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Home , Bill Whelan, Donal Lunny, Julie Feeney, Matt Molloy, Moya Doherty, Paul McGuinness

Press Book

from 01.06.2014 to 30.06.2014

Copyright Material. This may only be copied under the terms of a Newspaper Licensing Ireland agreement (www.newspaperlicensing.ie) or written publisher permission. -2-

Table of Contents

21/06/2014 Southern Star: Maritime festival organisers commended...... 3 12/06/2014 Advertiser: Monroe's Live: Voted 'Best Pub in Galway' two years running...... 5 01/06/2014 In Tallaght Magazine: The Club...... 6 24/06/2014 Mayo News: Triple header at The Acoustic Yard in 's...... 7 09/07/2014 : Whelan In The Years...... 8

Copyright Material. This may only be copied under the terms of a Newspaper Licensing Ireland agreement (www.newspaperlicensing.ie) or written publisher permission. -3- Southern Star* Circulation: 13750 Saturday, 21 June 2014 Area of Clip: 44700mm² Page: 22 Page 1 of 2

Bailydehob Maritime festival organisers commended UNQUESTIONABLYa music nell, Andrea O'Driscoll and the usual favourites including festival with a difference - Last Holly McCarthy, all Scoil home baking, jams, chutneys, weekend's Fastnet Maritime Bhride NS. Local artist, Carol vegetables, flowers, plants etc. and Folk Festival in the sunblessedJames, judged the entries. Tea, coffee and cake will also village didn't have any Children's Poetry Competition be served. sponsored by Bridie Roycroft, of the usual frenetic activity often Cardiac support associated with such occasions. Bailydehob Post Office The Bantry Cardiac Support Instead the large, generallyand Cathal O'Donovan's Bookshop, Skibbereen - results: Group annual walk will take more mature, place on Tuesday, June 24th, attendance enjoyedtheir entertainment1st, Daisy Seward, Scoil meeting at Harbour View at a more sedate Bhride NS; Joint 2nd Bella Melvin-Caird and Bethan car park at 7pm, with walk pace, making their way from route to be decided. Members venue to venue to sample, enjoy Jenkins, both Scoil Bhride NS; of the Clonakilty CSG will also and even participate in the Joint 3rd Conor Tobin, Scoil take part. After the walk refreshments many varied sessions that were Bhride NS and Finin Barrett, will be served. Any springing up, mushroom-like, St Matthias NS. This competition person who has suffered a cardiac in the town's hostelries. Atone was judged by acclaimed event, who has had cardiac moment the Cork Singers' author, Alice Taylor, Innishannon.surgery or anyone with any cardiac-related Club were in full voice, only to concerns is welcome be followedby stories of curses Summer outing to attend. Immediate by those who have 'the power', family members are also welcome. fairies and their rights-of-way Members of Bailydehob For details contact: as told in his own inimitable Community Care Association Catherine Cahalane, cardiovascular style by Kerry seanachai, Eddie enjoyed ideal weather conditions RHN on 086-7871552 or Linehan and then back to music for their annual summer John (group secretary) on 0864048821. again for a late late hooley. outing last Monday. There was Special thanks has been extendedan early start for the Killarney to all the sponsors, destination which saw the Community lotto singers, musicians and volunteersgroup stopping in the Kerry There was no winner of the tourist capital for refreshments who ensured the smooth community council lotto jackpot and shopping before going on running of the many events. at last weekend's draw to visit the magnificently restored, Credit and congratulations also when the numbersdrawn were Pugin-designed, St went to to Dick Miles, Cathy 17, 33 and 37. Lucky dip winners: 's Cathedral. Then.it Cook and their committee for €50, Jerry Thomas; €40, their dedication in organising was on to Muckross House for this boutique festival. lunch, a guided tour of the John Hogarty; €30, Mary O'Callaghan; In the songwriting competition mansion itself and a visit to the €25, Kate O'Mahony sponsored by IMRO, resultsold style farm on the site. The and Peggie Cronin. The were as follows:1st, Gina exhausted band's energy was jackpot for this Saturday Dunlap; 2nd, Kevin Pendred; restored by the time they got night's draw, which willbe held joint 3rd, Tom Patterson, David back to Bantry where they were in Vincent Coughlan's Bar, is Precious and Eugene McSweeney.met by some more members currently €1,800. The judge was the who were unable to travel on renowned songwriter, Richard the tour itself for dinner in the GAA lotto Grainger who had favourable Maritime Hotel. The winning numbers in last comments on the standard and Sale Sunday's Gabriel Rangers' lotto the large number of entries in draw were 28, 32 and 38. the competition. Patrons of the ICA home There was no jackpot winner. Children's Art Competition produce sale will be delighted Consolation prizes: €50, K sponsored by Fastnet Framing, to hear that the local, Ballydehob/SchullMurphy; €40, Ryan McSweeney; West Cork Art Shop, Skibbereen guild of the association €20, Katrina O'Callaghan, and Carol James - results: has just announced that Mary O'Callaghan, 1st, Ruby McCarthy-Fisher the sale's summer season will Mary Lannin and JE and F , St Matthias NS; 2nd, commence on Friday of next Murphy. The jackpot for the Christina Robb, St Matthias week, June 27th, in its usual locationnext draw which takes place in NS; Joint 3rd, Cila O'Connor,' in the community hall. Hackett's Bar has been increased and Ella Camier, both Scoil As in previous years it will run to the €3,000 mark. Bhrfde NS; highly-commended, on a weekly basis from 11amto Loveday Twamley-O'Don- 12.30pm and on sale will be all -4- Southern Star* Circulation: 13750 Saturday, 21 June 2014 Area of Clip: 44700mm² Page: 22 Page 2 of 2

Preschool Two Rivers Preschool, Ballydehob, is having an open day on June 21st from 2pm to 4pm. Two Rivers Kindergarten is a Steiner-influenced playgroup and preschool based in an idyllic landscape near Ballydehob. The holistic, child-centred approach provides a safe and secure homelike environment, in which the children can flourish. Contemporary life puts children under increasing pressure to grow up as quickly as possible, Steiner Waldorf early education, however, takes an unhurried approach to childhood. All the children take part in gardening, cooking, baking and eating together. With a large outdoor space, swings, willow houses and a sandpit, a portion of each day is spent outside playing and telling stories. In Steiner Waldorf early education, play is valued in itself. Noreen Lynch from Ballydehob and Jason Byrne, Simple and beautiful materials Cadamstown, Co Offaly, were married in St Brigid's Church, are provided to allow the children Ballydehob on Friday last. to be active in their imaginations.

Everyday the children are provided with a wholesome organic meal. Would you like your child to - learn how to bake? Watch puppet shows? Be creative and learn songs? Make seasonal arts and crafts? Celebrate the festivals and the rhythms of the seasons? Play in a garden everyday? Opening times are Monday to Thursday, 9.30 until 1pm. Parent, toddler and baby group is on Friday 10am to 12 noon. FREE ECCE places are available for September 2014. Enquiries to 0879194082. -5- Galway Advertiser* Circulation: 70000 Thursday, 12 June 2014 Area of Clip: 31300mm² Page: 74 Page 1 of 1

Monroe’s Live: Voted ‘Best Pub in Galway’ two years running To be awarded ‘Best Pub luminaries as Texas, core of everything that in Galway’ two years Keywest, Wallis Bird, Kila, Monroe’s Live is about; running is no mean feat, Alabama 3, Ryan however Galway’s top especially when you venue is also devoted to consider that Galway has Sheridan, The Original providing the best overall arguably the best nightlife Rudeboys, Damien experience possible, and in Ireland. Yet that is Dempsey, and X-Factor precisely what Monroe’s winner Matt Cardie to that includes offering its Live has achieved, Galway, while always patrons more ‘bang for winning the prestigious hosting the very best in your buck’. accolade in the Galway emerging talent and cover With this in mind, Advertiser ‘Best of bands. Monroe’s Live has become Galway’ Awards 2013, and With two stages hosting the first venue in the west now 2014. live music from early of Ireland to produce its What sets Monroe’s evening until the small own mobile app, Live apart is that it takes hours, the music never especially for the everything to the highest stops, ensuring there’s Monroe’s Live members’ level, and never settles for something for everyone at club. Joining the club second-best. Whether it is Monroe’s Live. could not be easier. attracting international So if you fancy listening Simply visit the Google superstars like Kodaline, to some folk, jazz, trad, or Play store (for Android the welcoming blues in intimate environment, its surrounds, sit back and devices) or the iTunes delectable cocktail menu, relax and soak up the store (for Apple devices) 1or its enthusiastic, atmosphere with a and search for ‘Monroe’s friendly and obliging staff; cocktail in the Backstage App’. Then, you just Monroe’s Live delivers the Bar. If you fancy a dance download the free app to ultimate Galway going-out and a shuffle to some of your device, register your experience. the best rock and pop out membership through the With Monroe’s Tavern there, the Main Stage is app, and start enjoying a for you. You can pop from world of great offers, on Dominick Street one to the other, discounted entry, priority hosting live music seven depending on what tickets, and members-only nights a week since 1964, sounds are tickling your gigs. Gary and Robert Monroe and their team had quite a fancy, just like your very reputation to uphold when own festival. With top-ofthe-range they opened Monroe’s sound systems Live in December 2009. throughout the venue, However their whatever music you like, determination to build on it is guaranteed to sound a half-century at the heart great at Monroe’s Live. of Galway’s music and With three bars, two social scene and to give levels, and two stages, Galway a 21st century Monroe’s Live is ideally venue experience has positioned to cater for been acknowledged at large groups of up to 500 both a local and national people, and its dedicated level, with two party liaison can arrange consecutive ‘Best Pub in Galway’ awards and in everything for your 2013, when Monroe’s Live special night, with food, was voted ‘Best Venue in bubbly, entertainment, Ireland’ in the Hot Press and the best of craic IMRO Awards. available at the click of a In five short years, button on Monroe’s Live has www.monroes.ie. welcomed such Great -6- In Tallaght Magazine* Circulation: 12000 Sunday, 1 June 2014 Area of Clip: 10800mm² Page: 11 Page 1 of 1

TheSongwriter Club

Therewill be a Songwriter Club meeting at The CamdenSessions in Anseo on CamdenStreet. This is another unplugged music venuewhich seesthe group haveit's usual meeting on Tuesday10th Junefrom 8pm followed by an open mic night.

Guestspeaker on the night will be DavidWilkinson from the Marketing& MembershipDepartment of the Irish Music Rights Organisation(IMRO).

The idea behind the club is to bring together everycouple of months to chat about all sorts of songwriting stuff, shareideas, set up collaboratinggroups and also to havefun getting to know eachother. There will also be specialguests from different areasof the industry.All songwriters, whateverthe genre, whateverthe standardare welcometo attend.

SearchThe-Songwriter-Club on Facebookfor more info. -7- Mayo News* Circulation: 10229 Tuesday, 24 June 2014 Area of Clip: 31300mm² Page: 37 Page 1 of 1

Triple header at The Acoustic Yard in Matt Molloy's THIS month's IMRO supported 'The Acoustic Yard' on Tuesday, June 24, offers up the sublime songwriting talent of 'Four Men and a Dog' frontman Kevin Doherty, the amazing vocals of Kathleen Turner and the fabulous tunesmith Jimi Cullen. The monthly sessions offer a perfectblendofsinger/songwritingunder the intimate setting and glass roof of Matt Molloy's Yard Bar. Kevin Doherty, fom Donegal, has recorded five albums with the hugely popular 'Four Men and a Dog' and has appeared at many of the world's major festivals and venues. Their performances and recordings include supreme examples of the playing of and a mix of country, folk, blues and Americana, including original songs by Kevin. Two of their albums were Kathleen recorded at the studio of Levon Helm Turner 'The Band' in Woodstock, New York. Kevin has recorded four solo albums, 'Strange Weather', 'Sweet Water', 'Telegraph' and 'Seeing Things' as well as a limited edition EP called 'Morocco'. He will be playing some new tracks especially for 'The Acoustic Yard' from his latest offering 'Seeing Things' a brilliantly constructed CD. Kevin is a true songwriter with lyrics and melodies immersed together in thought-provoking brilliance. Kathleen Turner is a new name on the singer/songwriter scene and her latest EP release 'Some Stories' will surely Tyrone-born singer is Education Outreachsic 'Zombie' reached number two in the catapult her into a household name. Officer with the Irish Chamber Irish iTunes chart last year. Coming from a good pedigree as sister Orchestra and the key manager of their Recently he was nominated for Best of songwriter Juliet Turner, Kathleen 'Sing Out With Strings' programme. Male, Best Acoustic/alternative and Best has managed to blend contemporary Jimi Cullen is currently touring his Unsigned artist in the Music Review melodies with a more traditional slant third CD 'Life', a wonderful collection Unsigned awards. As a songwriter, Jimi which is apparent in her fantastic song of songs played with his amicable carefree has written some of the catchiest melodies 'Kenmare Bay'. As Juliet posted recently, sound. Jimi hails from Wexford and around and he is a perfect addition "Sometimes I see Kathleen coming started out ten years ago playing in every to this month's 'The Acoustic Yard'. towards me and think "what am I doing nook and cranny. As one of the hardest Doors open 8.30pm and is usual Irish over there?" working musicians, it finally paid off TV will be there to film he event for Now based in since 2006, the when his cover of The Cranberries clas¬ future broadcast. -8- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 1 of 6

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Eurovision Song Contest from The PointTheatre On the 20th anniversary of , composer Bill Whelan looks in . Having worked with hack at the phenomenon he gave birth to. recalls the fateful decision and on The Spirit of Mayo, he had to sack Michael Flatley, discusses the Limerick City Of Culture already established the blueprint.The question was: could he take it on to a new level? controversy and shares his thoughts on the future of music in an era The rest, as they say, is history. Except whenfewer andfewer people pay for records that, as we will see, history is not quite as WORDS Xiall Stokes I 'HOTOS Katherine Baumbaeh straightforward as it might now seem. Bill Whelan has never spoken in such depth and with such candour, about his Riverdanceexperience. But first, there is a new work to unveil: a concerto Whelan sits across the table in the Ireland's improvisational elite of the 1970s, forflute, written for the great and hugely popular conservatory of his Rathgar home. He'll alongsidethe likes of Des Moore, Jim Doherty and East soloist, James Galway. be saying goodbye to the house shortly. Desi Reynolds. He also produced and arranged a That's where the conversation begins, "It’s too big for us now.” he says. "All number of Eurovision winning songs, including with Whelan explaining the genesis of this the kids have grown up and moved out. Shay Healy’s'What's AnotherYear', sung by extraordinary new piece. It ends almost three There's just the two of us. So we're moving Johnny Logan, and Johnny Logan's own 'Hold Me hours later. "Come here,” he says, as I pick up the Billback to a smaller place." Now'. voice recorder, "I want you to hearthis.”Bill leads Recognised as one of Ireland's most me to his studio workspace and sits down in It'll be a wrench: the house is a beautiful one, accomplished musical directors, he worked front of the computer screen. He shows me the which the composer and his wife Denise Quinn with , producing'Refugee',a trackfortheir sheet music for 'Linen and Lace1onscreen - the transformed after he moved in, a decade and a Waralbum.aswellas with , Van wonders of technology writ small! - and then half ago. But without the family bustling around Morrison, and, most notably, locates the sound file he is looking for. the place, the scale of it seems too much. It is Elmer Bernstein, who brought numerous movie He has been working on a project with the time to move on. projects to Ireland, to record with Whelan's Irish Berklee School of Music in Boston. "There are Not that he’ll be moving far.The huge success Film Orchestra project. He also wrote a number some things that language can't express." he says. ofR/verdoncemeantthatWhelan could afford of film soundtracks, including for Lamb (with Van ''There are things for which we don't have words. to keep the house in which he and Denise had Morrison), Dancing At Lughnasa and 's And that is the starting point for this project. It lived in Ranelagh.justa short hop and a skip Some Mother's Son. In terms of his career trajectory, will combine different forms of'mouth music' away from where we now sit. His original Dublin the first crucial moment was probably when he from all overthe world, sung by a choral group, married abode is beside the Luas line, which joined , connecting with and with singers of all sorts of different nationalities. will make getting into town easy: he plans to Donal Lunny. It is about things that can only be expressed organise a space in the city to work.There won't Having toured with the band, and worked on through music, things that don’t accommodate be room fora studio in the new. old house. a variety of other gigs with these two hugely to normal, rational, verbal explication." That's where Whelan spends most of his influential figures, he was inspired by the He clicks the mouse.The music pours from the working day now, beavering away in the potential of placing traditional and in speakers, the waves of sound rolling over us in impossible to nail exactly task of chasing ideas an orchestral setting. He wrote The Seville Suite a torrent. Crash of cymbal. Surge of saxophone. till they emerge, following only the logic of the ini992andThe Spirit of Mayo in 1993-ambitious Voices humming and hymning, hawing, sawing, alchemist, as music: hopefully great music. works both, which involved the integration of sweeping and soaring. Intricacies interweaving. Bill began his career in rock bands, before flamenco and Irish dancing into a large-scale The void filled with a beautiful noise and the graduating to the role of producer and arranger, theatrical presentation. spirit rising.This is what it is all about. Music to working with seminal outfits like Minor Detail Ini994, -who had seen Spirit of stirthesoul... andThose Nervous Animals. He got into jazz, Mayo - approached Bill to write a seven-minute Let's talk about'Linen and Lace'. fnrmo^ Cfrarr anrl horamo narf nf u/haf liuac infon/al niorofnrthp hrnarlrasf nf fhpioo/i IS -9- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 2 of 6 -10- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 3 of 6

was a lot of excitement going on with horses," Bill elaborates. "They were always in the streets: they delivered the milk: they were used in funerals-and so on. So in the Limerick movement, I wrote a kind of a horse-trotting theme, and then I went into lace making. Limerick lace was a big thing. "So taking the f ute as the leader, the piece is all about the melodies interweaving against each other.The piece ends on a flute cadenza, which James Galway plays just wonderfully." Was the fact that James would be playing the piece important when Bill was writing it? Does the musician it is intended for become a kind of surrogate muse? “Oh yes. I totally think of the player,” he says. "One of the amazing things about meeting him is,as I said, that there’s such humour in James Galway. He has tremendous technique - that he has in the bag. it's a given - but what he brings extra is that he’s very much about making the pieces accessible. He did a whole bunch of classical pieces when I saw him live, but, before he plays them, he gives a little speech about the pieces, and it's very personal and it makes the audience very relaxed. And also, it connects them to the music in a way that most classical concerts don't. And so, when I was writing, there was a couple things that were humorous in the score that I wouldn't have done if I had been writing for somebody else. I knew he had the touch to carry those off.”

about Limerick was a sort of homecoming for Bill Whelan. The concerto coincides with the anointment of Limerick Writingas Ireland's City of Culture, an initiative ofthe Minister for the Arts, Jimmy Deenihan, which has been the subject of considerable controversy. Bill was invited to sit on the board that was set up to “PEOPLE ARE JUST GIVING organise the City of Culture celebrations - a call which he answered without hesitation. So how AWAY THEIR STUFF. AND IT important is the city to him? "It is important. I think Limerick has suffered a lot of bad press. There’s no denying what has CAN'T LAST. AND TO MY EYES, happened: there was bad city planning,and a lot of negative things arose out of that. But there IT IS SO RLATANTLY WRONG” isa spirit to Limerick, which is really worth celebrating. As a city, it has a personality and a certain way of looking at things, which I still relate ff A bout three years ago, I got a phone call from important to both cities-work of a kind that is to. #1James Galway," Bill Whelan recalls, "and we now largely gone. "Even though my parents were from Dublin, I was fihad a chat, and he asked, 'Would you ever "It's basically a two-movement piece, the first born there. I grew up right in the heart ofthe city, consider doing an orchestral concerto for flute?' being Belfast, and the second being Limerick," just off O'Connell Street. So I was very much a city We talked about it and the idea emerged that we he explains. "I decided that there was plenty to boy. I lived near my school: I could get up at 5 to 9 ' ^ would do something that would be about Limerick celebrate in the working people in both places. and be in class at 9. And in those days, the famous and about Belfast. But it was kind of hard to get So both pieces start off with little quotes of wellknown lanes of Limerick still existed. I didn't live in a lane, going because he was travelling all over the world." pieces to do with the cities: Belfast starts but the lane behind us was the lane where the off with'My Lagan Love',and Limerick begins McCourts grew up. So I knew all the people in the An idea for a TV programme on the birth of a with 'There Is an Isle’,both of which are strongly lane. I hung out with the kids. concerto was mooted - but that proved to be a associated with the culture of the cities." "So growing up in Limerick was formative. It's distraction. Whelan lights up describing the concerto, which also where I did all my early music. A lot of us had "Then Lyric FM got involved.They had heard he has called 'Linen and Lace'. It draws on these bands, and Grannies Intentions were happening at about it and wanted to commission a piece. A inter-related industrial activities, which were so that time-so Limerick was very active musically. commission is very important in that it gives central to the economy, and also to the working When I goto Limerick, there's still a great attitude people a focus. So we had a performance date, life, of Belfast and Limerick respectively. The to life there. So I think the City of Culture is a very we had an orchestra and we had the necessary imaginative arc sweeps across shipbuilding in good opportunity for the city to feel better about commission to support it. And so I got down to it Belfast, the harp tradition there, marching bands, itself.” and started writing." industrialisation, the humours of Limerick and He is circumspect about the controversies that Finding a link between the two cities was vital. the importance of knowing that you are part of a erupted -though as a member ofthe board he These are the hard yards: the moments of solitary community. "There was a great kind of humour in clearly feels aggrieved at the coverage of the whole imagining,conjuring melodies out of nothing, the working people in Limerick," he reflects. "There affair in the media. feeling the rhythms surge through your bones, that was also a great sense of pride in what they did, "The city manager Conn Murray appointed the are an essential part of the creative process. and there was nobility." original CEO, Patricia Ryan, because there was a "I’ma big believer, as is James, that even though Fora composer, the creative process is an certain sense of panic that a strong administrative music is often used to be divisive, through history, especially mercurial one: at any time, a piece hand was required to move the thing forward," he it's capacity for reaching over borders is even can go in a thousand different directions, says. "To those of us on the board, it had seemed a stronger. I remember he rang me one day, and he but ultimately the finished work refects the bit sluggish. So it was in that spirit that she was asked how I was doing, and I said I had started, sensibility, the energy, the resourcefulness and appointed.To my knowledge, and to my belief, I and he asked, have you done the Protestant bit yet? the organisational nous of its creator, who has to think it is wrong to say that was done cynically, as And I said, I think I’m getting to the middle of it, chase shadows till they somehow become real, a political appointment. I don’t think that's true." and he asked 'are there drums in it?' He has a great and meaningful, on the page of a score. Memory, It is not something that he wants to dwell on. sense of humour." and how we interpret the past, play a huge part in "What it says to me is that, someti mes when The connection that gnawed its way into the it all... politics and the arts come together, there isn't a lot piece centred on the industrial work that was so "When I was a child growing up in Limerick, there of understanding, at official level, of what it takes -11- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 4 of 6

(Clockwise from left) U2, Riverdanceand Moya Doherty

to actually mount even a small artistic project. was going on at the time," he recollects. "Everyone and she said they looked amazing and the way And I think there was a certain haste about this. who had a bit of successbefore that, they went Michael was presenting his looked like Everyone knows itwasdone in a hurry-and it abroad. You would sign to an English record something we could tap into. And Jean Butler was shouldn't have been. It’s difficult to be critical of company or an American record company, and so beautiful and such a beautiful Irish dancer.And Jimmy Deenihan- becausethere’s the human you were gone. And with U2, suddenly: they were so Moya said she wanted to do something that aspect of this...you lookat someone like him and here, and they were stayi ng here. And there was a would really present Irish dance in a theatrical way you know this was coming from the right place recording studio built around them. And there was that hadn't been done before. emotionally. a whole management structure, and there were "We had a very memorable meeting in a small "As it turns out, the energy that it stimulated guys from Cork and from Mayo working on their cafe on Baggot Street. She said look, I'd use a lots has been very good. And it has created-I know team." ofdrummersas in the Spirit of Mayo-something from goi ng down to the city as much as I do now He believes that the Artist’s Exemption, put in with that power of drummers. And we are using - a tremendous atmosphere on the ground, of place originally by Charlie Haughey,was important the motif of the Liffey - becausethe Eurovision determination to make itwork. It will be brilliant, to this. was taking place on the Liffey. So she said: think despite thefact that it was so hurriedly organised. "The whole thing was an Irish thing, and we all about it and seewhat you come up with. Luckily Limerick IT stepped into the breach, and felt really proud about it. And not only felt proud, “I went away to think about what could be offered the services of Mike Fitzpatrick, in an but we felt actually: we are swans. We can do it. written in that vei n and that started the process. interim position, to run the artistic end of it. And Then it was I ike, SteveWin wood is coming into Then she brought in Michael Flatley and Jean as it turns out, he has done a very good job and Cork. And Kate Bush is coming in to Dublin to Butler, and I began to play them what I had written has since been appointed to the actual position of record. Suddenly it's a cool place to be becausewe for them, and we talked about how we would Chief Executive and Artistic Director- have the gear.We have spent money. We have made structure it. I basically took the life of the river as Some things that appeared in the media still money. Money has come back into the country. the motif and started it with Anuna, who I had rankle. That was all positive. worked with i n the Spirit of Mayo, and I wrote the “You have people like Fintan O'Toole writing "I couldn't say for certain if that would have lyrics for their piece, and then Jean Butler's piece these articles about the board of Limerick City happened had the artists tax relief not been there. and then the two of them coming together-and of Culture and that the members of the board But I think it was a catalyst. Being based in Ireland then thebigfinale.Andthestructurewasto have should read more books - and that many of the made sense for artists. So taking the long view, the shape of a river: it starts small, and then it artists needed to be entrepreneurs. I mean, Yeats things like that are very, very important.They builds and builds, and then goes and rushes out to was an entrepreneur- but many artists aren’t can have a very positive outcome, which is often the sea. entrepreneurs and they need the help of managers, forgotten." "That’s what was driving the original conception oradministrators.to move things forward. I think I had - and that’s what it became. Mavis Ascott there was a bit of a Limerick bashing thing in the Whelan's career had been going well. He did the choreography: she’sa very good stage coverage.The narrative in the media was that the was upthere among thego-to guys in Ireland, choreographer who is often not spoken of and original artistic director, who resigned, had stood Billcomposing and arranging for theatre, film, who would have been responsible forthe big line behind the artists in Limerick against the sort of TV, radio and orchestra, as well as working as a of dancers. Michael Flatley created the steps for mindless structure that was in place.That was . As far back as 1981,he had written himself,and Jean and himself did their pieces what was being said. And that was simply not the ’Timedance'with Donal Lunnyforthe Eurovision together. So that's how the original seven-minute case." interval. Now,another Eurovision-related piece evolved." Bill Whelan is well aware of how important opportunity presented itself. The story of what happened next is fascinating: it is to create the setting for Irish artists to feel "The idea to do something as the centrepiece of the truth is that it all could so easily have run confident enough to flourish. A founding member Eurovision was Moya Doherty’s,” he says."Her job aground, had it not been for Bill Whelan’s of the Irish Music Rights Organisation, he lived was to deliver the 1994 persistence. through the era when it was impossible to get and she needed a piece for the interval. She had ”1felt that we had really something, and I didn't a UK-basedA&-R scout onto a plane to come to seen a number of things that I had done previously know what it was. In our business,you just don’t Dublin. In many ways we now take the respect of like The Seville Suite and particularly The Spirit know if something is going to take off. But I did the international musiccommunityasa given. But of Mayo, which was done in 1993.Both Michael feel there was something special about this, and it isn’t. Flatley and Jean Butler had been in the Spirit of so I went around the record industry. And I said ”U2 staying in Ireland reversedthe tide of what Mayo concert, and she had seen both of them I’m doing this piece of musicforthe Eurovision, -12- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 5 of 6

if there wasn't room for everybody, then my name wouldn’t be up there. That was a production decision. And if I'm uncomfortable about any part of it, the artist in me who created the thing finds himself uncomfortable with that. "For i nstance, a recent statement, on the website of Riverdance-the organization that I had given the name to: it was my name - and it says, 'Riverdancewas created by Moya Doherty with music by Bill Whelan, choreographed by...’This is issued by the office. Now, that's not a proper reflection of what went on. It's not. And those kind of things annoy me - and understandably so. And it's just been going on for years, and I lived with it, to be cordial and carry on our business. It's not something that... He trails off. "I’m not sure where it comes from, that culture of undervaluing what the musician does. It’s because, in some ways, it’s not understood.The moment of composition of a piece of music, or even an idea, an extended idea, a musical idea, is a bit mysterious. So, it would have been interesting if we could have a parallel universe and we could see what would have happened if anybody else had been asked to write Riverdanceother than me. That would have and I'd like to make a record of it, but I have no "That became the template. And then I sat down been interesting." money. Well. I couldn't get the money to do it from and wrote four pages of A4 on what each dance What did hefeel when the decision was taken, record companies. RT£weren’t interested in being piece in the show would be about. And then, at the early on in the life of the show, to drop Michael involved either. end of October of 1994,after Eurovision, I sat down Flatley? "So I eventually went to the Church and General, to write those pieces to the template that I had "I thought Moya Doherty made absolutely the and I spoke to them, and I found myself in this created. And that became Riverdance,the show. right decision. He was one of the team. Very good extraordinary situation of sending my demo over "All of that music, in both cases,was down and glad to have him, but let’s be measured here. to an insurance company. And I got a call in the on paper, before a foot was put on the floor of Michael, of course, was disappearing offto get afternoon. It was this guy Damian O'Neill. He said dance - and everything that was done eventually a tan while I was working every hour-1 worked 'yeah, we had a listen to that, it's pretty good'. He and spectacularly in the dance was informed easily 14hours to iS hours a day from the end of asked what do you need to do this? I said I need ten by what had happened in the music. So for me, October to February that year, some nights going thousand pounds, which at the time was a lot of Riverdancewas a very personal creation.There were to bed for two hours. money, to pay for the orchestra, the recording, the involvements with the director John McColgan “And then Michael had cars being sent to here pressing. He said 'we’ll give you that'. and obviously Michael Flatley wanted to do a piece and there and you think: 'oh for fuck's sake’.And "I suddenly had the capacity to make the record. of just solo dancing, which he did. But Riverdance it’s not that you don't think he’s good. He’sfucking And we went into the studio, and we recorded the was on those four pages of A4 - and that was it. We great. But let’s get a bit of balance here about what track. I eventually went to Paul McGuinness.and might have changed it a bit over the years - pulled we do. And that’s really where it blew up first and we got Son Records,which was part of Mother, a piece out, put in another piece. But broadly that's I saw the potential of Michael to be out of control. which was U2’slabel, to release it. So it came out on still the shape of the show twenty years later. And eventually he ended up pulling that elastic U2'slabel, and it was ready and in the shops the day "So that’s how it came about.They say success band to where Moya said ’okay, that's it’. And that’s after Eurovision. And a week or so later, it was Non. has many fathers and failure is an orphan - well, where she really was a good producer. She called "So through a mixture of the creative work sometimes fathers appear that surprise me," he me on the day she made the decision and said 'look and a little bit of entrepreneurial spirit, we had a adds. "I saw Michael Flatley being interviewed on I'm going to do this, whatdoyou think?' And I said record-and now we had continuity. It wasn't just television recently.The interviewer was obviously 'yeah I thinkyou're right. I think we havea show. I something happening on the night of Eurovision a fan: she kept touching his leg and so on. He was think we have a show without him’. But everybody and everyone thinking,'What was that?’ Now we talking about Riverdance.He said,'I created the first else, all of the promoters, after the announcement, had a record - and it was played everywhere: first in Riverdanceand then I convinced the producer to do were going, 'JesusChrist,you're going to fire the Ireland, then the UK - and then everywhere else." a two-hour show. And l created that... and then I star?’ And she did." got fired'. And she goes,'Oh my God’.Then at the There is no question, however, of wanting to deny euphoria after the Eurovision was end, he said, 'But you know for me, Riverdance...no Michael Flatley the credit that he is entitled to. extraordinary. Almost everyone in Ireland matter what has happened, I wish those people "Michael, to give him his due, was an essential Theseemed to sense that this was a unique the best, but Riverdancewill always be me'. And I part of what happened at Riverdance.It’s like me moment. All the old inhibitions surrounding Irish thought, God: is there no end to them, you know? saying, if I hadn’t written the music and somebody dancing - and Irish culture-had been swept away. "I'm sorry, but Riverdanceis not going to always else had written the score: if he hadn't come out A triumphant piece of orchestral music that was be him. Riverdance.to me. will be what it was when and danced as he did on Eurovision, it wouldn't based on the tradition had created a context that it was created as a piece of music, like a ballet have been the same. And it was a massively lucky made Irish dancing sexy.The music shot to the top except in Irish terms. And that's what itwas-and thing, the coming together of talented people to of the charts.The question now was: where to from on the original tickets for the show at The Point it do something. And it stuck the right chord. All the here? said Bill Whelan's Riverdance. planets lined up and it was- it was a moment. We "We were very excited by what had happened. "The way Broadway or musical theatre works, knew it was. Moya, and I sat down and talked about doing a the creative force that writes the thing is definitely "It was such a unique item. That’s why I would show - that there was obviously an audience for there no matter what happens, whether it's never try to write Riverdance2. If I had another this and a demand for more. And we talked about Rodgers and Hammerstein or Leonard Bernstein. successful show like Riverdance,I wouldn’t object what it would be and I said I was very comfortable That's the way it evolved in the music and in the - but I just know that it’s not possible, that the working within the some of the genres I had theatre business. But sometimes, with Riverdance, energy that was behind the creation of Riverdance already approached: eastern European music, that that got muddy. cannot be replicated. It just cannot. It was like, I had done on EastWind with Andy Irvine; Spanish "It's very difficult for me to talk about this you know,The Beatles. It just happened: the right music, which I had done inThe Seville Suite; and of without being hurtful to people, which I don’t people were there and that’s the way it was." course Irish music. want to be. My relationship with Moya has always Was he never tempted to do a follow-up - which "If we could stay within that, then we could been very cordial. And so I know this might sound is essentially what Moya's latest production, do Riverdance-and turn the river's story into the really shitty - but I had sole credit on the marquee Heartbeatof Home,represents? circular journey of a nation: the river going out to of Radio City for the first production there of "The engine that drove Riverdancewas not about the sea and coming back as rain and nourishing the Riverdance.And over the years that became not money. And almost any other attempt to repeat river again would symbolise the nation going out acceptable - and we had to have everyone’s name it, almost de facto, has to be about money. So to foreign parts and coming back and nourishing up. you can’t go there. Cause that's going to defeat the homeland again. And I said: we could make a "That was a demand that, personally, I had no you right at the very start. You do it because it show about that. problem with. But then it got to the stage where, feels good musically or emotionally or whatever -13- Hot Press* Circulation: 17725 Wednesday, 9 July 2014 Area of Clip: 316600mm² Page: 46,47,48 Page 6 of 6

it is. Creatively, it makes sense.And just doing Riverdance2 or someth i ng that has a lot of the characteristics of it, just becauseyou think there is an audience out there, is not the reason to do it. Becausethat's not why you did it in the first place. “Can you image if we were all sitting around the table in RTE,before the Eurovision and Moya said 'Now listen, Bill.This is going to make loads of money.You get out and write a piece'.That was nowhere near anybody's mind.This was all about putting out something on the Eurovision stage that reflected well on Irish music and on Irish dance.And a lot of what I had done over the years, the workthat influenced me and the work that I influenced - like everything I did with Planxtyand separately with Andy Irvine - and the rock stuff that I did, and the jazz stuff, all of what goes into making me who I am as a musician - all of that came together in Riverdance."

wasn't involved at all in ThePirate Queen, the Broadway production that saw John BillMcColgan and Moya Doherty linking up with Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, composers who had been hugely successful with their adaptation of LesMiserables. The show spectacularly failed to ignite. was always about music. too. And is another, in the pure song "I wasn’t asked, but it wasn't something I would "Elmer Bernstein,the conductor, again, was a tradition." have done," he says."There were other things person who had a big love of Ireland. He was very Right now- the excitement of the premiere of that I wanted to do within the context of the helpful when I set up the Irish Film Orchestra. He 'Linen and Lace'and the thrill of his work with the Riverdance,if you like, family -1 wanted to do a was very helpful in bringing that to America. I Berklee College choral group notwithstanding musical based in South America. And I travelled remember the first time I went out to promote Irish -Bill is notin an especially optimistic frame of to Brazil to research it-and I’ve been three times Film Orchestra in LosAngeles, and he had said the mind.The devaluation of the workthat musicians to Brazil and I brought and another whole thing up.and Henry Mancini turned up,and do has been relentless. And government has dancer out with me-and I was developing a , and all these really high-powered done nothing to deal with the problem that the script. Something like that, I could have followed people.And he was a great musician, did loads of technological revolution has precipitated. Riverdancewith.” films with them for us. So he was important. "If we just look at it locally for a minute, in I ask what of his other many musical adventures "And then there are the young artists I have Ireland, there are loads of things that are missing stand out? His first answer might surprise some been associated with, like Julie Feeneyand Zoe from the picture that weren't missing when I people. Conway. It's been a very interesting and forme, was younger.” he observes."One of them was the “Danny Doyle asked me to produce an album because I never really pitched my tent in anyone national broadcaster and other organizations - in for him, which was a wonderful experience." genre - essentially becauseof my instinct that theatre, for example - making home produced he recalls."And that got me connected into the music does not pitch her tent in any one genre. items, the orchestra working all the time. And Irish tradition.This touches on the question of She’severywhere. And therefore you can move now technology has had an effect on that, and liminality-the whole question of being slightly freely.The old 'oh ifyou are not playing bebop jazz, everything has imploded, in that everything can apart, slightly separate.You couldn’t say that everything else is rubbish'or if you are not doing be done from people's homes. traditional music is me. You couldn't really say contemporary, classical musicthan everything “I did a track recently where they did just that. that -and I work with orchestras else is somehow beneath you -all thatthinking No one ever actually met. We’re creating a capacity and I write for orchestras all the time - but there's has to go. to be able to do amazing things with technology, a whole world of classical music that I have "In anything I've done, I’ve tried to take the but we're also creating a kind of cluster of islands nothing to do with, so that's not me either. feeling of the music-and even though I pushed it rather than a land mass. Peopleare increasingly “Asa writer I feel that sort of i nsti net to work around a little bit. particularly in the dance music isolated. For young people starting off now, on my own and find my own way through things. and inthis new piece'Linen and Lace'-a lotofit they're being encouraged by the great apostles of I think Irish music has to move on, and so I've is based on traditional music. JamesGalway was the Internet to give away their music: just put it no problems dipping into jazz and dipping into asked why he was working with me and he said, up on the Internet! And it seemsthey just have to working with the orchestra. I'm slightly apart: ’because I think he will write Irish music’.And I do this. I feel connected to them but at a slight remove. hope I'm writing Irish music. I am because I'm Irish "And what's happening is that music and other It’s a curious feeling. And sometimes, it's a lonely and I live here - it may not be what some people parts of our civic life, journalism being another feeling. regard as in the tradition of classical composition, one, are suffering from this belief that what “But Danny Doyle connected me to trad music or in the tradition of trad music, or in the tradition people do professionally, and spend their lives - and then I started to meet and work with Andy of jazz. But it is Irish music." being good at-whether it's journalist, musician, Irvine and Donal Lunny-and they were very Who is the greatest Irish musician of the past artist, whatever - that that somehow has to be important to me. I just loved Andy's musical 50 years? funded out of somewhere other than payment for adventurism. And I loved the way he dealt with "Donal Lunny has been an extraordinary the creation of the work itself. even the political subjects that he liked to sing influence: in his sensitivity and his great “In music, kids won't make their money from about. He had the troubadourangle on it. musicianship and his harmonic senseand his the music while the ‘real’ people are living in "Donal is just pure music. I don’t see him as massive ability to present Irish music in the way Silicon Valley and making their billions through much as I used to, and I miss him. I loved being in that musically, emotionally and creatively, never advertising and through selling information.The Planxty. I loved all ofthat-and it opened up my fails really.There are so many people out there problem is the lie that these Internet apostles tell own self-confidence enormously, in dealing with who wouldn't play like they do, or do what they you, thatyou are now directly interacting with what is essentially our own music. So they were do, and their music wouldn’t have been shaped your public. But you're not; the artists are actually very important. I remember very well sitting with like it is shaped, if it weren’t for Donal." isolated. Donal Lunny, Des Moore, Steve Cooney,playing And who are the outstanding songwriters, "So people are just giving away their stuff. And on Danny Doyle's'The Highway Man'. It was one whose songs will still be sung in fifty or a hundred it can't last. And to my eyes,it is so blatantly of those moments in the studio. If you ever get years time? wrong, in everyway. No matter how you look at it: a chance to hear that track,'The Highway Man’, “Jimmy McCarthy has written some classics.And socially, morally, and economically. It doesn't make it's full of dynamics and Donal is playing the Pete St.John has written classics in that sort of any sense,and yet we are still continuing, because bouzouki. Brilliant." folk ballad tradition. I think in the rockand pop we are in love with thething. We are in love, dizzy, Bill also worked with Kate Bush. end, you can’t deny and Edgeand the boys intoxicated with the post-Internet world where "I loved the experience of working with her, the number of pop/ rock anthems that they have everything is seen through a rosy glow of'we are and her total focus on the music. Some people written: they are extraordinary. I mean plenty a community connected with the Internet'. But it's about ego. and it's about: how does my voice of their stuff will still be alive in fifty years time. we're not. We'rea community isolated from each sound here and here?Or whatever. But with her, it But there will be songs ofjimmy McCarthy's alive other on the Internet.That's the truth of it."