Buncrana, Ireland

Drove to Buncrana via Derry over the Foyle.
Up till late talking, and drinking in Roddens' bar with Hillary. Politics, the "Peace talks" Cease fire, decommissioning of weapons etc. Dogs racing, Olympics and sponsorships. Listening to Stan Freberg records, laughing with tears rolling down. I was discussing/talking about the fascists parade in Southalls' Asian area, and in the late 1920's against Jews in Cable street, comparing these marches with the orange parade in Derry etc. all have provocation in common. Hilary said, that if the Catholics waved union jacks and didn't display anger, fear etc. Maybe the protestants wouldn't march?

A session in Roddens' bar. Buncrana Donegal, Dinny (McGlauchlan) played sober on orange juice, he hasn't played for a while, he enjoyed my trombone with his fiddle dancing in the tune. The characters in the bar that came and sat with us two, miming guitars, vocal encouragement, Jack in the wheel chair borrowed my guitar for a song. Dinny doesn't like foremen asking, ordering tunes from him like a juke box. "Ignorant fuckers, noisy the lot of them"
Cathal home from Aberdeen, to see his mum who is dying of cancer in Dublin, he visits her there some days. Others home from New Zealand, decision making time trying to start a new life.
A few nights later. Everyone came out of the woodwork for a last minute arranged gig (by Hilary) at a pub called the halfway house, between Derry and Buncranna, never used as a venue before, Hillary told folks at Roddens bar, word was passed mouth to mouth by phone, rumour in Derry and Buncrana. 20 folks showed up, a bus was arranged at a pound per head bringing folks. Some only heard about it an hour before, the venue only secured the night before, no hire fee. The buzz was created by the session at Roddens bar with Dinny and myself. Dinny was now off the drink, he had been barred from most pubs around, and we had to verify and be responsible for his behavior, friend Mickey was just back from Marrocco visiting with his kids and wife Pascal.
The network of drinkers, chancers, party animals, old and young arrived, Dinny and I played tunes together, tromboning and Fiddle, Bodhran and spoons, Lawrence brought his drums, bongos etc. A visitor from Brooklyn got up and jammed along. I invited anyone, Kathy who teaches Irish dance, danced, arms straight down as if tied to he sides and others boogied along. The owner of the pub was happily surprised at the attendance.

back to Road Diaries