[Irish folk music] [Irish folk music continues] - You're very welcome to Trad Fest, the Fingal Sessions.

We're coming to you from the Great Hall in Malahide Castle, and this gorgeous room, built in 1475, was the hub of Malahide's medieval court.

[Irish folk music] Our fabulous guests are Gemma Hayes, Tim O'Brien with Jan Fabricius, Katie Theasby with Alan Wallace and Sorcha Costello.

[Irish folk music] Hey.

Gemma Hayes, I am beyond thrilled that you're gigging again and making new music here with us.

- Well, I'm delighted to be here.

It's an absolute pleasure.

It's great to get out of the house.

- It sure is.

[group laughing] You've got something that you're gonna share with us now.

Can you, - Yeah.

This song is called "High and Low."

Yeah.

[contemplative folk music] ♪ I must be in the wrong place ♪ ♪ Their lips are moving, but the words bent outta shape ♪ ♪ I try to speak ♪ ♪ But all I do is call your name ♪ ♪ I fear I'm getting stranger ♪ ♪ Falling out into the street while people stare ♪ ♪ Am I really here ♪ ♪ Or am I floating in midair ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ I'm always looking for you ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ You took something of mine with you ♪ ♪ We lived in between the days ♪ ♪ In the kitchen, writing songs to ease the pain ♪ ♪ How were we to know ♪ ♪ It would set our walls on fire ♪ ♪ As the people became your choir ♪ ♪ Calling out your name ♪ ♪ And now you're gone ♪ ♪ How can I go home ♪ ♪ How can I go home ♪ ♪ When you're not waiting for me ♪ ♪ How can I go home ♪ ♪ How can I go home ♪ ♪ When you took it from me ♪ [Gemma vocalizing] [Gemma vocalizing] [contemplative folk music] ♪ Turn up the noise to drown you out ♪ ♪ Since you've been gone, the silence seems so loud ♪ ♪ Wish I could reach inside and rip you out ♪ ♪ Got to hold steady ♪ ♪ But if dare to speak your name ♪ ♪ Thoughts come crashing just like waves ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ Because they took you from me ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ High and low ♪ ♪ Will I always be looking for you ♪ [Gemma vocalizing] [Gemma vocalizing] [contemplative folk music] [no audio] [group clapping] It's quiet one.

- It's gorgeous.

It's gorgeous.

- Thank you.

- What a lovely, tender song.

Where did that one come from?

It's beautiful.

- Well, it's, I suppose, when I put the kids to bed, that's when I can really sort of go into writing stories in my head and that's when I get to daydream.

This song is a funny one for me.

It's about feeling like there's a ghost with you and you're trying to get on with your life, but something else is sort of always calling and it doesn't leave you alone.

So then I kind of created a story, a love story around that feeling of kind of longing.

It's a very quiet song, so hopefully it'll go up from there.

- Perfect.

Sounds perfect in this room.

It's beautiful.

- Yeah, well, there's, it's a pleasure to sing in this place.

- Thanks.

Tim O'Brien, we are delighted and honored to be joined by such celebrators of the Appalachian style, by yourself and by Jan Fabricius.

You're very welcome.

Thanks for being here.

- It's great to be with you today and with all the fine collaborators today.

- You're familiar with Ireland.

You've been here many, many times.

Tell me, what kind of prompted this love affair that you have going back so many years with Ireland?

It's in your blood, obviously.

- With Ireland, well, you know, when I was 12 years old, and you know, I was, we were only Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

You know, I'm four generations in from my great grandfather's day.

But as I was growing up, you know, I started playing guitar.

I started playing some bluegrass.

I started playing, you know, got obsessed with Doc Watson and it wasn't very long after that I realized, these tunes that he plays are, a lot of them, are Irish tunes.

So the tunes you'd hear in Barry Fitzgerald movie.

In school, I got interested in Irish history and literature and read Yates and Joyce and stuff, and history, politics.

And then the music just kind of kept coming on.

And finally in 1976, I had a chance to visit and I went to the big fleadh in Buncrana, the all-Ireland fleadh.

- I see.

- And it was mind blowing and I haven't been the same since.

And it's great, because after that first visit, I was trying to learn Irish music and, but after the first visit, I realized they, the people here really like traditional American music because it's just a mirror image, just a different accent on it, kind of.

And by the time I started coming back to perform, people knew my music 'cause I'd been busy doing that for a lot of years.

So it was a great thing to keep coming.

- You're gonna give us a few tunes that you got from Kevin Burke and from Altan.

- Yes.

Learned some tunes from Kevin Burke and from Altan.

The first one is called "The Hop Down Reel," and I think it comes from the Sean and Dolores Keane's family.

- [Fiachna] Okay.

- I'm not sure, from Galway.

And then the second one's called "Johnny Doherty's Reel."

And I guess that must come from Johnny Doherty?

- [laughs] Yes, it must.

- From Donegal.

And that second one I recorded as part of a song with Altan, one of their recordings.

they came to Nashville and recorded.

Anyway, we'll try to give our, you know, Appalachian white trash version of this for you.

[Fiachna laughing] - Beautiful.

Thank you.

- All right, "Hop Down" and a-one, two, three.

[upbeat folk music] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] - Wow.

[group clapping] Fantastic.

"Hop Down Reel" and Johnny Doherty, beautiful harmonizing between the two of you there.

- Oh, thank you.

- Really, really gorgeous.

- Yeah, well, you know, the first thing you realize about Irish music is you have to get about 500 tunes or something so you can get the language of it.

- Yeah.

- And then you learn that you just play 'em once or twice and then you shift to another tune.

And you gotta keep lively with your ears.

- Yeah.

- But in bluegrass, we sort of toss it back and forth.

So the second tune we did that, and it's just, it's fun to try it.

It's kind of sometimes not workable, but if you lean a little bit one way or the other, they can come together pretty well.

- Yeah.

That's an amazing thing.

Amazing thing.

Katie Theasby, how are you?

Great to see you.

From the County London via Kilfenora and County Clare.

Am I right?

- That's correct, yeah.

- How are you doing?

- I'm good.

- Yeah?

- Yeah, I'm good.

I'm delighted to be up here.

This is an unreal building to be playing in.

It's gorgeous.

- Katie, obviously there's lots of back and forth between London and Kilfenora.

At what point for you, did you feel like the move had become permanent?

- Well, I moved over to Clare when I was, permanently when I was 18.

- Okay.

- So in 1995, not giving away my age there.

[Fiachna laughing] Yeah, but it felt like it had been a gradual thing, because my dad lived in Clare for years before I moved over.

So most of my childhood was spent going back and forth.

- "One Starry Night" is a song that you're gonna sing now.

It's from way back.

Sean Tyrrell, you learned it from Sean Tyrrell, the late, great Sean Tyrrell.

- Yeah.

I suppose, I loved Sean Tyrrell's song choices.

If I sing the song Tyrrell, Sean Tyrrell's song book, I would, you know?

- Yeah.

- He just chose songs really, really beautifully.

But he learned that song from Liam Weldon and Liam Weldon would've heard it from some travelers that he knew.

And I was actually at the Doran weekend, a few years back, in Spanish Point, and I was talking to Johnny Doran's daughter Nan, and she told me she heard that song sang around the campfire when she was a child.

So it does, it goes back a fair bit.

- Beautiful.

And you're joined by Alan Wallace.

Alan, great to have you along.

- Thanks so.

- We give it a go?

- Yeah.

We'll give it a blast.

- Let's sit in with you.

- Oh, please do.

Yeah, that'll be great.

- All right.

[slow folk music] ♪ One starry night ♪ ♪ As I lay sleeping ♪ ♪ One starry night ♪ ♪ As I lay in bed ♪ ♪ I dreamed I heard wagon wheels a-creaking ♪ ♪ But when I awoke ♪ ♪ My young love had fled ♪ ♪ For it's many's a mile, love, with you I've traveled ♪ ♪ It's many's the hour, love ♪ ♪ With you I spend ♪ ♪ I dreamed you were my love forever ♪ ♪ But now I find, love, you were only lent ♪ ♪ I searched the highways ♪ ♪ Likewise, the byways ♪ ♪ I searched the boreens, camping places too ♪ ♪ I will inquire all of my people ♪ ♪ Have they tide or tidings or sight of you ♪ ♪ For it's many's a mile, love, with you I've traveled ♪ ♪ It's many's the hour, love, with you I've spent ♪ ♪ I dreamed you were my love forever ♪ ♪ But now I find, love, you were only lent ♪ [gentle flute music] [gentle flute music continues] [gentle flute music continues] [gentle flute music continues] ♪ I'm drunk today, of times I'm sober ♪ ♪ I'm a constant rover from town to town ♪ ♪ And when I'm dead and my sorrow's ended ♪ ♪ Molly Ban a Stoirin come and lay me down ♪ ♪ For it's many's a mile, love, with you've I've traveled ♪ ♪ It's many's the hour, love, with you I've spent ♪ ♪ I dreamed you were my love forever ♪ ♪ But now I find, love, you were only lent ♪ ♪ But now I find, love, you were only lent ♪ - Beautiful.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

[group clapping] Sean Tyrrell, amazing.

Well, I think the fellas on the wall seemed to enjoy that one there.

[laughs] Get that, we're in hallowed company around here.

What do you reckon?

You had a thought about them there, I think.

Their noses are all the same.

Is that it?

- Yeah.

I think their noses are all the same.

They're all related.

[Fiachna laughing] - Their heads are kind of small.

- Yeah.

- Compared to their bodies.

But maybe that's how it was back in, - Look to give them credit, [group laughing] they're good listeners.

They're good listeners.

- I think they're a bit judgey.

[group laughing] - Well, listen, we have the roads from Clare well worn because Sorcha Costello is here with us as well.

How are you, Sorcha?

- I'm great.

Delighted to be here, Fiachna.

- Good.

Well, it's nice to see you.

Katie is from Kilfenora, which is a place that has huge resonance when it comes to Irish music.

But Tulla, which is where you're from, has huge resonance as well.

[Katie gasps] Oh, is there a, [laughs] - We're rivals.

- Are you?

Okay.

- The Tulla Ceili Band and then the Kilfenora Ceili Band.

I know well, I love the music of the Kilfenora Ceili Band and, oh, they team up from time to time.

- Do they?

- In general, I think back in the day, they probably were rivals.

- And I love the music of the Tulla Ceili Band.

- Do you?

- There we go.

- Yeah, yeah.

- No, I do.

- There's been sort of a Tulla, the Tulla-Kilfenora agreement is in place.

- Yeah.

[group laughing] - Sorcha, not only have you been acclaimed for playing tunes for the traditional record, but you've also started writing your own tunes as well?

- Yeah, that's something I've started doing very recently.

Only just last summer in 2022, I decided to just sit down and see what came out.

'Cause it was nothing, I hadn't tried it before.

And I always wondered, was I capable of doing it?

And I had a particularly inspiring weekend of music in Germany where I was with people who had composed a lot of their own music.

And I said, why am I not doing that?

So I came home and I sat down and I was reasonably pleased with what came out.

So I've, I haven't written many.

I've written about six.

- It's an amazing thing though, really, because it, you know, I suppose the way tradition stays alive is by people continuing to write, I suppose tapping into the tradition, but bringing out something of yourself in that.

- Well, this is it, I suppose, I'm so deeply rooted in the tradition that the tunes that I usually play are hundreds of years old.

So what I really wanted to do was be able to compose but stay within that realm of tradition where I wasn't, you know, challenging the tradition, but keeping it going with some new material but sticking within the realms of my area.

- You've not been met with any challenges locally by some of the diehards or are kind of, you know?

- I haven't, no, but I haven't performed my tunes that often.

- Okay.

- So just getting out there with them now.

- What are you gonna play for us now?

- Yeah, so I'm gonna play two reels that I have written.

This is actually the first time I'm gonna play them, - Fantastic.

- In public.

[laughs] - Great, great.

- So I wasn't sure about the names of these, but when I was forced to send on the names of them today, I was like, I think I'll stick with it now.

So the first tune, I didn't have a theme when I was writing it, you know, I wasn't saying, I'll write it about this or that.

It just came out.

But it came out in a very minor sounding tone and it was quite complicated.

So I decided to call it "Minor Complications."

- Okay.

[laughs] - And the second tune, similar idea, I just started to write it.

But it really reminded me of the times that I have spent in Miltown Malbay at the Willie Clancy Festival with my friends.

And we would go into the front of Clancy's Bar where it was absolutely tiny.

You'd only fit four or five people.

And we would just jam in there real close and play tunes for 12, 13 hours.

- Amazing.

- And the vibes that came off, you know, each other for that was just phenomenal.

So this tune, the second tune sort of reminded me of those times.

- Fantastic.

- So yeah, I called it "Clancy's Bar."

- "Clancy's Bar."

"Minor Complications" and "Clancy's Bar."

We'll look in your own time.

- Thank you.

[upbeat folk music] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] [upbeat folk music continues] - Yep.

- Beautiful.

[group clapping] Fantastic.

That's so great.

- Thank you.

- "Minor Complications" and "Clancy's Bar," I just, as I was listening to you there, just one question that occurred to me is that, when you write your own tunes, do you write them in your head first or on the instrument?

Or is there a bit of both?

- I write them in my head.

- [Fiachna] Yeah.

- Yeah.

Yeah, there's always something going around in my head and that's why I really thought I should really get something down because there's always something going on there.

So yeah, it's in my head first and then I put it on paper and it doesn't always work.

- Right.

- You know?

So I use the fiddle to see what it sounds like and adjust.

- And do you find that when you're on the move, does it come, you know, I often find that music comes when you're on the move.

You know, 'cause a tune coming into your head.

And how do you capture it?

Do you sing it into your phone or?

- Yeah, that has often happened to me.

And if I have a fiddle handy, I'll try and use that.

- Yeah.

- But I don't really enjoy singing into my phone.

'Cause then match it.

[group laughing] Not my thing.

- Well, thank you for "Minor Complications," Clancy Bar, "Clancy's Bar."

Tim, that you've got a powerful song that's inspired, I guess, by the ongoing Civil Rights movement in your country, in the United States.

Talk to me about that?

- This song I'm gonna sing is inspired by a motto of the late, great Congressman John Lewis, who was a civil rights activist starting in the early '60s.

He, actually, he was from Alabama, but he went to college in Nashville, to divinity school.

He always wanted to be a preacher.

Anyway, he, early on, he was involved in the sit-ins in lunch counters, you know, segregated lunch counters.

In any case, all these years later, you know, he's a congressman and he's had, seen a lot of progress.

But when he died, when anybody that's of great influence dies that I'm aware of, I study up their story even, you know, more intensely, you know, get down to the minutiae, find out things.

And I found out that he had this motto, "When you pray, move your feet," which is apparently an African proverb.

And it has to do with putting your thoughts, hopes and dreams, prayers into action.

And it also kind of was inspired by a little video he had on TikTok, I think, of him dancing to Pharrell Williams' "I'm Happy."

And he's this guy who's, you know, seen the saddest, the hardest stuff in the world.

And he's dancing around and he's just loose and he walks lightly on the planet, in spite of all the heaviness around him.

And that really inspired me.

And it's funny, with songwriting, there's so many different ways the process works.

And this one, I had my mandolin and I saw that motto.

I went, "Oh, when you pray, move your feet."

And I started playing and it all sort of spilled out.

And it only gets to anything about John Lewis towards the end of the song.

It's more like a love song.

And, you know, just trying to live every day with your love the best way you can, with my love, Jan. - Yeah.

- Anyway, "When You Pray."

[upbeat folk music] [upbeat folk music continues] ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ Bring his love to the people you meet ♪ ♪ Get out your chair, walk the street ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ It feels like lightning in your hand ♪ ♪ When you reach out and help your fellow man ♪ ♪ Stronger and stronger, the more you do ♪ ♪ Each every and time you follow through ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ Bring his love to the people you meet ♪ ♪ Get out your chair, walk the street ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ I tell my lover everything I know ♪ ♪ I take it with me everywhere I go ♪ ♪ Everywhere, everywhere I go ♪ ♪ It's understood that we're hand in hand ♪ ♪ It means much more when we take a stand ♪ ♪ You know, true love travels from heart to heart ♪ ♪ Heart to heart ♪ ♪ It's always there when you're ready to start ♪ ♪ Up a long and steep and winding road ♪ ♪ Love's gonna help you lift that load ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ Bring his love to the people you meet ♪ ♪ Get out your chair, walk the street ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ [upbeat folk music] [upbeat folk music continues] ♪ When the hard wind blows, the clouds rain down ♪ ♪ Move your feet and make a joyful sound ♪ ♪ The Lord is listening, watching too ♪ ♪ He gonna keep you safe and get you too ♪ ♪ John Lewis is gone ♪ ♪ His words ring on and on and on ♪ ♪ Clap your hands, help me sing his song ♪ ♪ Good trouble ♪ ♪ Move your feet, 'cause we can't stop ♪ ♪ Until we reach that mountaintop ♪ ♪ So when you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ ♪ Bring his love to the people you meet ♪ ♪ Get out your chair, walk the street ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ ♪ Bring his love to the people you meet ♪ ♪ Get out your chair and walk the street ♪ ♪ When you pray, move your feet ♪ - Hey, great.

[group clapping] - Let's clap our feet.

[group laughing] Katie Theasby, when you pray, do you move your feet?

- Always.

- You always do.

- I pray a lot.

- [laughs] That is great.

Thanks, Jim, and Jan, thank you so much.

It's lovely to meet you as well.

When, the love you sing of, when did that begin?

[laughs] - Oh.

30 years ago.

[laughs] - 30 years ago.

Amazing.

- But really 11 years ago, we started dating, so.

- [Fiachna] And you travel and sing together the whole time?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

It's a beautiful thing.

Beautiful thing.

Well, thanks so much for being with us.

It's great.

Sorcha, I have a question for you.

How does the daughter of the famed Mary MacNamara become a fiddle player?

- Well, she didn't want me to be a concertina player.

- Okay.

- 'Cause there was too many concertinas in Clare.

So she really wanted me to be a fiddle player.

So yeah, that's how it happened.

She put the fiddle in my hand and, - At a very young age, you said?

- Yeah.

Yeah, at three.

And I sat in, I never played it at that age.

Well, I might have tried, but I used to be brought along to all the sessions in East Clare and I used to sit in and I used to listen with the fiddle in my hand.

So I suppose, it was sinking in all the time.

- And you're going to bring us to East Clare now with these next set of tunes, aren't you?

- Yeah, the first tune I'm going to play is a version of the "Mug of Brown Ale," which is quite a well known jig in Irish music.

But it's a very unique version of it that is currently recorded in my, in Mary, my mother's new book.

- Okay.

- Which is called "Sundays at Lena's," which is a pub that she would've learned all her music from, from the local musicians in Clare.

And I suppose because it was an oral tradition, you know, music was passed on without it ever being transcribed.

- Yeah.

- The tunes developed into some really unique versions, and luckily, my grandfather was, you know, smart enough to record these musicians on a little tape recorder.

But nonetheless, we still have those recordings and, - That's fantastic.

Great.

- Yeah, it's a gold mine.

- Yeah.

- Of really beautiful and innovative music.

And mom decided to transcribe those and get them down, so that they're there forever, you know?

So yeah, this is a version that I think came from the playing of a great fiddle player, Martin Ratford.

But then I'm going to play a reel, which is another one of my main influences, but I'm moving away from my side of the country to the opposite side, to this side.

One of my huge influences has been Tommy Potts and I absolutely love his music.

Similar to what is in the first tune, innovative variation in the tune, but just very different as well.

So Tommy Potts loved to turn common tunes inside out, and I just loved this version of this reel "Ryan's Rant."

- Okay.

- Give these go.

- Thank you so much.

Brilliant.

[steady folk music] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] [steady folk music continues] - Yep.

- Fantastic.

[group clapping] "The Mug of Brown Ale" and "Ryan's Rant."

It's amaze, "Ryan's Rant," you can almost hear the exclamations within the tune.

It's like, it's kind of built in.

Beautiful.

Beautiful, beautiful.

Thanks so much for that.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

- Katie Theasby, you're gonna sing us one of your own songs now.

- Yeah, one of my, no, "One of my own songs."

I've only ever written one.

- Have you written the one song?

This is it, well, this is, - Delve into my, this is it.

- This is your repertoire.

- This is my repertoire, yeah.

- Fantastic.

Do you wanna tell me about it before you sing it or afterwards?

- I don't mind.

I'll tell it before, I suppose.

I went to John Spillane's Hit Factory, which up opened in Boolin, and 13 of us walked in with no song.

And 13 of us walked out with a song.

I'd never written a song before.

Don't compose melodies, particularly, like yourself, have them in my head.

And sometimes I might put them into the phone, but they don't go any further.

- [Fiachna] Right.

- So walked in and this is the first song and only song I've ever written.

And it just kind of, the melody came out with the words.

It was just like, when I was writing the song, the melody came with it, which was, I don't know.

- Was this a songwriting workshop with John?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, yeah.

- And it was just, I had a lot of memories of my dad going around in my head, you know, and just kind of like, some of them universal, like a child dancing on their dad's toes, you know, standing on their shoes and that kind of, you know, everyone remembers that, but it was just a particularly strong one for me.

Another one was a midnight, midnight, five o'clock in the morning feasts, [Fiachna laughing] you know, he'd come back from the pub and he'd go, "Come on, get up, we'll have the breakfast."

[group laughing] So he'd put on the pan.

And I thought it was a great adventure, but actually what it was was he was hoping to get the lie in so I wouldn't be up an hour and a half, go, you know?

- Yeah.

- So it was a few little memories like that, all kind of going around my head, and just that's what came out in the song.

So yeah.

- What's it called?

- It's called "When You Were Big and I Was Small."

- "When You Were Big and I Was Small."

I can't wait to hear it.

- A bit of a mouthful, isn't it?

[group laughing] Anyway, shall we give it a go?

[gentle folk music] ♪ This song is dedicated to my father ♪ ♪ Who was taken from this earth just far too soon ♪ ♪ No more I'll hear his laughter or his singing ♪ ♪ His soul flew out the window late in June ♪ ♪ The last song of the summer was a cuckoo ♪ ♪ Outside the window of your room ♪ ♪ It was the last time of that year I heard him calling ♪ ♪ Your soul flew out the window late in June ♪ ♪ Stood upon your feet, we danced together ♪ ♪ Come On Eileen, we spun from wall to wall ♪ ♪ Childhood memories, they go on forever ♪ ♪ Those days when you were big and I was small ♪ ♪ You used to wake me up before the Sunday ♪ ♪ With the scent of rashers cooking on the pan ♪ ♪ And the radio was playing Come On Eileen ♪ ♪ You picked me up and took me by the hand ♪ ♪ Stood upon your feet, we danced together ♪ ♪ Come On Eileen, we spun from wall to wall ♪ ♪ Childhood memories, they go on forever ♪ ♪ Those days when you were big and I was small ♪ [chiming flute music] [chiming flute music continues] [chiming flute music continues] [chiming flute music continues] [chiming flute music continues] ♪ Lit up by the blue screen in the small room ♪ ♪ Cigarette in hand and singing Grapefruit Moon ♪ ♪ That is how I see you in your last days ♪ ♪ In the dark and humming that old tune ♪ ♪ Stood upon your feet, we danced together ♪ ♪ Come On Eileen, we spun from wall to wall ♪ ♪ Childhood memories, they go on forever ♪ ♪ Those days when you were big and I was small ♪ ♪ Those days when you were big and I was small ♪ - No, right.

- What a beautiful song.

[group clapping] - Thank you.

- Guys, Katie Theasby's gotta write more songs.

- Yeah.

- I mean, - [Participant] Yeah, yeah.

- I've gotta remember the ones I write first.

- That is, - Bit of a boo-boo there.

- Classic, that is a classic.

- Beautiful, I mean, I was right there in the room with you dancing with your dad.

It was just beautiful.

- Thank you.

Yeah, we got it together for, was it his 10th anniversary?

And recorded it, with Alan Wallace here and some people and David Andrews and yeah, it was, we kind of brought it out in time for his 10th anniversary.

- Golden.

- Nice.

- Yeah, I just felt it was, I don't even know if I have the [indistinct] for doing anymore.

It was just like, it had, was something that had for my own.

- That was wonderful.

- Healing or something.

- It had to come out.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Oh, I think, - And the "Come On Eileen" thing is going around the sitting room with air fiddles and, - [Fiachna] Yeah.

- And then flare, [group laughing] I can't listen to it without thinking of my dad such, so I was hoping Dexys Midnight Runners might hear it and should look.

- And do a version of it.

- They might do.

- They might still.

- They might still.

- Kevin Rowlands is deeply attached to Irish music, you know, as you probably know, came through in all of their music.

It's gorgeous.

Thanks for sharing the story.

- Thank you.

- And the song itself is, it's just, it's beautiful.

It's a classic.

- Thanks very much.

- No, it's very, it taps into who you are, but it also draws from, it's timeless.

It's beautiful.

Very universal song.

Tim, your work rate is, it revolves at a high level, doesn't it?

I mean, you're, - Well, I keep trying to get it right.

[group laughing] You know, I'd like to try to get it right.

Well, so I keep, you know, I kind of keep going back to the drawing board and, you know?

- You've quite a recent record, haven't you?

- I have a record in the can, should be out in the spring sometime.

- Okay, great.

- And I hope.

And it's newer, yeah, it's all new songs, all original songs, co-writes, quite a few co-writes.

We'll do one of those.

This one is inspired by a little argument, sort of a long standing and kind of smoldering and then re-firing argument between a couple friends.

And they tried to get me to come kind of mediate between 'em and I was afraid of getting in it myself, you know?

- Okay.

Yeah.

[guitar strumming] - Anyway, I had an appointment, in Nashville actually, we often make appointments to create art together with other writers.

It's kind of a funny thing.

You meet in an office, you know?

And you maybe even had never met the person or whatever.

The publishers might put you together.

- Yeah.

- And in this case, it's a fellow I've known for years and we'd written before.

And so it was just all this was going on in my world.

And the next morning, I started writing with him, and then I said, "Well, let's talk about neighbors, you know, and getting along with your neighbor."

And I grew up in a small, well, a small city, but we used to watch "Leave it to Beaver" on TV and, you know, "Father Knows Best," all these sitcoms of families.

And they looked exactly like where we lived.

And I sort of think of that kind of neighborhood in, you know, a suburban American neighborhood, kind of almost a cliche neighborhood when I'm singing this song.

It's called "Cup of Sugar" and it goes like this pretty much.

It's pretty much exactly like this.

One, a-two, a-one, two, three, and, [chiming folk music] [chiming folk music continues] ♪ My neighbor plays his music for our whole neighborhood ♪ ♪ I wouldn't really mind the volume ♪ ♪ If his taste was any good ♪ ♪ He said he saw me on the TV ♪ ♪ Said he kind of liked my song ♪ ♪ I'll be honest ♪ ♪ It surprised me ♪ ♪ Maybe he's not always wrong ♪ ♪ I try to pick my battles, don't want to start a war ♪ ♪ If I need a cup of sugar ♪ ♪ I'll knock on my neighbor's door ♪ ♪ I see him out a lot more often ♪ ♪ Now the weather's nice again ♪ ♪ If people ever saw us talking ♪ ♪ They might even think we're friends ♪ ♪ In twenty years he's been my neighbor ♪ ♪ Still don't know what makes him tick ♪ ♪ One rule I know to follow ♪ ♪ Don't bring up politics ♪ ♪ I try to pick my battles ♪ ♪ Don't want to start a war ♪ ♪ If I need a cup of sugar, I'll knock on my neighbor's door ♪ [chiming folk music] [chiming folk music continues] ♪ We watched our kids grow up together ♪ ♪ Called them in when it got dark outside ♪ ♪ I loaned him my tools ♪ ♪ We swam in his pool ♪ ♪ Brought casseroles when somebody died ♪ [chiming folk music] ♪ Now my neighbor's on vacation ♪ ♪ On some western tourist trail ♪ ♪ I'll cut his grass when it gets tall ♪ ♪ I told him I'd take in his mail ♪ ♪ And in this world, there's lots trouble ♪ ♪ Doesn't matter where you are ♪ ♪ Jesus said to love your neighbor ♪ ♪ But you don't have to go that far ♪ ♪ I try to pick my battles, don't want to start a war ♪ ♪ If I need a cup of sugar ♪ ♪ I'll knock on my neighbor's door ♪ ♪ I'm gonna walk around the fence between us ♪ ♪ I won't gonna running to the store ♪ ♪ If I need a cup of sugar ♪ ♪ I'll knock on my neighbor's door ♪ - That's great.

[group clapping] Right neighborly.

Right neighborly.

That's, is it, - I should give a plug to the co-writer, Jonathan Byrd, who came up, yeah.

- Jonathan Byrd?

Super.

Gemma?

- Yep.

- Back to you.

You've got a new song which you very kindly asked me to join you on.

So I'm, - And you very kindly said yes.

- I'm gonna try and not mess it up.

[laughs] - Yeah.

- It's a great song.

I've been listening to this, you know, about 500 times in the last few days.

[pair laughing] And it's a really unusual.

There's a lovely darkness to it and there's a lovely tenderness to it.

- Yeah.

- Have you any idea where it came from?

I know it's not about you.

- It's not about me.

It's not about my husband.

- No.

- So I tend to, so I live in West Cork and I love to go out in all types of weather.

- Yes.

- And I walk and that's when I come up with the ideas.

And it was a stormy evening.

And I wrapped up and I went walking way off up the hills.

And I came up with this idea of two people who are grieving separately for a loved one.

And they come together.

It's very hard to describe.

The song will describe it.

- The song will describe it.

Yeah.

- The song will describe it.

But they find comfort in each other, I suppose.

- Yes.

- And it's called "Another Love."

[tense music] ♪ Stay if you please ♪ ♪ You do not disturb my light ♪ ♪ Take my water, take my food ♪ ♪ Let it fill your heart ♪ ♪ I will not love you ♪ ♪ This you must know ♪ ♪ Please wear that jacket I leave by the door ♪ ♪ You are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ You are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ Of another ♪ ♪ I spend my mornings out in the streets alone ♪ ♪ Take he who may follow, but you'll never go where I go ♪ ♪ I'll be good company when the winter blows ♪ ♪ I am merely a man made of blood, fight and bones ♪ ♪ Please take that dress that's there by the door ♪ ♪ You are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ You are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ Of another ♪ [tense music] [tense music continues] [tense music continues] [tense music continues] ♪ The way you look, you stare ♪ ♪ His smoke scented hair ♪ ♪ When you stand in the half-light ♪ ♪ You capture someone ♪ ♪ I cannot ♪ ♪ Oh, you are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ You are only, you are only a reminder ♪ ♪ Of another ♪ ♪ Of another ♪ ♪ Of another ♪ [tense music] - Thank you.

- Thank you.

[group clapping] Thank you.

What a song.

It's really, that's been in my head.

It's a really special song.

So thanks for, - Thank you.

- Thanks for sharing and thanks for inviting me on board with that.

[laughs] Well, that rounds off this sumptuous episode of Trad Fest, the Fingal Sessions.

We've been coming to you from the Great Hall in Malahide Castle here in the company of this outstanding collection of musicians, Tim O'Brien and Jan Fabricius, Sorcha Costello, Gemma Hayes, Katie Theasby and Alan Wallace.

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