Irish in Philly – Page 194 – Where every day is St. Patrick's Day

Music, News, People

Haunted by the Memories of Molly-O-Ween … All Very Good Ones

Katie, our winged hostess.

Off in the back, the kids were carving and scooping out jack-o-lanterns.

On stage, kilted performer Seamus Kennedy was singing songs, telling stories (funny ones, not ghostly ones), and occasionally flashing a jack-o-lantern grin.

Oh, yes, and Elvis was in the house … about an 8-year-old version of the king who came and went before we could get his (her?) picture.

This was the very first Molly-O-Ween celebration at Molly Maguire’s pub in Lansdale, but it probably won’t be the last.

Luckily, the day dawned bright and clear and, by the time the festival began, the temperatures had warmed up. A little too warm for some of the costumes, maybe, but, hey, they’re kids, and kids put comfort aside in the name of Halloween.

Shoppers kept the Irish vendors busy, and musicians (Kennedy, Celtic Spirit and Doc Freeman) kept many of the festival-goers up and on their feet. Food and beer, too, of course, and inside the tavern, business was brisk.

We have photos from the day.

October 19, 2010 by Jeff Meade

News

A Much-Needed Boost for the Parade

A timely donation worth cheering for.

The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade got a nice little shot in the arm this week.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, cable tycoon “Gerry” Lenfest and Joey Vento (he of Geno’s steaks) have come up with a large wad of cash that will help the city’s ethnic parades and festivals—including the St. Pat’s parade—offset some of its setup and cleanup costs.

The Greater Philadelphia Traditions Fund is what it’s called. According to the Inquirer, the fund has coughed up $200,000 for 2011 costs, with the $100,000 set pledged (so far) for 2012. What’s more, the story noted, the funds “will include reimbursement for expenses in 2009 and 2010.”

All of which came as welcome news to Michael F. Callahan, president of the board of the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association.

“The way I understand it, this is for the City of Philadelphia’s costs, which include police and sanitation, the healthiest amount of costs,” said Callahan. “It also includes the EMT (emergency medical crews) costs as well.” Callahan estimates that the Traditions Fund donation could pare $30,000 to $35,000 off the costs of the parade.

That doesn’t mean the parade has anything like a free ride. Quite the contrary. “It costs about $110,000 to put the (St. Patrick’s Day) parade out,” Callahan said. “The costs just add up. So if they’re paying for $30,000 to $35,000, we still have to come up with the balance. We’re very grateful for their efforts. They’re allies of the ethnic traditions in the city. But we still need to get out there and beat the streets in tough economic times.”

Callahan credited Brady in particular for shepherding the deal through: “He’s a guy who gets things done, no doubt about it. He stepped up and said we needed a powerful voice, someone who has the ear of the money people and the people in City Hall. He was a godsend.”

October 15, 2010 by Jeff Meade

Arts

Two Buzz-Worthy Irish Flicks Featured in Festival

"The Brothers" of Paul Fraser's film playing at The Philadelphia Film Festival.

The 19th Philadelphia Film Festival is officially under way. The 10-day movie extravaganza, which features two superb Irish films, kicked off Thursday night with the screening of “The Black Swan.” (The festival runs from October 14 to 24.) Not set to be officially released until next December, the film starring Natalie Portman is already garnering the kind of buzz that foreshadows major awards.

That’s exactly the kind of excitement that the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) is proud to generate.

“This year is the best line-up we’ve ever had. Of course, I said that last year,” laughed PFS Executive Director J. Andrew Greenblatt. “You want to top yourself every year, not in size, but in terms of quality.”

As of Wednesday, there were 112 films on the schedule.

“When we put together the first program guide, we had 107, but we’ve been continuing to add them. There are so many great films that we couldn’t stop; we couldn’t say no. And we never say ‘never’; there’s a chance 1 or 2 more could come in.”

A good portion of those 112 films don’t have distribution deals yet, Greenblatt said. “You many never see them anywhere again.”

Among the feast of films on offer this year are two acclaimed Irish films that have already played at other festivals, where the buzz on them began building.

The first of these is “My Brothers,“ by first-time director Paul Fraser. Filmed in Kerry, it’s a coming-of-age story (think, “Stand By Me”) that’s set over Halloween weekend in 1987. Oldest brother Noel takes his dying father’s treasured watch (a cheap digital one that was won at an arcade in Ballybunion) and when it breaks during a fight (along with his wrist), Noel decides he has to replace it. Unable to drive the bread van he “borrowed” without permission because of his injured wrist, Noel enlists his two younger brothers, 11-year-old Paudie and 7-year-old Scwally, to travel with him to Ballybunion to share in the driving. By turns both comic and heart-wrenching, the film follows the three brothers as they experience a journey that changes them forever.

“The Brothers” is showing on Sunday, October 17, at 1 p.m. at The Bryn Mawr Film Institute, and then again on Saturday, October 23, at 12 noon at The Ritz Five E.

The second movie, “Outcast,” directed by Colm McCarthy, is quite a bit different. Greenblatt described it as “a lot darker, and a little twisted. It takes you into a subculture that hasn’t been explored on film before. I recommend it for anyone with ‘a tolerance.’ It’s pretty gripping.”

The subculture that Greenblatt is referring to is the world of the sidhe (pronounced shee). Tied to the fairy folklore of Ireland, the sidhe are a people of the mounds, able to shift shapes and in possession of great and dark power.

The Scottish director was raised on his Cork-born father’s dark tales of Celtic myth and legend, and based his film around the idea of how those stories would play out in the gloomy urban setting of Edinburgh and its castle estates.

On the run from a disturbing beast-like pursuer (James Nesbitt), mother Mary (Kate Dickie) and teen-age son Feargal (Niall Bruton) are Irish travelers caught up in their own world of dark ritual. Fergeal is also involved in a palpably ill-fated romance with Petronella (Hanna Stanbridge), a girl of Scottish-Romany descent.

The movie’s trailer, which can be viewed here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Jx1Xj5sgk&translated=1, gives a glimpse into the atmospheric darkness of “Outcast.”

“Outcast” is showing on Saturday, October 16 at 10:15 p.m. at The Ritz Five E, and again on Saturday, October 23, at 5:30 p.m. at The Ritz Five D.

“The Irish film industry is producing so many original movies these days. Just from what I’ve seen, things look good. There seems to be a big upswing. People should come out and see these films. If they like edgy, “Outcast” is for them. If they want something lighter, that’s still intriguing, captivating and fun, then they have to see “Two Brothers.”

For more information on the Philadelphia Film Festival, including a full list of the movies showing and their schedules, go to: http://www.filmadelphia.org/

October 15, 2010 by Lori Lander Murphy

Music

Five Questions for Breanndán Begley

Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Breanndán Begley

There is a ruggedness and a wildness to the West of Ireland. To Breanndán Begley, one of he most accomplished two-row button accordion artists in the world, it’s only natural that the music of the region should match its terrain.

West Kerry, where Begley makes his home, is also part of Ireland’s Gaeltacht—an Irish-speaking region. So if West Kerry music seems to have a slightly different flavor from, say, the music of the heartland, that ancient language wields its own influence, too, says Begley.

Begley appears with his playing partner Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh (kwee-veen o-Rye-a-lah) in two Philly-area concerts this weekend, the first, at the Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series Saturday night at 8, and the second Sunday night at 8 at the Philadelphia Irish Center. (Details on our calendar.) To Begley, his Gaeltacht roots are a point of pride, and he clearly exults in the sound of the popular West Kerry dance music.

We tracked him down last week as he and Ó Raghallaigh made their way along the tour route that would bring them to our front door.

Q. To a lot of people, Irish music is Irish music. For the uninitiated, what is Kerry music and how is it different?

A. First of all, musically Ireland is a very big place and Kerry just has a dialect of its own. Even within the dialects, there are variations as well. In Kerry (for example), there would be the West Kerry style, which would have its own little differences. (West Kerry music) is more for dancing, first and foremost—slides, polkas and reels, for example. The dancing would be a very important
thing. You (also) have a lot of variety in Kerry music. Airs are valued in a session.

West Kerry is a rugged place, and the music reflects that. The music in the middle of the country is very different. The ruggedness in the music is (expressed) in the ornamentation. It’s something you wouldn’t shy away from. It’s a part of the sound within the sound. It’s rugged and lively—it’s everything.

Q. Your family background is musical, as it so often is when we interview Irish traditional artists. Have you ever stopped to ponder the old “nature/nurture” argument, and which is it?

A. It’s a mixture of all those things. I feel very lucky to be able to play like I do. It’s what I do best. It’s good that the background is there but it’s not necessary to be a great player. Breeding is better than feeding, they say, but I think it’s pure luck, really.

Q. Who taught you, and how did it influence your style of play?

A. I learned Irish music the same way I learned the language. My father played and sang. it was all around the place. Kids today have the computer; we had the accordion.

I never had any formal training. I don’t read music. It’s all by ear. It’s an oral tradition; it comes from the people. You didn’t even know you were playing music. All the musicians I knew in Kerry, none of them read music.

Q. You sing as well as play. Did one evolve later than the other, or did they come about more or less concurrently?

A. We did it (sang) all the time, more or less. I find the bridge between a Gaelic speaker and a musician is bridged by the singing. When you sing you’re doing both. In my youth there was hardly any radio. The only music you heard was live. The singing was live.

I didn’t really start singing on stage until the band Beginish (one of the notable ensembles to which he has belonged; another is Boys of the Lough) was formed. We didn’t have a singer so I started singing. I really love it. I love the songs.

The older I get, the more important I think the language is. The Irish language goes back farther than anything we have. It’s a living art form. It predates any of our poetry, and I’m sure a form of Gaelic was spoken by the Newgrange people. (In singing) I’m speaking my first language. In West Kerry youre never asked to “sing” a sing. You’re asked to “say” a song.

Q. How does collaborating with other musicians, which you’ve certainly done a lot, influence your play? How does playing with Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh influence you?

A. In Boys of the Lough, I didn’t try to put my own stamp on it., (although) when it came to a solo, I’d do it exactly the way I wanted to do it myself. With Beginish, in one way it was easier because it was all Irish musicans. It was a kind of a melting pot playing with them.

I can safely sayer that I find so much freedom playing with Caoimhín. Music with him is definitely music of the moment. There’s a plan, but rarely do we ever do exactly like the plan. If you do anything else, you’re going by memory, or you’re doing an imitation of what sounded good last night. No two nights are the same, with Caoimhín and me together. It’s a great feeling playing with Caoimhín. Do I get bored? Never! Tired? Maybe.

October 15, 2010 by Jeff Meade

Columns, How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Can you carve one of these bad boys? Test your punkin-carvin' mettle at Molly-O-Ween.

We’re heading into a big, fat honkin’ weekend, including one big fall festival, not-to-be-missed concerts, and a couple of really fun benefits.

All the Saturday action is concentrated into the nighttime hours. You may have a very hard time making up your mind.

Here’s what’s on tap:

Two of the most talented and creative Irish traditional musicians appear together in a Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series concert. Breanndán Begley and Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh (Kwee-veen O-Rye-allah, if you want to say it right) take the stage at 8 p.m. at the Coatesville Cultural Society (a very cozy venue indeed), 143 East Lincoln Highway in Coatesville. For tickets, contact Frank Dalton at (610) 486-2220.
The Spring Hill House Concert Series hosts Aoife Clancy—she of the amazing voice and hair—starting at 8 p.m. You may know her from her stint with Cherish the Ladies. The daughter of Bobby Clancy, Aoife (“EE-fa”) sings pretty much everything. For you singers, there’s a workshop before the concert. The show takes place in one of our favorite (and most intimate) settings, the home of Bob Hendren and Bette Conway, 136 East Third Street in Lansdale. For details, call (215) 368-0525.
Blackthorn takes the stage, starting at 8 p.m., for a beef and beer benefit for St. Laurence Parish, 8245 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. Tickets are 40 bucks per person, including food, beer and set-ups. The boys of Blackthorn never fail to entertain. You just know you’ll be on your feet the whole night. To order tickets, call Ann Char at (610) 789-6960 or e-mail her at achar@stlaurence.org.
Also Saturday night, The Martin Family Band returns for their third year in an Evening of Celtic Music, Song & Dance at Bucks County Community College Gateway Auditorium, 275 Swamp Road in Newtown, Bucks County. Showtime is 7:30.
If you want to hear a very talented Scot (Irish, Scottish … we don’t discriminate), lend an ear to singer-songwriter Brian McNeill (founder of the Battlefield Band) Saturday at 8 p.m. at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church, 101 Old Kennett Road, in Wilmington. This is a presentation of the Green Willow Folk Club, and they know how to put on a show.

Sunday is almost as crowded:

If you’re a golfer, you can start your Sunday on the links and help the Philadelphia Irish Center at the same time. The Irish Center will host a benefit golf outing at Walnut Lane Golf Course, 800 Walnut Lane (near Henry Avenue), with tee time set for 9:30. Call John Nolan at (215) 843-8051 for details. The fee is $60, but it includes a lot: greens fee, cart, awards, luncheon & on-course refreshments. And plan on Saturday night Mass.
Later in the day, you’re likely to run into lots of your Irish compatriots at Molly-O-Ween, a free (we like “free”) festival at Molly Maguire’s Pub, Main and Wood Streets in Lansdale, Sunday from 1 to 8 p.m. Carve pumpkins! Slip into your Halloween costume, and win a prize! (If you’re looking for ideas, I read a story predicting Lady Gaga and the cast of “Jersey Shore” will be the most popular costumes this year. But I digress, and the mental images are just too disturbing to continue.) There’ll be plenty of great food and drink, of course, plus music by Seamus Kennedy, Celtic Spirit, the Doc Freeman Band, and a local bagpipe band. The Timoney irish Dancers will also take the stage throughout the day.
Later on that night, Breanndán Begley and Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh will appear in concert at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy section of town, starting at 8 p.m. So if you miss them at Coatesville, you get a second chance. Better yet, see them both nights.

And that, folks, is just the weekend!

Inis Nua Theatre Company’s presentation of the Leo Butler play “The Early Bird” continues throughout the week at The Playground Theatre at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., in Center City. Show times vary. Check the Web site for details.

October 14, 2010 by Jeff Meade

Music, People

Luka Bloom Debuts His Latest CD in the US Next Week

Irish folk-rocker Luka Bloom will appear at the Sellersville Theatre.

Luka Bloom has a pretty good plan for his current east coast tour of the U.S. He’s timed it to coincide with the turning of the leaves from summer’s green to their full burst of autumnal glory. The Irish singer-songwriter, who spent a good number of years living in New York, knows his fall foliage.

The man who was born Kevin Barry Moore, and re-purposed himself as Luka Bloom when he launched his career in the States in 1987, was en route from Maine to Vermont when we talked on the phone about his tour (it’s a brief two and a half weeks), his latest CD (“Dreams in America”)and his nephew Donnacha Rynne’s recently published book (it was his idea).

Although a short one, his tour includes a stop at The Sellersville Theatre on October 7. “I’ve always had great shows in the Philadelphia area,” he said. “I’ve played at The World Café, The Tin Angel, The Chestnut Cabaret. I’m really looking forward to this one.”

He’s bringing with him some old songs that have been reinvented for his latest CD, “Dreams in America.”

“It’s really a celebration of twenty years of writing songs and recording them. I’m not a huge fan of nostalgia,” Bloom acknowledged. “I think it’s highly overrated. But it’s okay to take a look back and reflect. It’s like hitting the pause button.”

The songs on the album, eleven of them including the new incarnations of “The Acoustic Motorbike,” “Bridge of Sorrow” and “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself,” represent Bloom’s determination to “live in the nowness of life,” a thought borrowed from his wheelchair-bound nephew.

“This gave me the chance to go back and revisit where I was when I originally wrote the songs. I didn’t necessarily want to re-record the ones that became popular. In some cases, I loved the song but not the original recording. They’re more stripped down, raw versions on this album. I recorded it in my living room in Ireland last December.”

And Bloom felt it was time to include a song new for him as well: the traditional “Lord Franklin.” A very beautiful, simple interpretation, he sings it as a tribute to a late friend of his, Micheal O’Domhnaill, whose rendition he considers “the definitive one.”

Two live tracks, “I Hear Her, Like Lorelei” and “Love is a Monsoon,” recorded in the National Concert Hall in Dublin in August 2009, round out the CD that Bloom ultimately wants to be a thank you to “the places and people who opened their hearts and minds to the songs of a Kildareman…The period of 1987 to 1991 was an unbelievably exciting one. Things took off for me in America, particularly in New York. It’s a very nice exercise to reflect back on that time and be grateful.”

There’s another current project that is close to Bloom’s heart: the publication of his nephew’s book “Being Donnacha” (read the story in this week’s irishphiladelphia). Donnacha, born with cerebral palsy, and later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, is a source of inspiration to Bloom. In fact, he wrote a song, “Doing the Best I Can” for him (the lyrics are included in the book).

“It’s a very important book, there are so many levels to it. It will be beneficial to so many people to hear his voice; he gives a voice to people who haven’t been heard. People who are themselves disabled, their families and their carers will all find it meaningful.”

“Donnacha lives constantly in the nowness of life. He gives a voice to living with a disability that needs to be heard. He has tough days but his strengths have always been very apparent. And something about writing this book has given him fresh strength to go on.”

“There’s something very poignant in seeing the first American article about Donnacha’s book published in Philadelphia. A very dear friend of the family, Lester Conner, lived most of his life in Philadelphia. He died about five years ago. He was a professor at Chestnut Hill College for a number of years, a great literary giant and highly academic man who was an expert on W.B. Yeats. He published “A Yeats Dictionary.” My sister Anne met him back in 1967 when he lectured at Trinity College, and he became godfather to her oldest son. He would visit every year, and Donnacha was very important to him. He would have loved to have seen Donnacha’s book.”

“It’s an important bit of serendipity.”

Visit Luka’s website for more information on his CD and his upcoming concerts: http://www.lukabloom.com/

October 2, 2010 by Lori Lander Murphy

Columns

Aon Sceal?

Michael Bradley, center, with Mayor Michael Nutter and Linda Bradley.

He’s Man of the Year Every Year

Philly’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley has been named the Philadelphia Emerald Society’s Man of the Year for 2010.

Along with coordinating the parade and running the Irish Fest on Penns Landing in June, Bradley literally fought City Hall to keep the parade marching down the Parkway after the Nutter administration, faced with a serious budget shortfall, withdrew the city’s financial support of the parade, the second oldest in the US. A series of fundraisers helped pay some of the added bills and Bradley vowed that the parade would go on, no matter what. “It will either be a peaceful parade or an organized riot,” he joked before a meeting with Mayor Michael Nutter.

Also being honored at Philadelphia Police Sergeant Patrick McDonald, who was killed in the line of duty, and Philadelphia Fire Department Captain Larry McDonald, Patrick’s father, who died of a heart attack while riding his bike last spring. We interviewed Larry McDonald last St. Patrick’s Day at a fundraiser for a charity established in his son’s name.

The men will be honored at a banquet on October 22 at the Fraternal Order of Police Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are $50 per person. Contact Harry Marnie at 215-298-9573, 302-736-6654, or hmarnie@verizon.net for information or to purchase tickets or an ad in the program book.

From the “We Told You She Was Inspirational” Department

In May, Denise Sullivan Morrison, a division president at Campbell’s Soup in Camden, NJ, was honored as one of 11 “Inspirational Irish Women” at a ceremony at Philadelphia’s Irish Center.

When we interviewed Denise, who credited her dad with exposing her and her sisters to the business world at a time when for girls, “business” meant being in the steno pool, she said her goal was to become a CEO one day.

That day may be coming soon. Campbell’s CEO Douglas Conant, Morrison’s boss and mentor, announced this week that he’s stepping down and Morrison may be his successor. If you’d like to find out why this would be a good move, read what we wrote about Denise Sullivan Morrison in May 2010.

Brittany Basis, the 2006 Mary from Dungloe, in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Be A Soldier’s Santa

Philadelphia’s 2006 “Mary from Dungloe” Brittany Basis is looking for a few good elves to make the holidays bright for US Marines stationed in Afghanistan—including her husband, Cpl. Roy Basis of the 2nd Batallian, 6th Marine Unit.

“There are about 800 Marines in the 2/6 alone and they have already lost 8 brothers in combat and suffered over 80 injuries,” says Basis. The men rarely shower, are connected to home via satellite phones they have to share and which drop calls after only a few minutes, making for disjointed conversations.

“The biggest morale boosters are when the men receive care pacakages from their wives, girlfriends, and family. Sadly,” says Basis, “some of the men don’t receive anything at all or have no one to get packages from.”

So she’s asking local organizations—and Irish folk—to put together packages for Operation Christmas Stocking, founded by Chaplain Dave Mowbray of the 2/6.

Here’s what they need, according to Chaplain Mowbray:

“Christmas stockings (12-18 inches long, and feel free to decorate and/or write your name/message on either the inside or outside)

“Pre-lit Christmas Trees (2-4 feet high, cheap ones are fine. These will be used in the various posts and bases around Marjah)

“Christmas related candy, candy canes, small toys and similar items. The more “Christmasy” or silly the better.

“No need to stuff the stockings, I’ll take all donations, plus the goodies we normally get, and try to make everything as equal as I can for everyone. Just use common sense on what you should or shouldn’t send. Liquor, drugs, chain saws? No. Anything else I can sort through and figure out. Chocolate should be fine, as it will be getting colder here. Boot or sport socks are a big hit too. One thing I have learned though: hygiene products and food do not usually ship well together. Food tends to absorb the scent of soap, laundry detergent, etc… Yuck.”

You’ll need to send your packages by November 1 to ensure a holiday delivery. Since the 2/6 is “too far in the boonies,” says the chaplain, don’t sending calling cards. You’ll need to fill out a customs form at the post office but you’ll only pay domestic shipping rates. Write “Operation Christmas Stocking” on the outside of the box and send them to:

Chaplain Dave Mowbray
2/6 H&S Company
Unit 73175
FPO AE 09510-3175

October 1, 2010 by Denise Foley

People

Confined to a Wheelchair, He’s Become the Voice for the Voiceless

Donnacha Rynne with his friend, Tom Prendergast, who recorded the conversations that became part of "Being Donnacha."

Just the Moon

Just the Moon
Delicate light for the eye
Standing on dewy pastures
Dampening of toes
Dark but gentle light lit sky
Just the Moon
Whispering waves.
Now, silence after a day of sun, lie, lotion
Leave behind delicate night and retire
To summerhouse slumber on wheels.
As I enter this wheel house Waterboys on
Hole in the moon, this is the sea, this is the sea,
It is a dwelling for me – beautiful.

—Donnacha Rynne

Being Donnacha Rynne has never been easy. Born six weeks premature, and diagnosed with cerebral palsy by doctors who told his parents that he would never walk, never attend school and would eventually need to be institutionalized, Donnacha was just a small boy when he determined that his life would not turn out the way the doctors predicted. Instead, he went to school, worked at various jobs, and owns his own house.

So when he developed multiple sclerosis in his early 20’s, a twist of fate that seems too unjust to comprehend, Donnacha continued on in the only way he knew how.

“Donnacha’s spirit gave him the strength to overcome everything he’s been dealt. The doctors’ diagnosis when he was born wasn’t wrong, it’s his spirit that’s outshone what they said,” Anne Rynne, Donnacha’s mother explained.

And now, at age 40, dependent on a wheelchair for his mobility and requiring full-time caregivers to make sure he is dressed, fed and allowed to live life as fully as he can, Donnacha has written “Being Donnacha,” a book that he hopes can speak not only of his own life, but also provide a voice for all the other disabled people who so often go overlooked and unheard in today’s world.

I first heard about Donnacha’s book quite by accident this past summer as it was going to press. Someone posted a link to the website where pre-orders were being taken, and it caught my interest. I ordered a copy, and then promptly forgot about it until the book arrived a few weeks ago. Life was pretty busy at that time, and so it sat there in its wrapper for a few days. But when I did take it out, and sat down to read it, I found I was unable to put it down. It’s not very often that a few pages into a book you realize that you’re reading something that has the ability to change the way you view the world, but that’s exactly what Donnacha’s words did for me.

It’s a story that is bursting to be shared with the world beyond Donnacha’s backyard in Miltown Malbay, County Clare. Because Donnacha isn’t up for a lot of conversation and questioning these days, I arranged to talk with his mother Anne, who is delighted to be used as a mouthpiece for the son she is rightly so proud of.

“Donnacha has been hugely inspirational for our family, we all take our lead from him. When Donnacha’s well, we’re all well. He’s always very positive, he’s never asked ‘Why me?’ He has something to say to people that’s very seldom heard. People in wheelchairs, people who are disabled, are still people. For Donnacha, his life is about waiting, waiting, waiting, but as he’s gotten more dependent on others, he’s still Donnacha. This book is his truth, and people will get great messages from it. He’s a voice for the voiceless.”

This increasing dependence on others has been one of the most difficult things for Donnacha to come to terms with. Living on his own, in his own house and being independent, had been a source of great pride for him. But even through his frustrations, Donnacha is able to write about his ability to create his own positivity: “There is always hope. If there is no hope there is no future. It’s the only way forward. There is an air of gentleness about hope.”

The strength of Donnacha’s family is a huge part of his story. One of five children of Anne and Davoc Rynne, Donnacha has an identical twin brother, Niall. His parents decided that there would be no preferential treatment for him. That meant going to the local school, where life among other children was often a challenge. He didn’t have many friends there, and his sense of being different led to him keeping his distance. He was also made fun of occasionally, which Donnacha attributes to his peers’ “ignorance and fear.“ Having Niall there to shelter him was both a blessing and a curse.

“School was very difficult here in Clare. When Donnacha was twelve, he asked to live in Kildare with his aunt and uncle, and we let him. I suppose it was a bit radical to do that, but he was so determined. We thought, if Donnacha has the strength to do that at twelve, who are we to stop him?” Anne reflected. “He stayed up there three years. It worked and it didn’t work. He really needed to get away from Niall and be able to be his own person. That was no reflection on Niall! Donnacha and Niall have always had a very close relationship. Niall’s absolutely amazing, a tower of strength. There’s a very strong connection between them. Niall would always know when Donnacha wasn’t well. Even when Niall moved to the States for 10 years, he always knew when something was wrong.”

“Donnacha is very close to all his brothers and his sister. Niall and his youngest brother, Turlough, live here [in Ireland], and get home as often as they can. Davog, the oldest, lives in France, and Aine, his sister, lives in Vietnam. But with Skype, we can visit them easily!”

His siblings aren’t the only family that Donnacha is close to. He has a pair of uncles, Christy Moore and Luka Bloom, well known Irish folk singers (Moore was a founding member of Planxty and Bloom will be appearing in Sellersville next week) who play a major role in his life. In fact, it was Luka (Uncle Barry to Donnacha), who felt that Donnacha had a book in him. (Read our interview with Luka Bloom this week.)

“Two years ago I was sitting with Donnacha, having one of his fantastically hilarious and philosophical discussions, during which he complained that people had no time to visit him. ‘I wish people would embrace the nowness of life,’ was the phrase he uttered, and it followed me out the door when I left him,” Bloom explained in a recent interview. “Donnacha is not given to long sentences, and so he has mastered the art of encapsulating big pictures with very short sentences.

“Outside in the car, I determined there and then that a book must emanate from this important man,” Bloom said. “I knew he had too much to offer to be ignored because of logistics. I spoke with Anne and others about this, and together we conspired to bring to fruition this most important event in our lives: The release of Donnacha’s book, the manifestation of his voice, his gift to the world. We are so blessed that he is among us, and so proud of him. He is the bravest man I know.”

To do the actual work of writing down Donnacha‘s words, they knew they needed someone who was close to him and who would understand his quirkiness, but wasn’t a member of the family. Longtime friend Tom Prendergast was just that person. Once a week, for two and a half years, Tom would spend time with Donnacha, recording their conversations. It could be difficult at times, because “Donnacha literally lives in the now, in the moment, it’s part of CP, the difficulty to answer questions. Tom gets Donnacha, he gets his humor. He is a great man, a great character,” Anne explained.

There are three sections to the book: the first is Donnacha’s story, the second is comprised of sixteen poems that he wrote between March and August of 1989, and the third is titled “Knowing Donnacha,” with a series of pieces written by friends and family members who know and love him.

“Donnacha was nineteen when he wrote the poems,” Anne said. “They’re fantastic. I can’t get over how fresh they are seeing them in print.

“He has good days and bad days now, just like we all do. But he’s very strong—very strong and very frail. Donnacha was born old, he’s always been very wise and philosophical. I believe he still has a little journey to go yet. Writing this book has kept him going. He has a message for people, so that maybe they won’t feel so isolated.

“When Donnacha was young, we had him going to see a lot of different doctors, therapists and psychologists. But he always knew when the therapists were talking down to him and being patronizing. When he was seven, we had a psychologist tell us that he was dull. Dull! How insulting for starters. Donnacha was the light in our family. I am completely humbled by him. He’s just a regular guy who was dealt a tough hand.”

And plays it well.

The book “Being Donnacha” is available for purchase worldwide on the web.

If you’re in Ireland, you can pick up a copy in Hurley’s and the post office in Miltown Malbay, and in Sceal Eile (The Other Story) Bookshop in Ennis.

October 1, 2010 by Lori Lander Murphy

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