Doyles Corner

Address: 160/161 Phibsborough Rd, Phibsborough, Dublin 7

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After Eddies great tour we needed a quick pint and a quick rest of the old legs before we embarked on our journey across town. Plenty of good boozers in Phibsboro,  but we decided to head to Doyles Corner, an iconic landmark in this part of town.

Here for over a 100 years, it is a pub steeped in the fabric of the local community. I have drank in this place before, as it is a stone’s throw from Bohemians FC ground, Dalymount Park, and it is also not too far from Croke Park, the Gah ground. So on match day, be it football, bogball, or stick fighting (ancient Irish sports), it is always busy. 

Well to say we were amazed is an understatement. We actually had to check if we were in the right bar, I say this as the whole place got a total revamp inside, and looks totally different. It has got a very stylish and fancy new makeover. It really is a great design, and who ever is the interior decorator deserves a big cheer. There is a bit of everything in it really, some art deco, has nice wooden snugs, cool peasants on displays, dead and stuffed of course, the visit to the bogs bring you on an old disco style journey with big pop art in the toilets. Now I know this all sounds like a bit of a mess but somehow it all works perfectly together. Of course for me the best bit is behind the bar, looking at all the various whiskeys and liquor on display, 

We were the only two at the bar early morning, so still quiet. They have a good selection of beers on tap but went for Franciscan Well’s Rebel Red Ale, from Cork. Bar lady was friendly and served the beer perfectly in no time. Also got some Keoghs mature Irish crisps, very nice too, so good went back for another bag! As we were looking at all the beers, booze and alcohol on display Pogues Irish Whiskey caught our eye, and sure we just had to have a taste of this! Got a shot of it, was smooth enough, and gave us that little kick we need to continue on our journey across Dublin.

Doyles is looking fantastic and will be here again no doubt about it the next time I’m this side of Dublin, so much to see, so many interesting beers to try out, great setting, friendly staff, and a good effort all round. Next time I should try some of their food as I’d guess they have a great menu too!

Graingers Bar

Address: 51 Talbot Street, Dublin, Ireland

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Back again in Graingers Bar. We got a taxi back from Darndale to the city, and rather than try out a new bar we went with what we know, Graingers. We were hungry and in need of some good grub, so we knew what we would get in this bar………delicious food at a decent price, with a good pint too boot. 

Near both the national bus and train Station this bar always has good food on offer. Great friendly service and a good way to recharge the batteries and fill the belly.  Ordered a new beer, a Cute Hoor, an Irish pale ale, from Cork I think, but operated by Heineken, was pretty good though, very nice. Also the fish and chips ordered did the business.

One of my favourite bars for a quiet pint and some food. Recommended, as always!

Mcdowells Pub 

Address: 139 Emmet Rd, Inchicore, Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland

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St Patrick’s Athletic F.C.

Founded: 1929

Arena/Stadium: Richmond Park,

Location: 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8

Capacity: 5,340 (2,800 seated)

Manager: Harry Kenny

Leagues: League of Ireland Premier Division

Honours
League of Ireland/Premier Division: 8 (Last 2013)
 FAI Cup: 3 (Last 2014)

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info@stpatsfc.com

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Nicknames: Pats, The Saints, The Super Saints

St Patrick’s Athletic F.C. is a football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they originally played in the Phoenix Park but now play in Richmond Park since 1930. 

Currently managed by Harry Kenny, the club play in red and white, and have won nine (or eight depending who you talk to!) league titles, and three FAI Cups. The club’s glory years came in the 1950s and 1990s when they won 7 of their 9 league titles. The club also have the record for never having been relegated from the Premier Division. Rivals could be said to be any of the other Dublin teams with the likes of Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians to choose from.

The club started off playing in the Leinster Senior League before taking their place in the League of Ireland in 1951, winning the Championship at their first attempt, with striker Shay Gibbons banging in the goals (LOI top scorer for three seasons in the 50’s). They had won the Leinster Senior league on numerous occasions, so perhaps winning the national league wasn’t such a big surprise. Two more league championship successes followed in 1954–55 and 1955–56, while in 1959 they achieved their first Cup success, beating Waterford 2-1 in a replay. Another Cup win came in 1961, beating Drumcondra 2-1, in an all Dublin final. Who would have guessed it would have taken 53 years for their next FAI Cup win! (2014).

The next few decades, from the swinging ’60s right upto the drab 80’s, were pretty forgetful years for Pats fans. No trophies in a long barren spell for the club. Paul McGrath did appear though, earning the PFAI Players player of the year in 1982, for his very brief time at the club, before been whisked off to Manchester United. Even shorter, much shorter in fact, was the one appearance for St Pats, by World Cup legend Gordon Banks! At the time British stars used to come over to Ireland for play for pay games. Invaraibly they were always shite as they were well at the end of their careers. Terry Venables was another who came over, in the 80’s.

Fortunes began to change when Brian Kerr took control of the managerial reigns in 1986. Working on a tight budget the manager got the team to win the LOI Championship title in the 1989-1990 season, their first for 34 years! He did unearth a few gems, Paul Osam, Curtis Fleming, Pat Fenlon, John McDonnell, and things looked rosy for the club. 

But as so often in Irish football, the highs are always followed closely by the lows. The club was thrown into chaos when a takeover bid failed badly, leaving the club hours away from extinction before a group of local investors raised £82,000 to save the club. Phew!

Brian Kerr, wearing the club badge on his sleeve, as always, stepped up to help his club out when they needed him most for the gigantic task of rebuilding a winning team that was shot to pieces in months, with so many players leaving in the havoc surrounding the survival of the club.  But as so often with Keer, he worked the oracle and once again created a winning championship team at St Pats with the league trophy returning to Richmond Park in 1996. The winning squad made up of such Pats legends as Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam and Ricky O’Flaherty together with exciting young stars such as Colin Hawkins and Trevor Molloy.

When Kerr resigned to take up the Director of Coaching job with the FAI, the good work was continued by Pat Dolan and then Liam Buckley installed as manager, with further championships in 1998 and 1999. The less said about the 10–0 aggregate loss to Zimbru Chişinău in the CL the better, the only real blight on Buckleys time at Pats!

In 2002 there was a League Championship title win that was not valid. The tile was given to Shelbourne as St Pats were given a 15 points deduction for playing an unregistered player for the first 5 games of the season. Some Pats fans count this in their title wins and you might see 9 instead of 8 Championships, so be warned!

In 2005 there were talks of a ground share plan in Tallaght with Dublin rivals, Shamrock Rovers. Obviously this was anathema to the supporters who fiercely resisted the move. In july 2006, the fans helped pressure the club to buy the Richmond House pub (also known as McDowell’s) for use as an official clubhouse, to show that they listened to the fans concerns and show their grounding in the local community. 

Fast forward to 2012 and the return of Liam Buckley, former player and manager, for another stint in the hot seat. A clearout of the old team and bringing in 14 new players, Buckley was showing his serious ambitions on rebuilding a team to compete for the championship again. he did bring in some real star quality to the club, Chris Forrester, Christy Fagan, and Ger O’Brien, all becoming fans favourites in no time at all. Buckley’s side finished 3rd in the league, 6 points off champions Sligo Rovers. and he also guided his side to the 2012 FAI Cup Final, but they lost out 3–2 in extra-time to Derry City further extending the Saints’ FAI Cup winning drought to 52 years. Improvements were seen and the fans were happy, safe in the knowledge that good days were just around the corner. Killian Brennan and Conan Byrne arrived, further strengthening an already very decent side, and sure enough in 2013 they clinched the League of Ireland title on after a 2–0 win against holders Sligo Rovers with two games to spare. Brennan getting PFAI player of the year for his efforts. 

In 2013 they finally got the monkey off their back and won the cup for the first time in 53 long years. beating Derry City 2–0 with Christy Fagan immortalising himself with the club’s fans by scoring twice. He was also the clubs top scorer that season in the league and also voted PFAI player of the year. Not a bad season by all accounts!

Upto the present day, they have got Harry Kenny managing them, an ex assistant manager now taking the number one role, having showed some promise as a manager when in charge of Bray Wanderers.  Started the season with a cracker, beating Cork City at home, but since then the team have had a stop start season, winning games they were not expected to do so well and losing or drawing games they should have won. Some rumblings from the fans but I think a new man in charge needs at least a season to bed in his football philosophy. So let’s see…..

Pats have always put on a bit of a show in European football though. They have had some misadventures for sure (as mentioned), but on a few occasions they have got through numerous rounds in the Europa League, beating some decent teams along the way. In 2008–09 St. Pat’s progressed through two rounds of the UEFA Cup by beating JFK Olimps Riga and Elfsborg before losing to Hertha BSC, 0-2 on agg, in the First Round proper. In 2009, they did the same, two rounds of progression, Pat’s this time won games against Valletta FC and Russian Premier League side Krylia Sovetov to reach the play-off round where they were defeated by FC Steaua București, 1-5 on agg.. In 2011, again the same, knocking out Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja from Iceland and FC Shakhter Karagandy from Kazakhstan before eventually being knocked out in the third qualifying round by Ukrainian side FC Karpaty Lviv, 1-5 on agg..

In 2012 Buckley took the reins of the club knowing of the European expectations at the club and once again didn’t disappoint, knocking both Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja of iceland (a game I was at!) and NK Široki Brijeg out after extra-time, to earn a tie with German powerhouse Hannover 96, who knocked the Saints out in the third qualifying round. In 2016 the Saints knocked Jeunesse Esch of Luxembourg out of the UEFA Europa League on away goals before being narrowly beaten 2–1 on aggregate to Dinamo Minsk of Belarus in the second qualifying round, in a game truth be told they should have really won. Overall, generally Pats perform decent enough in Europe, and are one of the few LOI teams where fans can regal newcomers about “glory European adventures down Richmond way”, always when it’s raining though!! 

Notable ex-players who have donned the Pats shirt in the past include Ireland internationals Keith Fahey, Curtis Fleming, and “The Black Pearl of Inchicore”, the legend that is Paul Mcgrath, one of the best defenders I have ever seen, no doubt about it. Other top players include Joseph N’Do, Ryan Guy, Charles Mbabazi Livingstone, Gordon Banks, Eddie Gormley, and Paul Osam who hold the all time appearances record for the club (308).

The club play out of Richmond Park in the suburb of Inchicore. The area where the ground now stands was formerly used as a recreational area by the British Army, who were stationed at the nearby Richmond Barracks, named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond hence the name Richmond Park. Getting to Richmond is dead easy. One can take a bus, bus numbers 68, 68a, 69 and 79 all can take you near or near enough to the ground from the city centre, but the best and easiest way to Richmond is by taking the tram. Get on the Red Luas line to Saggart/Tallaght from the city centre, getting off at Goldenbridge stop. From there, cross the canal, veer left and continue down Connolly Avenue towards Emmet Road. Simples!

St Pats, although a small club they do have a strong link up with their surroundings and the local south west Dublin community. When visiting Richmond one can definitely feel a close bond from the supporters towards the club. The Shed End Invincibles are the “ultra” group associated with the team. They no doubt bring a great atmosphere to the ground, always having some sort of fan display on show, sing throughout and are one of the better fan groups in the LOI. They really play a big part in making a trip to Richmond a highlight, for me at least. 

To the game

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 – Dundalk 0 

05.04.2019 Richmond Park 

45’ Own goal

Attendance: 1878

Despite it piddling down for most, if not all, of the game, I barely noticed that I was totally drenched, such was the excitement on offer at Richmond Park. Ok parts of the game were a little pedestrian, but for what St Pats lacked in skill they more than made up for it with steely determination and heart. 

Dundalk, the Champions, looked a bit lively at the start and one was thinking it was only a matter of time before they would score. But then as the game went on, the Pats players became more confident, with Rhys McCabe working his socks off, popping up all over the pitch, harrying players for the ball, pinning passes left to right, and generally been a pain in the ass for the Dundalk back four. An excellent performance from Rhys McCabe, what a pleasure to see such skill on show in our league. 

Was right in view of the penalty box when the Pats had a clear penalty shout waved away by the ref, but it no doubt hit the Dundalk defender and God only knows what the hell the linesman was doing as he also had a clear view of the incident. He took a good bit of ribbing from the Pats fans after that terrible error. I dont know, refs and linesmen…..a different breed! Ha.

Sure enough the goal came via McCabe, who floated a swinging cross into the box only for  Daniel Cleary to somehow slide it into his own goal, one nil to the home team just before half time. 

In the second half both teams had chances to score, but it seemed that the Pats midfield were bossing it, with the team home totally neutralising the Dundalk threat. That was until the last 10 minutes or so, with about 5 minutes of added time, when the Pats players naturally whilted with all the effort they put in, Dundalk put the foot on the gas and there was a lot of last man defending as Dundalk kept plugging away for the equaliser.

Hoban had a glorious chance to level in the end, but the Gods were looking down on Pats, as he shot wide. The divine would only support the Saints, surely! The whole ground let out a collective sigh of relief at the final whistle, and then the cheers began, beating the champions at home, great. 

It would be totally unfair of me not to mention that the Pats back four were immense. It was them and their stout heroic defending that made Dundalk look so flat. They played as a coherent unit at the back and for most of the game had everything in control, playing with confidence from the back. Great performance form the Pats defence. 

I dont quite know how Pats have been losing before and after this game, consistently dropping points every few games, as on this performance they have a great team and should really be doing slightly better than mid table where they are at the moment. Would give the benefit of doubt to the manager, Harry Kenny, as sometimes it takes a while to stamp your authority and game plan on a squad in your first year as the gaffer. But let’s see, as I feel pats have the makings of a good team here. (But I am a bit biased to be honest as I always love visiting Richmond and so have a soft spot for Pats)

Highlights of the game here

Interview

Had the pleasure of having a short chat with long time Super Saints fan, Tommy Keyes.  

I’m Tommy Keyes, singer songwriter, recording artist and given Rob’s (me!) particular interest in football as well, I’m also very heavily involved in St. Patrick’s athletic football club and that’s where we are tonight doing this interview.

With the song Richmond nights, the start of the song……….”Hand in hand, the boy and man walk to the terraced shed, find some space and take their place among the sea of red” so……….

Yeah that song is about 3 generations. I mean my dad first brought me here, we are in Richmond park, my dad first brought me here maybe when we were 11 or 12 and then I brought my kids as soon as they were old enough to turn them into League of Ireland supporters as well. I don’t have any grandchildren yet but the song is kind of looking ahead to when you know and it’s most likely be my daughter, as my eldest daughter is very heavily involved now in the club as well, when she will have someone to bring along, and it’s the way the love of a football club, and the love of supporting the club, gets passed on from generation to generation, it’s a very, very special thing.

I think St.Pats is, I don’t know like I have seen a few of the other teams in Dublin, but I think St Pats are slightly different to maybe Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians, is more rooted within its area, its family, it’s more community based I think?

Its very rooted in the community here in Inchicore, about 10 or 12 years ago, when, 13 years ago, when the new owner Garrett Kelleher bought the club, a lot of people were telling him that the sensible thing was to, to sell up the ground here, move out to Tallaght which was been developed at that stage, share the ground with Shamrock Rovers, and he very quickly realized that if you did that you would kill the club because the club is absolutely rooted in the community here. Not just Inchicore but the areas around it, West Dublin, its of this place and we couldn’t move so he quickly said no the club is never moving from here.

And is it hard to get people out these days to follow the League of Ireland?

It’s very hard because any night of the week…..I mean we are here Friday night and we are playing Dundalk, who are the best team in the country so this should be a massive match but Liverpool are on television tonight so we are definitely going to lose supporters to that but the one thing I will say is that there seems to be a bit of a resurgence since the start of this season, we have had very good gates for home matches, Bohemians, our last away match was in Bohemians away last week, they sold out. We sold out for our last match here against Shamrock Rovers, we had to turn people away …….you know we are talking here about you know……4,300, 4,400, we are not talking about massive gates, but you know things are improving, but I mean the quality of the football is extremely good and you can shout at the television as much as you like it’s not the same as shouting at players who can hear you………….and referees who can hear you…..

Attendances are up this season……….

Definitely

Is there a reason for that, I mean for this season especially…….?

A lot of the clubs including ourselves did some very, very good promotion videos that went viral on YouTube and all that type of thing, maybe people have a bit more money in their pocket, the quality of the football is very good, I mean a lot of the time what we are trying to do is to get people to bring their friends to a match or two, because we know that if they see how good the product is, the entertainment is, they will come again.

And since you have been following them what was the highlight season for you?

Well….I have been following them 50 years, we have won the league 6 times in that period, but I think nothing really can beat winning the FAI cup in 2014, in the Aviva because that was the hoodoo that was hanging over this club, you know, 7 cup finals, we won the cup back in I think about 61, and after that we were in 7 cup finals and we lost every single one of them.  And like some of them were so close, Shelbourne went to a replay, Derry went to extra time, we lost, 7 in a row we lost, so there was this jinx hanging over us, we are never going to win the cup, even though we won 6 leagues in the same period, and we beat Derry 2-0 in the Aviva in 2014 and that was really, really special.

https://youtu.be/YLwzH42S2tQ

Did you drink for a week after that!?

Ah, no comment on that!

And there has been some special European nights here as well. Once we get beyond a certain stage in Europe we have to move to Tallaght or whatever,  and it’s never as good,  but when this place is packed for a European night you know, we played Elfsborg from Sweden and we were losing on aggregate with about 5 minutes to go, we just needed a goal to win on away goals, we got the goal and then we got another goal, and that was just a massive, massive night.

https://youtu.be/rgcAHb4dhw8

Well cult heroes I mean then, its Paul McGrath……..

Every generation brings it cults heroes, I mean we have a lad at the club at the moment Ian Birmingham, the captain, it’s his testimonial year this year, 10^th successive season, and that’s 10 seasons always been in the first team, you rarely get that in League of Ireland football now.

But you know, people like Paul Osam, Eddie Gormley, Curtis Fleming, and people older than me will talk about people like Ginger O’Rourke, and Timber Cummins and people like these fellas back in the 50’s so its generation to generation.

There is a kid here at the moment called Jamie Lennon, you will see him tonight, he is a defensive midfielder,  came on as a sub for the Ireland under 21’s in tallaght there last Sunday week, you know he is a star of the future.

Chris Forrester is back, Chris has had a disastrous year, he was doing really well at Peterborough and then it kind of went off the boil, they sold him to Aberdeen and that didn’t work out at all, so he is home now, and he hasn’t played very much football in the last year so he is only  finding his feet again, when he finds his feet he is going to be massive, he was one of the legends here……….

So what should I expect tonight in terms of atmosphere…?

The atmosphere will be good, we are on a bad roll because the team hasn’t quite gelled with the new signings, Dundalk are the best team in the country, notwithstanding that Shamrock Rovers might be top of the table at the moment, so we are very much up against it, if we get anything out of the game tonight that would be good.

Then with regards music Tommy, so how is the music going for you these days?

The music is going very well, I was working in a completely different….I was working away from music for nearly 40 years because in the 70s I had been in bands, and so on, and I was the main songwriter in the bands that I was in, and then I was away from music for 40 years because I had a different career and it just didn’t leave any room for music, but I retired from that in 2015 and went straight into the studio and recorded stuff, started doing albums, getting back gigging, looking around for singer songwriter sessions…….I’m not really interested in going into pubs doing covers,

You do your own songs…

I do my own stuff and there are, particularly around Dublin, there are places where you can go and play your own material and I ended up landing on my feet really, because I got involved with a pub in Dublin called Darkie Kelly’s, which has singer songwriter night on Tuesdays, and I started playing that and then they asked me to host it and then they asked me to run it and so I run that session now, and I get to do quite a few original songs, and every Tuesday night and we usually have 9 or 10 other singer songwriters who all perform and then we have a big jam at the end, and I do a thing then in the same place, an idea came up with myself last year called the Sunday Song Brunch where twice a month we have half 12 until 3 o’clock sessions on a Sunday where we have much the same thing. And the nice thing about that is our musicians because during the day, musicians who have young kids, the kids maybe never seen daddy or mammy play so they can bring them in, so that’s nice as well.

I’m very content, 4^th album, Temptation Once Again, came out in November, has done really well, got really nice reviews for it, getting a good bit of radio play, I’m never going to make money out of this but it doesn’t matter I just want my original songs out there

But you get your own audience online……..

That’s exactly it, that’s exactly it.

Does the football feed off it, when you are standing on the terraces on a cold wet night, does inspiration hit you………

Well I don’t know about that. but the first thing is I look around the ground as you will do this evening and behind each goal I will see a big billboard Tommy Keyes, that I decided I was going to put a little bit of money into promotion so St pats might as well have it…….so every time that Soccer Republic (TV Show) is on or whatever it is called now, if they are showing any goals from Richmond Park, just a quick little subliminal add that catches everyone for Tommy Keyes, which is good.

Which would be better, the buzz from a live performance, you are playing in front of people, or a goal tonight, is there…………

They are both brilliant……. that’s like saying you can only keep one of your kids……..which one would you give up, you couldn’t really choose between those………….

You said you were with Sidewinder back in the day…..

In the 70’s………….

Yeah, is there much of a difference between then and these times?

Yeah well first of all, big difference personally because I was just the keyboard player in the band I was never the front man, now it’s me, I’m Tommy Keyes, sometimes I play with a band, but it would be the band I put together myself and so on…………so it is different……

And the other big difference is now, and this is why I said I feel very sorry for young musicians now, in those days you could actually make money doing it, you know….the gigs all paid, there were big crowds and all that type of thing, and if you brought out an album or single people would buy it, now the venues generally don’t pay, or pay very, very little, and everyone downloads the albums, singles, or streams them whatever, I mean if you hear everything you want to hear on Spotify, why are you going to buy things, and that’s the problem. So, in terms of it been a money-making proposition it is very difficult.

But you are more catered to your audience I think due to YouTube and social media; you can go direct to your audience.

Absolutely, you can target them in that way.

Ok Tommy, just with regards to tonight’s game, any predictions on the game ………….

Mmmm………my head says we will lose, and my heart says a one all draw.

I think they lost in the cup there (To Dundalk) ……….

We played them in the League Cup on Monday, 2-1 defeat, yeah

But that was the second team maybe?

Well yeah both teams were under strength for the game you know.

Our problem this season is scoring goals, and our striker, Mikey Drennan is the only player who has scored so far this season and unfortunately, he got sent off against Bohemians last week so he is suspended so that doesn’t help. Gary Shaw is playing up front

Ok so it might be a one nil then, a narrow one nil then

I will take that now

Ninetieth minute

I will take that now.

Ok thanks very much……………….

(Game ended one nil to St Pats!)

Follow Tommy Keyes

http://www.tommykeyes.com/

This album is Tommy reminiscing about the olden days, the time he was growing up as a wee lad, the teenage years of angst and rock music, gigging around the country, the monotony of a working stiff, and the equal pleasures and sadness of seeing his daughters grow up and then leave home. Basically it’s the story of Tommy’s life in music, and in poetic form sang with passion and feeling. The soundtrack to his life in all its glory and wonder, just like the lives of his fellow compatriots, a life not too separated from what so many were going through in Ireland at the time, an Irish life we all know so well. 

The album is cleverly set up into 4 parts: Spring, Summer, Autumn and, finishing with, Christmas. Showing the various stages of life in music form, hot stepping it as a young nipper in spring, football in the summer, sad reflections in autumn, and get togethers around the family tree at Christmas. 

From the beginning we are brought into the life of a dreamer, “I was there” is the first track, taking us back to the days of late night clubs and old gigs, the craic was great and the fun Tommy had………..”Those were crazy days, I know cause I was there”, all played out to the beat of an old style light rock tempo just like what was heard back in the day. Great start, sets us up nicely, gets us in the mood…………

“Happy days” is another cracker of a tune, love it. This time Tommy goes back even further, to the excitement he had as a young nipper acting out make believe scenes as a cowboy, football superstar, or 007, like we all did when we were kids. Happy days indeed. “In our field of dreams we’ll be football teams, we’ll take to the pitch in the green shirt of Ireland, win every match on the way to the final”. Great, makes me wonder do the young ones these days, what with their Iphone and Ipads, have the same amount of fun we had when we were young, somehow I doubt it. The backing vocals on this track provided by Ellen and Cian O’Mahoney are excellent, and what makes the song stand out. There is also a nice guitar solo, from Dick Farrelly, midway through the track, just to remind you of Tommy’s rock credentials! 

The soft rock and easy listening continues with the next tune, “Landscape Park”, again about childhood memories, again about football in the park, “Kick a football until dark”. Something tells me Tommy, was a keen footballer and perhaps music was not his first love!

Two years after “An Irish Life” Tommy returns with “Temptation Once Again”, another easy listening collection of songs, but this time the topic is love, the good and the bad of it all. The “mainstays of the live set”, were brought to life in the studio with a team of the best session singers and musicians one can find! 

On the cover we see temptation…………..women, beer, the party lifestyle…………the story of my life! (yeah right!)

“Just A Simple Love Song”, kicks off the album, and what an excellent track to start with, brilliant, we get the the drums, piano, the backing vocals, violin, cello, sax, all coming together nicely, music that has a bit of everything, but “it’s just a simple love song for you”. “Snakes and Ladders”, seamlessly into song two, a similar song and mood, love is in the air…………..”feels like we’re playing a game of snakes and ladders, and we’re always falling down”, the turbulence of a rocky relationship but feels like it will all work out in the end. In both songs backing singer Ellen O’Mahoney and Tommy on lead vocals guide the songs expertly to their destination. 

Track three, “By My Side” is a kind of Randy Newman style number, I half expect to hear it on the new Toy Story movie, a contemplative song, “I was searching far and wide for an answer that was right there by my side” true love was found. 

“Superman”, the next track, sounds like an ode to Tommy’s parents, working the piano, while singing some soul, “little fingers wipe away the tears, pull the blanket tight around my ears”.

Track five, “It Wouldn’t Be Me”, and we are back to the Randy Newman crispy voiced pop sounds. Works well and easy to listen to. This time we see some problems from the lovers, “I can change if you want me to, I can be anyone you’d like me to be, but it wouldn’t be me!”. Richie Buckley on sax is heavy on this one. Nice tune. 

We get to see the reality of life as a young musician, on “Brimful In My Soul”, “I’m empty in my pockets but I’m brimful in my soul”, the harsh life as a musician with promises of stardom, “I was playing a open mic to a crowd of nine or ten”. Temptation here, perhaps, is to pack it in, give up on your first love……………….music? A very good song, love the story in it, from the heart and a nice slow number with Tommy perhaps giving us a glimpse of the struggles he, like a lot of musicians, went through for his craft.

Track seven, “Something’s Broken”, like the previous song, is another mellow piano sound that lingers in the mind. “Lean on me and I’ll guide you home” perhaps a song showing his love towards his children? “I promise you, you’ll never be alone”

Tommy on the piano once again shining in the next number, “The Moon and the Stars”. Gerrard Farrelly softly on the drums, while the chorus “you light up the night like the moon and the stars” sang beautifully by Ellen and Cian o’Mahoney, Paul o’Toole, and Padraig MacMahon, easy going and upbeat, the couple are back in love again. And “Everyday I Fall In Love Again” an enduring love song, Tommy’s upbeat tones declaring “everyday I fall in love again with you, with you, everyday I fall in love with you”, undying love. 

But is the love undying since we move onto track ten and we get “Temptation Once Again”, an easy going soul/pop number, where an older man encounters a younger woman, “she’s walks in your direction flashes you a smile”, “experience is best”, tempting for the old man. Another song where the musicians and the session band come together as one, with a great sax again by Richie Buckley, and Gerrard Farrelly on the drums again smooching it up, with, I am guessing his brother, Dick Farrelly on bass strumming out those heavy moods, all in unison, excellent track. 

“Valentine” brings the pace down a bit, a slow love song with the excellent pairing of Aisling Bridgeman and Aine Gallagher on their violins in the background, a lovely song of “two lovers growing old, bring(ing) back those memories, bring(ing) back that smile”

Track 12, “Christmas Eve in Dublin”, did very well in the ITunes charts, and it’s not hard to see why, as it’s a lovely seasonal song perfect for the time of year that’s in it, meeting in the pub over pints, seeing “Just the same old faces, just the same old show Christmas Eve on Dublin, they say it looks like snow”, slow number with a lovely guitar melody running through. Pubs, pints and Dublin, what’s not to love there? 

Perhaps track 13 shows what can happen if you indulge too much in the old beer drinking, as “I Was Joking”, Tommy sings about acting the maggot, playing the joker, but it got out of hand, “I never meant to hurt you, I was joking that was all”. A break up on the cards?, “Now I know the jokes on me”

Perhaps the break up has happened as in “Drunk Lullaby”, it certainly looks like lost love and someone has hit the drink, “A bottle of rye and a drunk lullaby and an old faded picture of you”, Clare Kinsella on the cello the stand out here, very good. 

Bu the last track, “Land’s End”, Tommy looks back on life again, “memories, nothing more, lands end, lands end, land end” a song that reminds me of Tom Waits with his gravelly voice, contemplative and reflecting the short time we have on this little old planet we have”awaiting the last ship, to the other side, lands end, lands end, lands end”. A great song to finish a very good album, an album where time spent perfecting the songs in the studio was well worth it all with the musicians in their own unique ways come together to produce a well crafted love album. I was thinking that Tommy could be the Irish version of Louis Armstrong, Randy Newman or at times Tom Waits. take your pick!  Yes it is that good!

Overall

Dublin was great, as always, the pints were and are always fantastic, and it is not hard to have a good time in the big city.

Loved meeting the guys, Eddie, Immanuel and Tommy, was really special to chat to three very talented individuals, and I wish them great success in the future. Just goes to show you the talent that one can find in this little wee country of ours. 

Also must mention the fast food in Richmond, a tiny bit expensive, but the burgers were so, so tasty……………and I see I am down to be home and back in Ireland during the first few weeks of July. I notice Pats are pencilled down for a Euro tie with Norrkoping from Sweden during that time……………..mmmm………………….VERY TEMPTING…………..