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Patsy O'Hagan - the Loughshore Bard

Three times Bard of Armagh and Hall of Fame recipient, Patsy O'Hagan is a legend among storytellers.

You only has to listen to his recitations and jokes, to hear the howls of laughter and enjoyment from his audiences.
His sense of observation is hilarious.

By Lough Neagh all his life, Patsy a proud Moortown man, lives on the 'border' with Ardboe.
The podcast pays tribute to the late great Frank McGuigan, Ardboe's most famous son, recalling some of his incredible performances, including a semi-final against Moortown when he was marked by his brother Stephen.

Patsy's father was a fisherman, alas many of the boats have gone from the lough. He was also a trained butcher and he recalls the killing and cutting up of a pig every year, not for the squeamish!

Not a great student but schooldays are fond memories, mostly the joy of walking home and exploring the local nature.

The podcast includes several recitations that won Bard of Armagh titles as well jokes, some 'close to knuckle' that brought tears of laughter, but didn't meet with one Parish Priest's approval!

The prose was not always comedy, with a most poignant poem 'The Child I Did Not Know' later the winning entry for a teenage girl in an All Ireland competition.

Football too brings its fun with a narration before the 2021 All Ireland final meeting with approval of Tyrone manager Feargal Logan!

There is some talent on the Loughshore as Margaret Anne Conlon also features with her beautiful singing of The Old Cross of Ardboe.

Enjoy this podcast!

* Patsy's writing is so good that professionals have been reciting his prose. Please give him the credit when you do so - it's only right!

Thank you to Patsy for gifting us copies of his fabulous CD: 'The Hilarious Holiday In The Sun'.

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Music as Gift and Calling

Martin's guest this week is Mairead Duffy - teacher, musician, singer/composer and director of Dungannon community choir Gathered Voices, which she founded in 2019.

A native of Tuam, County Galway, Mairead came north in the early 1990s to study music at Jordanstown.

Her musical formation began early, with Mairead's grandmother teaching her some piano chords. It was love at first sound. She practiced constantly and soon took up the harp.

Mairead's practice would eventually bring her to the famed stage of New York's Carnegie Hall, a venue she played twice - once in the august company of the Chieftains.

Mairead obviously loves performing. As a rookie music teacher in Enniskillen she put on Westside Story (her favourite musical). She has a great gift for bringing people together. Last Christmas, Gathered Voices, which includes members of the East Timorese community, sang 'Silent Night' in Tetum, the language of East Timor.

Mairead sees her music as a calling, closely related to her faith, which is evident from her second choice of a piece of music, "Sweet Surrender" by Luke Parker.

There were to have been three pieces of music, but the conversation between Mairead, Martin and Oliver flowed along with such joy and gusto that we had to settle for two. Truly, this podcast is a delight from start to finish.

To listen to more of Mairéad's music check out these links

https://maireadduffy.bandcamp.com/album/silver-tin-house

Little Bridge

https://youtu.be/dmF0EaDbtIU?si=-vfSaby3EVWAKYyJ

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Malachi Cush: Family, faith and fame.

It's a long podcast, and a good one! recorded in Malachi Cush's studio amidst the scenic beauty of Drummond.

Just weeks away from a concert (with his good friend Karl McGuckin) to mark the 150th anniversary of St Patrick’s Church in Dungannon, this is a wonderful podcast packed with reflections, memories and fabulous songs recorded by the 'crooner' himself. Is he a crooner?!

He has written a song to mark the anniversary of the chapel with its great history and sacred significance to Dungannon.

Malachi reflects on his overnight rise from trainee gas fitter to stardom through Fame Academy and the unyielding encouragement he received from his parents.

Out of 50,000 entrants he reached the top 12 and his life was changed forever.

Huge record sales, chart successes and offers of radio work flooded in but it wasn't all a bed of roses as he decided to move back from London to his own people.

He pays a moving tribute to his father Paddy, 'his best friend', who passed away three years ago and recalls his parents waltzing in the kitchen as he sang a ballad he penned to celebrate their love.

As well he has special memories of manager Feargal Logan bringing the Sam Maguire Cup to the house when his father was ill and also remembers great family days supporting his cousin Adrian Cush, a brilliant player with Tyrone.

Malachi also talks about his journey in faith and an accident in Dungannon that put his whole life into perspective.

A phone call from the legendary Phil Coulter with an offer to record and go on tour was a dream come through while he has rubbed shoulders with stars of the music world.

A born entertainer, it has been a quite a journey for Malachi who finds most fulfilment performing and sharing life with his wife and family and dear friends.

* Thank you to Malachi for his hospitality and gifting Ronan and Oliver with two of his fabulous CDs.