Saturday, January 25, 2014

Recent stuff .......


My last Blog entry dealt mostly with the excitement of being invited to perform at MERLEFEST 2014. I have since been asked to participate as a Judge, along with Jim Lauderdale and Darrell Scott in the Chris Austin Song Contest, which takes place annually as part of MERLEFEST. What an honour ! This is a very prestigious event, and former winners include the wonderful Gillian Welch , and look what happened for her! So, it's a very high standard, and I look forward to hearing some great songs ............

I made the mistake recently of expressing some personal feelings in response to an enquiry which came to me by way of FACEBOOK. There was a huge, and unexpected, reaction to my post, and I quickly realised that I had made the mistake of giving an impression to the entire World, that I was in some kind of  the awful trouble. I have since followed-up on FACEBOOK with some explanations, and I have also spoken with many of those concerned, and I am now taking this opportunity on my Blog to clear the air ...... But, thank you for all your messages of goodwill.

I am in fine fettle, and I'm glad to say that Moira and all our Family are well, Physically, Spiritually and otherwise. The events that led to my recent remarks about the transience of life, and the way I was feeling, were prompted by the passing from this life of three dear human beings. I [we] had known Sandra Ramdhanie since the early 70s, and she was a close friend and advisor for all those years. We had lost touch a little since She moved to Spain, and her Death was a great shock. A week after Sandra passed, Moira's dear Cousin, Patsy Malone, who was caring for Moira's Aunt, Maureen, died, and she is also dearly missed. Two days later, Frank Russell, Maureen's Son, and Moira's other Cousin, died tragically as he was boarding a 'plane to return to Dublin from Thailand, leaving behind him a tangled web of emotions, legal difficulties, and Family problems. It was the cumulative affect of all of the above that caused me to reflect in such a public forum.

But that's life, and I am fond of quoting one of my favourite songwriters, the great Guy Clark, 'Nobody said it was going to be easy ' ................

Onwards and Upwards, Niall. [ Almost the end of a grey January ........]