Connacht Tribune
Pub locals hit the right note with CD in aid of hospice
It may be the busiest time of the year for farmers but several took time out from making silage or saving turf to hit the recording studio for the release of a very special and unique CD which goes on sale this week.
On many Thursday nights, the ‘Mannion’s Bar Sessions’ take place in Abbeyknockmoy where mainly locals come together to ‘display their vocal skills – and now they have decided to put these talents to good use in aid of a worthy cause.
Apart from members of the farming community, the new album features singers from a diverse range of professions including a lorry driver, accountant, a politician, a builder, a landscaper and a barman who all feature prominently on the production entitled Down at Mannion’s Bar – a play on the Michael English song, Locklin’s Bar, with adapted lyrics focusing on local characters.
‘The gang’ have been coming together for the past couple of years on the Thursday nights for the sessions which have taken on a life of their own and regularly attract a small but loyal audience who thoroughly enjoy the entertainment provided. Naturally, proprietors Paddy Mannion and Gerry Delaney are fully supportive of their customers breaking into the recording world.
In the beginning, many of those who participated in the Mannion’s Sessions maybe knew a song or two, but in the intervening period they have expanded their repertoire considerably to the extent that several have more than 20 songs in their armoury.
It was during one of these sessions while they were all sitting around chatting, they collectively decided that should hit the recording studio and put their singing talents to the test and the end result has certainly impressed the album producer, Kenny Ralph of Sun Street Studios in Tuam.
All of the singers also agreed that any profits raised from the album, which will be launched in Mannion’s Bar on Wednesday night next (Galway Plate day), August 2, will go towards Galway Hospice.
Local musician, singer, songwriter and all-round character John P Keane, who released two albums also in aid of Galway Hospice, said that all the singers wanted to record an album and did so with great enthusiasm.
In the CD, John P. enlisted the backing talents of internationally renowned trad and folk musician, Michael McGoldrick, from Manchester, a regular visitor to the West of Ireland where his parents hail from. He plays six instruments including the Uillean Pipes, whistle and mandolin in the backing for a beautiful American Civil War ballad entitled Lincoln’s Army sung by John P.
“Some left the silage fields and the bogs to participate in the rehearsals and eventually the recording itself and they are very excited about the end product. They can’t wait for the launch and we all hope that it will be well received locally,” John P added.
The new 14-track album is a mixture of some well-known ballads and folk songs with a bit of traditional Irish music thrown in for good measure.
The performers on the album are locals Pat Crowe, Pat King, Tommy Coleman, Pete Roche, Tommy Gilmore, Christy Treacy, Vincent Watts, Kevin Walsh, Noel Keane, John P Keane and Francis Farragher while Michael Howley, from Dunmore, aka Burl Ives, makes up the list of ‘have a go’ singers.
The backing music is provided by Michael Tuttle, Michael Howley, Francis Fahy, Alisha Crowe, Pat Crowe, Kenny Ralph, Michael McGoldrick and John P Keane.
It features such classics as Red-Haired Mary, The Dutchman, Streets of London, The Fields of Athenry, the Kenny Rodgers’ hit Lucille, Lincoln’s Army and Streets of London among others.
“Around two or three years ago a number of locals came together for a sing-song and it just mushroomed from there. We now meet regularly every Thursday night and the numbers have steadily grown. The quality of singing has improved dramatically since we started and everyone has started to learn new songs. It is a tremendous outlet,” John P added.
■ All are welcome to the launch of the Down at Mannion’s Bar album in the Abbey Inn, Abbeyknockmoy, on Wednesday night, August 2 (Galway Plate Day) with Cool Country providing the music. Some of the CD artists will also be performing in what should be a great night of craic and ceoil. There is no cover charge but CDs will be available on the night for purchase at €10 with all proceeds going to Galway Hospice.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
