honey; made my bed; exercised; showered; dressed, clean underwear, Tricot Marine plum-striped shirt, silver Robbie slacks, wine and green braces, grey herringbone Magee tweed jacket, grey silk tie with and angled narrow stripe, fawn non-elasticised cotton socks, chocolate Loake brogues, glasses. Met Kevin McGeough by arrangement in The Terrace Bar, Ballymascanlon, where we drank coffee. He paid. He told me about climbing up a ladder and taking a phone-call while cleaning out the gutters round his house. I told him about Michael O’Hanlon falling off a ladder and breaking his leg in three places. “If I wrote about him I’d be in jail!” I remarked in reply to something Kevin said. Also Maurice Roddy’s brother. “It’s a recipe for disaster!” I concluded, “Reflexes at our age are not what they were when we were younger.” I bought over €30 of groceries in Tesco LWSC including a pizza, bananas, oranges, bread, corn flakes, baguette, toothpaste, Lynx body spray, a bottle of McGuigan white for Briege Treanor. Purchased a clock in Flowers and Things from a young lady called Begley. She gave me a little over €2 discount and reduced the price to €10. I showed it boastfully to Connie McMahon when I got home. However when I put a battery in it the second hand moved alright but the minute hand was swinging loose completely off its bearings. Connie took the clock apart as far as he could but could not get in to put the hand back in place. I ate some buttered baguette, 3 pieces filled with cheddar and 3 more filled with tinned salmon. It assuaged my hunger but did not keep my paranoia completely at bay. Connie was on his way from Dublin where he had a scan in St. Vincent’s yesterday. I showed him my car and the bed outside the front door where I sowed the Sweet William seed a few days ago. I invited him to return and stay maybe to play golf. He showed me his golf bag and his trolley in the boot of his grey Mercedes. Everything clean and tidy and ship shape. Anyway he pulled out carefully for Donegal. I hastened in to Flowers and Things with the clock wrapped up the way Connie left it and a battery in my pocket as Connie had advised. They were most apologetic in the shop. A girl went upstairs and brought down two boxes and gave me a brand new clock from one of them. She even put in the battery for me and got it going. I was chuffed and relieved. A crack in the cover of my near side headlamp? So my paranoia did not abate completely. But I was well-dressed so my confidence was good. I took a siesta. Dressed again and went up to Briege’s with my lamp, the bottle of McGuigan from the fridge in a plastic bag, my Fuji FinePix 9500. John Finnegan had rung earlier. Lambing. Trouble with foxes, etc. So I knew I had to lead the session. Things started around 20.20. All three books there. Gospel for Palm Sunday. Fr. Larkin; Patsy Treanor; Maura Traynor; Bridie White; Carmel Hughes; Sheila Reynolds; Michael, Teresa Rice; Briege Treanor. Low-key session which went well the routine now established. I took a group photo afterwards. “If you don’t stop distracting me, Bridie, I’ll burn my backside on the range!” I remarked and clicked the shutter for the one and only time. Luckily the photo turned out to be presentable. Carmel took one with me in it and the rest of the group. Not so hot. There seems to be a golden rule to make the first shot count? I left Fr. Paddy Larkin over the road with my lamp because the big public light at the cross is still out. That was around 22.00. Briege pulled out the stops tonight giving us rhubarb pudding and cream; tea; sponge cake with cream filling; sweet cake. I complimented her when I was leaving. “You have to do it: you have to keep the flag flying!” I remarked. I did not say so but, rightly or wrongly, I was proud of the way Renew went in general this time. Rosanna calm and friendly when I got home. Earlier she told me about the war between Aisling and some of the journalists in TG4. “A shower of fucking eejits from Cork that could not even sing the National Anthem.” That was how I referred to Ceoltóirí Cualainn as part of the argument/discussion. Not a cool review. More something based on the way I was feeling. Paranoia? My energy was high after Renew. Played some Bach on my Philips mini Hi-Fi. I ate corn-flakes, milk, sliced banana. Drank coffee. Donned my pyjamas, brushed my 5 ½ remaining teeth, cleaned my dentures, opened the ventilator on my bedroom window, climbed back into bed; around 01.00. Slept almost immediately. I had eaten a feed of pizza and salad in the late evening followed by a large juicy orange.

Food and drink, Music, Organizations, Religion

Camera; Bell; Tantum Ergo; Pittance

Leave a comment Posted by on March 28, 2011

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Saturday 26 March 2011.

Well this was a fine day devoted to the church. I think I performed my usual routine including exercise and a shower. Rosanna gave me an early lunch of salad including egg, rice and a vinegary dressing. I walked over with my camera and book arriving at 12.45. Ann Murphy and plenty of choir members soon turned up. Ann had rung around. Pat Brennan insisted and everyone except Catherine Baldwin, me, and Ann Murphy deserted the church and went down to the front gate to meet The Eucharistic Congress Bell. Ann and Fr. Murphy made out a program of 7 hymns earlier in the church.

· Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

· O Salutaris Hostia

· Here I Am, Lord

· Tantum Ergo

· O, Sacrament Most Holy

· Hail, Queen of Heaven

· Christ Be Beside Me

We also sang the response during benediction, “Omne delectamentum in se habentem.” I was standing beside Catherine. “For fuck’s sake!” I exclaimed at one point when Gerry Woods got confused at my request to pass “that book!” “When do we sing, ‘O Salutaris?’” Catherine asked me before the Tantum Ergo. “It’s over,” I informed her making a flat gesture with my right hand. Anyway there was a bit of confusion with Gerry Woods and others audibly exhorting Ann to begin the last hymn. Ann waited staunchly and ignored them until the last person had rung the bell. I got a chance to ring it myself and I also took a few snaps inside the church of the procession up to ring the bell. The bell is not really impressive looking and it does not sound wonderful. At least one of the snaps turned out later to be quite presentable. Taken on “natural light” setting. Gave Mrs. McNamee a wave as I walked down from the church in the sunshine. She responded in mild, friendly, good humoured fashion The bell was already leaving for Kilkerley. “Well you got good weather for it anyway,” I remarked to Fr. Murphy who deigned to talk to me at the gate for a second, “It’s like Italy today.” The church was full of incense and smoke today. I was dressed sparely in Stena navy fleece and Calvin Klein white T-shirt, black slacks, black socks, black patent Clarks. Fr. Murphy mentioned that the bell had gone round all the churches in Cooley but maintained it was better here to do it all in one church. I concurred although the Lordship mafia had a very strong presence in what I still feel is “our” church. I rang Jimmy and had a long chat with him. I don’t think I took a siesta. Rosanna golfed today and scored 34 points off 16. There were shades of enthusiasm because the choir returned for 19.30 mass. I walked over in my high visibility jacket with my lamp, book, pen. €4 in coin in the envelope for the priest. Helen Meek collecting for water safety at the door. I emptied my purse into the basket, a pittance. I told them I did water safety training years ago, “When I was in college.” Fr. Paddy Larkin. Less tension.

· Here I Am, Lord

· My God Loves Me

· Lady of Knock (Catherine: solo)

· Let There Be Love Shared Among Us

The session earlier today meant that the choir was more assured. The third hymn was an answer to a special request and I thought it went very well. I was in good form in the church tonight. “Are you sure you have that name spelled correctly?” I asked Phil Sutherland pointing to Annie McDonald’s name in the diary. “I’m certain!” she replied peremptorily much to Fr. Larkin’s amusement. I had previously asked him and he advised me to “go by the book.” Anyway I said goodnight to Ann Murphy who seemed in good mood even after the exertions of the day. E-mailed Silvia and had enough energy to complete and send an application form to Gabriela Tanasan about the capacity building ENUSP/MHE conference in Brussels on 19 May 2011. Could not summon up enough energy to do any journaling. Typing this day’s entry at 17.22 on 28 March 2011. I think I went to bed around 23.00 in anticipation of the clock going forward 1 hour tonight. No-one said anything to me about it but I thought the singing today was of a very high standard. I spared no effort.

Music

Lyric, iQ, Java, Marmalade

Leave a comment Posted by on May 4, 2010

Note

Monday 3 May 2010.

Well today I spent a lot of mild concentration listening to the listeners’ top 100 on Lyric FM.  The top 10 came on around 18.00 and were a bit of an anticlimax.  By that stage I was suffering a little from loneliness and isolation – Rosanna spent the day in Greenore minding Gavin while his parents played in the Open Fourball with John Ennis and Pat Magee.  May bank holiday.  Later on before dark I got into my white 2010 Toyota iQ Strata and drove in to No. 13 Oaklawns with a bag of clean washing for Eamonn.  The house seemed clean and tidy but Eamonn had not returned from Cootehall yet.  Pulled in to Lidl on the way home and bought a shopping bag, a dust-pan and brush set (blue), milk (2 x 2 liters).  It all cost me 5.36 euro which I paid with my UB MasterCard.  I got up at around 09.00 this morning and ate corn flakes and sliced banana with milk for breakfast.  Watered the flower containers – pots, boxes, hanging baskets.  Made my bed, exercised, washed, dressed.  Steel-blue Joe Frawley T-shirt, black shiny 44” slacks, grey sports socks, tan John Evan boots, grey/steel-blue Everlast top.  Wore, also, my navy Nike baseball cap to town.  This is the 11th birthday of Lyric FM.  Cleaned out and lit the fire although the wind was hovering in the N.  However throughout the day I got only a few wisps of smoke escaping from the fire.  So the wind must have stayed N of NW.  On my way in to Town I posted a registration form for free travel and also a completed form to Sinead Rock of Louth County Childcare Committee.  The latter was stamped the former was not.  Volcano dust again affecting air traffic in Ireland.  Aisling working today in RTE.  I washed my 5 ½ remaining teeth and got in to bed tired at 00.20.  I ate corn flakes, sliced banana, milk, for tea.  Two slices of buttered toast and marmalade with a mug of java for supper.  My lunch consisted of steamed rice and chicken curry reheated in the microwave and with some pineapple cubes.  I also peeled and ate a mature sweet apple afterwards.  Did not wash up.  Felt quite hungry from about 17.00 onwards.

Music

Annie McDonald Interred. “Were you there?”

Leave a comment Posted by on April 2, 2009
Broken heart

Wednesday 1 April 2009

As I was having my siesta Kevin Toner drew his tractor up behind the ditch in Treanor’s field and emptied the septic tank.  He also (by means of suction?) cleared the drains leading the waste water from the kitchen and the old bathroom into the "line" to the septic tank.  I went out to him in my old rainbow robe, Emperor pajamas, Lotus flip-flops as he replaced the flags on the inspection point and on the septic tank.  "What planet it that man from?" he commented on my story about how I used to do my business behind the ditch and wipe my arse with a dockin leaf.  "There would not be a track of anything there in a few days," I elucidated.  Kevin has wit and intelligence and a slow but sure method.  I found the pastoral council meeting at 8.00 p.m. less congenial.  Fr. Murphy contradicted me at least twice.  When I suggested mid-day for a ceremony about suicide and suicide victims he countered that evening would be best.  He also said there was stations of the cross at Our Lady of The Wayside last Good Friday and no liturgy of the cross.  I maintained the opposite was the case but deferred to him saying my memory was poor.  I checked later in my journal and found, on the contrary, that it was his memory which was defective.  Furthermore I had commented in my journal on how successful the 3.00 p.m. ceremony was on Good Friday 2008.  My paranoia got to work and I deduced that he and Gemma did away with the service because they were unhappy with the fact that it worked so well last year.  Ireland scored (Robbie Keane) a late goal in Bari to draw 1 – 1 with 10 man Italy.  In the morning I walked over for 11.00 a.m. funeral mass for Annie McDonald.  Ann Murphy had a lot of sheets spread out before I got into my seat.  In the event there was a big choir including Jo and Gerry Malone.  Fidelis and Frances were absent but Catherine was in great voice particularly in Our Lady of Knock at the end.  Anthony Rice, Dermot Treanor and Gerry Woods were present.  I thought the singing was out of the top drawer.  I opened up a little on "O, make us love Thee" in my usual fashion but throughout I tempered my singing with thoughts of gentle Annie.

· Nearer My God to Thee
 
· When Creation Was Begun
 
· Amazing Grace
 
· Sweet Heart of Jesus
 
· Our Lady of Knock

"When I see you I know I am in the right place!" I remarked to Fr. Padraig Murphy as he was getting his vestments out of the car at the gate of Ravensdale cemetery.   I had walked home from the church and got my Lacrosse jacket – it was cool – and drove up to the graveyard in my black Yaris Strata (2007).  Rather than talk to Fr. Murphy I crossed the road after an interval and talked through the window of his jeep to Jim Loughran.  Also spoke later to Stephen Goss.  Vera Rice maintained Annie was buried with her cousin – in the wrong grave.  Her father and mother’s grave, a double grave with one other person in it was situated lower down in the graveyard.  "If she wakens up she will walk back to Bellurgan out of that grave," Vera remarked to Fr Murphy who turned his back on me to talk to her.  Renew was not mentioned at the pastoral council meeting.  Pat Deery made the suggestion about a suicide service.  At the end I mentioned I See a Darkness and Simon Moroney but scarcely anyone seemed to want to listen.  Rosanna in high dudgeon when I come home from the meeting.  She would not let me watch the soccer.  She went to bed early eventually and slept late tomorrow morning.  I washed my teeth, exercised before bed and was a little slow getting to sleep.  Dressed in black slacks, grey Argyle socks, black brogues polished, old cream shirt clean, clean underclothes, green light pullover.  I wore my Lacrosse jacket and black Greenore woolly helmet in the graveyard and again as I walked over to the pastoral council meeting.  No lamp.  Daylight on the way over; more or less dark on the way back.

Music

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