tag:davemcgilton.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=2Blog2022-07-27T13:38:29+01:00Dave McGiltonfalsetag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607882020-01-24T04:05:20+00:002019-12-18T20:05:22+00:00Roses from the Heart-Nationwide Documentary coming up -Cobh Heritage Centre Installation update
<p>Hi to all, apologies for not updating the news more frequently but the biggest news of recent times is that Christina Henri and her Roses from the Heart tribute to the Transported Convict Women are to be featured as part of a documentary currently being put together by the RTE Television show <span style="text-decoration:underline">"Nationwide"</span> .The documentary will cover the forced transportation of so many from these shores and will also feature the story of the ill fated Neva which has recently been covered extensively by irish authors/artists Kevin Todd and Cal McCarthy in their book The Wreck of the Neva-Kevin hails from my neck of the woods in Cork so congratulations on the book and the best of luck with it Kevin and I'm looking forward to seeing that section of the documentary.</p>
<p>I met with Christina and the Nationwide team in Cobh recently when filming was taking place and it was great to see Christina and catch up on progress-She was in the hands of the very affable and highly capable Niall Martin, Nationwide's producer and with Reg. on camera it was a very interesting few hours spent in Cobh-keep an eye out for the transmission of that documentary -it will be on in September-i'll post the exact date very soon-</p>
<p>I also met Cobh Heritage Centre's new manager Jack Walsh and he re-confirmed the Centre's intention to have a permanent tribute to the Convict Women in Cobh from later this year which is fantastic news-I was hoping following the departure earlier this year of former manageress Debbie Walsh that the interest would be maintained with the new manager's arrival-gladly this will be the case but may I take this opportunity to thank Debbie Walsh for her superb support during the last few years whenever I called to chat re "Roses" and her interest in the last few years has played no small part in the project and installation going ahead. So look out for mention of the permanent tribute which I understand will be unveiled sometime around October 2013- </p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607892013-07-19T09:37:29+01:002022-06-02T02:11:57+01:00Interview on Radio Fremantle with Frank Murphy -Songs for Ireland-107.9 FM Perth
<p>Just finished a great chat with Frank Murphy on his show Songs For Ireland.</p>
<div>The show can be found online at Radio Fremantle 107.9 FM. every Saturday from 7 to 9 am (Perth time)-</div>
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<div>Broadcast date of our chat is Saturday 20-7-13 and archived shows are available at their site <a href="http://www.radiofremantle.com/" data-imported="1">www.radiofremantle.com</a>
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<div>thanks for the opportunity to chat about the music Frank-its nice to chat about the history of songs and how they come to be-continued success with your show-</div>
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<div>Dave</div>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607862012-03-02T12:42:44+00:002019-12-18T20:05:22+00:00Dingle Podcast now online at www.dinglerecordshop.com
<p>Just a quick note to say the Podcast/ Session myself and my great pal Mary Courtney did with the great Mazz O'Flaherty on New Yrs day is now uploaded on her website <a href="http://www.dinglerecordshop.com/" data-imported="1">www.dinglerecordshop.com</a> -It's on her main page,right hand side, just click on the link and away you go... hearing it today brought back lovely memories of a brilliant afternoon spent with Mazz in her record shop in Dingle.</p>
<p>Mazz had thought we were going to do two separate interviews but time was against us a little and even though Mary and I had planned to do the session together poor Mazz was landed in it when we arrived and announced "shur we'll do it together as the one interview". Being always ready to roll and unflappable as she is, Mazz switched on the mic, kicked off and just let things happen as they happened and songs that hadnt been rehearsed or planned were sung and other stuff went by the wayside and thats how it should be-a live event ,a bit of fun and a few tunes and stories. Hope you enjoy it- We had a lovely couple of hours in great company-what more could you ask for... thank you and Bless you Mazz for a chance to connect with your listeners and for a session that was great fun and magic to do.</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607852012-02-01T05:13:42+00:002019-12-18T20:05:21+00:00SESSION AT THE SIOPA IN DINGLE !
<p>Well,my great pal Mary Courtney was home from New York for New Year and as we always meet every New Year we decided we'd love to do something new and very special for this New Year's day and so,armed with guitar and bodhran off we went to Dingle town accompanied by Mary's sister Debbie who is a great pal and musician too.We had been invited by the great Mazz O'Flaherty to do a podcast in her shop the Dingle Record Shop and no better day than the first of the year to do it.</p>
<p>Mazz runs a great shop there in Green St. in Dingle and for the last while she has been quietly recording sessions in the shop and putting them up on her website for all to hear-there are some great sessions up there for the listener-The sessions have received hundreds of thousands of hits and it's great to have a chat, play a few tunes and get the word out.Mazz is a gem and so easy to chat to-we had a magic afternoon in her company,sang a few songs ,did a couple of spoken word pieces and chatted away.We were saying afterwards what a perfect way to start the New Year,to be performing music ,singing in harmony and having a good chat and plenty of fun thrown in for good measure.Start as you mean to go on!</p>
<p>The session we did will be up there on the site in due course as there's a list of sessions to be edited and put up there before us but keep an eye out for it. In the meantime there are plenty of other sessions you can listen to now -Mazz's site is <a href="http://www.dinglerecordshop.com/" data-imported="1">www.dinglerecordshop.com</a> </p>
<p>God bless you Mazz,you're a great woman and a true supporter of Irish music-go raibh mile maith agat...Dave </p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607842011-12-27T09:09:02+00:002020-06-19T04:47:36+01:00HAPPY CHRISTMAS -HERE'S TO 2012-
<p>A very Happy Christmas to everyone and here's to 2012 bringing good news-hold on tight -I've a feeling 2011 was just the warm up act -stay safe and well throughout the year-the darkest hour is just before dawn.</p>
<p>Slan, Dave</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607832011-10-12T15:39:03+01:002019-12-18T20:05:21+00:00THE DAY IS COMING CLOSER
<p>I've been following with huge interest the ever growing movement globally that is using the model of Tahrir Square in Cairo to peacefully protest the criminal inequality that exists in this world as a result of a handful of people (the 1 %) greedily exploiting the majority (the "99 %") through extremely dishonest and unethical business practices, particularly in the banking /mortgage areas.This relentless push for short term profit at any cost in major corporations,banks included, whether it be through outsourcing jobs in order to exploit cheap labour,through deregulation in banking, or through the relentless attempt to privatise everything from health to education has destroyed the world for most of its occupants and has turned everyday life for the majority into a constant struggle to just survive. Well, we didnt come here to just survive,we came here to develop and learn more about ourselves, the world and the universe we live in and we came here to make life a fascinating and hugely enjoyable experience,not a nightmare of unnecessary poverty, made for profit war and the daily struggle to keep a roof over our heads and food in our mouths.Add to that badly managed health services, unaffordable education and greedy politicians with their noses in the trough.What kind of world is that to pass on to the children coming after us.</p>
<p>People have had enough and a line has been crossed with the bailouts of huge corporations at the expense of ordinary taxpayers.The bailouts that have occurred globally ,but especially here in Ireland are not only immoral and unjust ,they are an imposition of a debt dictatorship where ordinary citizen's rights have been trampled on and their concerns brushed aside. In the name of God when did we decide as a nation that Banks and Property Developers were more important than the Sovereign State or the people in it-that's just it,we DIDNT decide it...that decision was taken for us, in the middle of the night by a handful of terrified politicians, completely out of their depth, acting in the interests of the 1 % and not the 99%. And those that created the mess expect that we will now trust them to get us out of it? I dont think so.They had their chance.They blew it. They made their choice when they ran to help the 1 % and turned their backs on the 99. Their time is over. We will never be forgiven by future generations if we dont stop these financial predators and their corrupt enabling political servants in every country.</p>
<p>In an Irish context that fateful decision in Dublin in 2008 was totally undemocratic and cannot and should not stand.If these protests and the speed at which they are growing worldwide are any indication, then we are in for a very interesting winter of discontent. The protests will become the biggest public rejection of a deeply corrupt and diseased way of conducting the affairs of nation states and the deeply unethical and obscenely greedy business of profit at all costs will be met head on and defeated.By the 99 %. On behalf of the 99%.</p>
<p>CHECK OUT <a href="http://www.occupywallst.org/" data-imported="1">WWW.OCCUPYWALLST.ORG</a> </p>
<p>AND <a href="http://www.occupytogether.org/" data-imported="1">WWW.OCCUPYTOGETHER.ORG</a> AND <a href="http://www.occupydamest.org/" data-imported="1">WWW.OCCUPYDAMESTREET.ORG</a> </p>
<p>There's something in the air...very interesting times ......:)</p>
<p>Dave</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607812011-03-13T15:28:51+00:002022-07-27T13:38:29+01:00Master Copy of NEW ALBUM has arrived.
<p>Just listening now to the mastered CD which arrived yesterday . I’m more than delighted with it-it sounds just fantastic, great mastering of the CD by Ruairi O’Flaherty. I’m very excited to have the full and completed album as we began this over a year ago and it’s so fitting that it arrives now as we’ve just marked a year since my Dad passed on and the album is a tribute to him.</p>
<p> I’ll be sorting the sleeve this coming week and will include the lyrics to all the songs. The song you’re hearing on arriving to the website is a song called <strong><em>Sky and Sea</em></strong>. It’s on the album, the album is called <strong>“ ALL OUR DAYS</strong>” .</p>
<p>This particular song along with another of mine called <strong><em>Roses from the Heart</em></strong> was chosen to be part of an amazing project put together by Tasmanian artist and great friend <strong>Christina Henri</strong>. You’ll have heard me mention it before on the site. The project is called <strong>Roses from the Heart</strong> and is a commemoration of/tribute to all of the Irish and English “convict” women transported to Australia over a 60 year period up until 1854 or so. For more see <a href="http://www.christinahenri.com.au/" data-imported="1">www.christinahenri.com.au</a></p>
<p>I’ve put together a little clip for <strong>Youtube</strong> of the song and it can be seen on the bottom of the opening page as you come to the site.</p>
<p>More on the album as we get the sleeves sorted out.</p>
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<p>-Dave 12/3/11 </p>
<p>P.S – the deepest condolences to all those caught up in the nightmare unfolding in Japan. Nature can be so cruel at times-prayers go out to the people of Japan, particularly in the worst hit areas. </p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607802010-10-04T10:39:16+01:002019-12-18T20:05:21+00:00UPDATE 4-10-10
<p>Well,its the 4/10/10 and August has been really really busy.I'll sit down soon and give a proper and full description of the two events that took all of my time during August,namely Aidan Dooley's new play "O'Sullivan Beara-The Last Gaelic Chieftain" and Christina Henri's "Roses from the Heart" Project.
Both projects were really successful and were an absolute pleasure and honour to be associated and involved with.I'll post some pics of both events and give a more detailed description of what occurred.
For now,on the heels of the last couple of weeks appalling drip feed of what state the country's finances are truly in I'm posting a small clip of a video I put together with Windows Movie Maker-Movie Maker's a great facility to enable videos to be put together without hassle or expense.My blood boils when I see people who were elected and expected to look after our interests doing everything but and how they've totally lined their own and their cronies' pockets at everyone else's expense.
I suspect the reckoning is far from over and the extent of the fallout is yet to be truly established or measured.This has become a matter of justice not merely setting records straight as to who did what.Suffice it to say nothing will ever be the same and trust in politicians and indeed in institutions that were supposed to work towards the benefit of the citizens of this country has been shattered and will remain so for many years to come.
Stuff them,we've survived worse and we will survive this too, not because of their help, but because we are an extrtaordinary and resilient people and we dont do surrender,not least to a handful of greedy pathetic creeps whose entire reason for living is to accumulate and to exploit those weaker or poorer.Their time will come. In a sense its year zero.
Dave-4/10/10</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607792010-07-26T13:47:09+01:002019-12-18T20:05:21+00:00O'SULLIVAN BEARA -THE LAST GAELIC CHIEFTAIN
<p>Earlier this year I had a meeting here in Cork with Aidan Dooley,the writer and actor whose brilliant play Tom Crean Antarctic Explorer has been so well received and celebrated in the past few years.We had first met in Gougane Barra in 2008 and collaborated a little on that play in that the chorus of one of my songs is used in the play.Shortly after that Aidan mentioned he was researching background for a new play on O'Sullivan Beara,one of our long lost heroes in Irish history.
Aidan confirmed during the meeting in January he was going ahead with the new play.It was to be called "O'Sullivan Beara -the Last Gaelic Chieftain" and he asked if I would do the music for it.It was a great honour to be asked and a great challenge to work on the sounds/music for the play.
The months have flown by and here we are ,on the eve of it's debut in Theatre by The Lake in Gougane Barra.It has been a very exciting and interesting process,watching and being part of the play as it has developed and equally interesting for me to write/create the music/links to match the moods.I hope I've done the work justice and I'm hugely looking forward to seeing it performed before a live audience.I've seen first hand how much blood sweat and tears go into the writing and rehearsing of a one man show such as this and I've an even greater respect and appreciation for the process now and for Aidan in his undertaking of such a challenge.
It's a riveting,powerful and poignant story and Aidan has a very strong piece of theatre in his hands once again.On a personal note its a HUGE pleasure to be part of it. See you in Gougane Barra ! Munster abu.</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607772010-01-09T16:07:31+00:002019-12-18T20:05:21+00:00Roses From the Heart (TM) -Christina Henri
<p>Where to start...for a few months now I've been in contact with John Hagan a journalist originally from Ireland but now living in Tasmania.We got chatting following a very interesting article of his in a national sunday newspaper here,(there's a link to the article on the links page)..long story short I had written a song called Sky and Sea which echoed very strongly the subject he was talking about ,namely the plight of those that had been transported to Australia/Van Diemen's land in the 19th century.I sent the song to John and he loved it and suggested it might be sent to a friend of his, Fred Rea in Perth, Western Australia as he is involved/connected with a project being put together in Tasmania.
Little did I know how powerful this project was to be but I had a great conversation with Fred last week. Fred hails originally from Shandon St in Cork and now is very involved with the Irish Community in Western Australia,Perth in particular.There's a link to Fred's site in the links section.
The project Fred is connected with is the singular vision of an amazing conceptual Artist in Hobart Tasmania by the name of Christina Henri.Christina has called the project Roses from the Heart(tm) and it is one of the most inspirational and powerful projects I've heard about in a long long time.Please visit her site for more information but having corresponded with her and chatted into the wee small hours (!) on Skype I'm convinced what Christina is doing is a deeply moving and very spiritual work. It appeals on so many levels and in essence what she is doing is according all of the Convict women of Ireland, the U.K.and Australia the respect and acknowledgement and humanity they were never given as prisoners and Christina is going further than that ,she is having a Bonnet made for EVERY SINGLE WOMAN that was transported in prison ships to Van Diemen's Land.-some 25,566 Bonnets..yep..25,566 Bonnets!! It doesnt get any more powerful and extraordinary in my book,this is a very special and profound gesture. I wrote a new song almost immediately on speaking with Christina as the story was so inspirational and gave the song to the Project as my contribution so far to the amazing work. The song is called Roses from the Heart(tm) as Christina very kindly gave it that title and it will be sung at various Roses from the Heart(tm) events next year .It is such an honour to be associated with this project and I urge anyone reading this to visit the site www.christinahenri.com.au and see for yourself what is happening and maybe offer some assistance if you can.Christina is coming to Ireland at the end of August 2010 and will be visiting Cobh and Cork City Gaol in Sunday's Well for a blessing of the Bonnets event and to "bring the girls home" as it were. It will be an amazing weekend as the Cork City Gaol are hosting Christina in tandem with launching a book about one particular ship of convict women that left Cork in the 1820's ,the prison ship Elizabeth. 9 years of painstaking research has gone into the book and the subsequent contacting of descendants of those women and it is hoped some of those families will also be present at the events the same weekend at the City Gaol in Sunday's Well Cork.
More info as I get it but please check out the sites mentioned.I will post an early version of the song shortly,a better recording will be done in the New Year but this will give a flavour of what is involved.
Thanks for reading.
Dave</p>
Dave McGiltontag:davemcgilton.com,2005:Post/61607752010-01-09T09:51:57+00:002019-12-18T20:05:20+00:00The Sky Belongs to Dreamers
<p>From the first cave dwellers gazing into the night sky in wonder to Leonardo Da Vinci dreaming on his balcony- from the Wright brothers to Neil Armstrong taking that giant leap for mankind, for countless centuries we’ve looked into the sky day and night and dreamed of what was out there…what might be…what if we were able to fly …what if…
Since the dawn of mankind the sky has belonged to dreamers and it always will…it is only in the most recent times in terms of human history that warped and depraved minds have used the sky as a method of controlling populations by instilling terror or fear into them by raining bombs, missiles and all manner of terrible destruction down upon them. You’d truly have to ask yourself what kind of minds could take something as beautiful as the sky and attempt to turn it into a place of death and somewhere to be feared …I have no doubt that this aberration and abuse of the sky by all manner of armies and nations does not have a long term future and there’ll come a time when to use the sky as a way to wage war will be seen as totally primitive behaviour and in breach of every law of nature and spirit and more than that, it will be looked on historically as a sorry and terrible chapter in human history when the human race suffered a spell of temporary insanity.
That madness is what led to a beautiful sky over Manhattan being turned into a place of darkness and tragedy on Sept.11 2001 when a small group of human beings bent on death and destruction brought chaos and unimaginable suffering to thousands of innocent people in the city below. They hijacked a beautiful morning and turned it into a living nightmare of unspeakable horror, one from which the world has yet to recover.
I’m quite sure one man in particular who woke early that morning had no inkling or idea that it was to be his last day on earth as he gazed into the glorious Autumn sunshine from the upper window of the Franciscan Friary on West 31st street in New York city. Fr Mychal Judge, the FDNY Fire Chaplain would no doubt have heard the alarm bells ringing in Engine Co. 1 Ladder 24 directly across the road from the Friary and assuming perhaps a “normal” call out would nevertheless have enquired as to the emergency. On hearing that a plane had apparently accidentally struck one of the Twin towers in Lower Manhattan he’d have immediately gone without hesitation straight to the scene eager to assist in any way with casualties. Shortly after arrival he was ministering to a fallen fire fighter who had been struck by someone jumping from above when he was killed himself and he was among the first of many to die tragically that day. Although not the first to die as a mark of respect he was recorded by the city of New York as the first official death of 9/11 in NYC.
Fr Mychal was a very popular and well respected man, deeply loved by the firefighters for his humility, humanity, compassion and sense of humour. He was the first “religious” to visit and physically comfort Aids patients in New York hospitals during the hysteria surrounding the disease in the early 1980’s and he did this at a time when no-one would visit the dying and when many sufferers, isolated and disowned by family, were left to die lonely and tragic deaths. He constantly tended to the homeless and the hungry and although anything but a saint he cared deeply for those unfortunates who fell between the cracks in a city where the gap between the obscenely wealthy and those who had nothing was almost as wide then as it is today. He LIVED his Christianity, he didn’t live in an ivory tower or preach platitudes from the palace window, he got down in the dirt where the real struggles are and for that, New York city and all of us owe him a huge debt of gratitude because he demonstrated what real Christianity looks like.
The Sky Belongs to Dreamers is my personal tribute to Fr. Mychal and the Emergency responders of 9/11 and to all of those lost on the day. Many of those firefighters, police and port authority workers were seen rushing into the burning buildings to help the wounded when everyone else was rushing out in the opposite direction. Their sacrifice should be forever remembered and forever commemorated. This song is my way of remembering them and the song is also a plea for peace and although the clock can never be turned back to a more innocent time, the song I hope is a gentle hand on the shoulder of those who lost loved ones as much as it’s a timeless affirmation that love and life will ALWAYS triumph over death. It’s what I believed then, it’s what I believe now.
Sleep well and dream-peaceful and free…
Dave McGilton –Jan. 2010
You can find The Sky Belongs to Dreamers on itunes…there are 2 great versions available there..one performed by one of my dearest friends throughtout the years Mary Courtney in New York and the other performed by a new friend ex Irish Tenor John McDermott who is based in Toronto. Thank you both for covering this song.</p>
Dave McGilton