Sweeney's Men

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Mr.Gumby
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Sweeney's Men

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Forty nine years after they were first formed I saw a re-untied Sweeney's Men, Terry Woods, Johnny Moynihan and Andy Irvine, play last night. A piece of living history. For one night nostalgia was nearly as good as it used to be. :D
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Steve Bliven
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Steve Bliven »

Can you feel the envy all the way across the water? :cry:

Best wishes.

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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Mr.Gumby »

Can you feel the envy all the way across the water? :cry:
We've had some reunions over the years, the first Planxtyreunion gigs in Ennis were a real buzz as was the first public appearanace of a re-united Noel Hill and Tony Linnane. And Jackie Daly bringing Seamus Creagh to our weekly sundaynight years ago was memorable too (someone on that occasion told Jackie it was a bit like having the Beatles getting together again).

Last night we had Bríd O Donohue and family, Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch, with guests Paul de Grae and Eoin O Riabaigh and Sweeney's Men to top it off. They started off with the Old Maid in the Garrett and they did many of their classics: Handsome Cabin Boy, Tom Dooley, Dicey Riley, Sally Browne, Waxie's Dargle and to finish (the third encore) Andy sang a lovely version of Dance to your Daddy-O. In between there was all sort of other stuff, many geriatic jokes obviously, Johnny sang the Fleadh Cowboys (playing the bouzouki,he had forgotten to bring his guitar). Andy sang a few of his own, the beach and the ocean of Spanish Point outside the window, Luka Bloom and his sister Ann (with her husband Davoc Rynne ) sitting right behind me singing along to 'The West Coast of Clare'. Magic.

Have loads of pictures but computer died so am a bit handicapped without the appropriate software and can't upload much until I have my files and passwords retrieved (fingers crossed there).
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ytliek
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by ytliek »

That does sound like quite a nostalgia night. Nice! And I'd love to see some of the snaps when the computer issue is fixed.
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Driftwood »

There must be a quite a few computer experts visiting these forums who could help Mr. Gumby. C'mon, I want to see this stuff!
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Mr.Gumby »

OK, it has taken a while but I am at a snazzy new computer, am retrieving lost passwords to sites and am finding a new workflow for the pictures.

Here are a few snaps.

Sweeney's Men:

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Terry Woods:

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Johnny Moynihan:

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Andy Irvine:

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Meanwhile, their Waxies Dargle has been a consistent earworm companion since and it's only slightly receding now.
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Tunborough »

Mr.Gumby wrote:Here are a few snaps.
:) :) :)
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by ytliek »

Well worth the wait. Awesome reunion, awesome photos. Thank you for sharing. :)

And best wishes with the new computer endeavors.
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by An Draighean »

Thanks Peter; lovely photos.
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Mr.Gumby »

I was just thinking I first saw Terry Woods (and his then wife Gay) play around 1970/71, I first saw Andy Irvine with Paul Brady around 1975 and Johnny Moynihan first when he was with De Dannan somewhere in between. Never the three of them together though. When Terry Woods joined the Pogues I remember him being thought of as an old guy, he pulled them together nicely though, musically. They're still going, despite the (aforementioned) geriatric jokes.

There's a tremendous history of Sweeney's men in Colin Harper's Secret History, the whole thing with Ann Briggs, the introduction of the bouzouki, how they were about to go big and electric when Henry McCullough was whisked away to Paul McCartney's Wings, how Irvine narrowly escaped going into Steeleye Span (while Gay and Terry Woods weren't so lucky). It's years since I read it but I thought it wasa riveting read at the time.


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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by JS »

Thank you for those photos and for the book recommendation.
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Re: Sweeney's Men

Post by Driftwood »

Thank you from me too
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