Biography 

Members of bands I've played in can be found in the 'live' bookmark section under the band name. Personal referrence 
has been kept to a minimum unless it's about my early years or an amusing story, and people included are mainly musical contacts. If I've omitted somebody who should be included please send an email! Tip - after you've selected a bookmark, simply hit your 'back' browser button to return to where you were on the page.

Studio
For details and audio samples of artists I've produced or recorded with, please visit the Studio or Audio-
Samples pages.

Biographical (a-z)   
Aer Lingus  Marion Albert  Paul Barrett  Paul Brady  Mary Brecht  Conor & Barry Brittan  John Byrne Olly Byrne
Tom & Celene Cafferky  Casement Rovers  Ger & Eddie Crean  Cyril Cusack  Early Days  Dick Farrelly  
Mary & Greg Flannery  Paddy Glackin  Kevin Flynn  Angela & Joe Galligan  Kieran Halpin  Seamus Healy  
Tony Holleran  Angela & Jim Holohan  Homes  Jan & Bren Hughes  Gráinne Joyce  Jim Lockhart
Phil Lynott Brian Downey & Scott Gorham   Ted Lavelle's  Margaret & Mary Lavelle  Pat Mahon  Stevie McMillon 
Christy Moore  Brendan O'Carroll  Catherine & Paddy McNulty  Joe O'Dowd  Yvonne & Páraic (Tiny) McNeela  
Mick McNeela  Dennis Ryan and the Mrs. Flannery's  Folk Ensemble  Davy Spilane  Louis Stewart & Heiner Franz  Marian & Oliver Sweeney  Olive & Anthony Travers  Dean Walker  Pat & Fred Zesserson 
Live 
Alyce  Bachelors Walk  Maggie Cody  Peter Corbett  Mark Costigan  Mick Coyne  Crossroads 
Brian 'Oscar' Hammond  Shay Healy Band  Alfred Höller  Jon-Pol Huellou  Anth Kaley  Vinnie Kilduff
Trevor Knight  Dave MacHale  Liam O'Flynn  Male Order  Peggy's Leg & John Dee  Brush Shiels  Skid Row 
Jimi Slevin Band  Jimi Slevin & the Electric Band  Solo Career  Brian Taheny & Loretto Ried  Benny White  
Gay Woods  Venues

Media
Seán Bán Breathnach  Gay Byrne  Mark Costigan  Dave Fanning  Larry Gogan  Danny Hughes  Frank Kelly
Pat Kenny  Aengus McAnally  Liam O'Murchú  Frank Murphy  Jim O'Neill  Gerry Ryan
    

Press Release (3rd person)
Jimi Slevin is a musician, writer and producer who was a top guitarist and bandleader on the Irish music scene in the 1970s and continues as a creative musical force, playing in a number of live combos, producing for others or working in his studio writing and recording his own music. He formed Peggy's Leg, the band who recorded the classic Grinilla in 1973. The album has recently been re-mastered for CD release and is once again available for licensing. He succeeded Gary Moore and Paul Chapman as lead guitarist with the great Irish band Skid Row in '76 and recorded The Jimi Slevin Band album Getting There for EMI in '77. He is an experienced music producer and has also composed for RTE and BBC TV & radio. In 1983 he recorded Freeflight, his first solo album of original material which received broad critical acclaim and continues to pick up positive reviews. Having founded his own Riteroad Music label and studio, he has recently produced a re-mastered CD version of Freeflight and a new album of original material, Home To The Heart. As is the case with Grinilla, both Freeflight and Home to the Heart are available for licensing and distribution. Jimi's website features audio samples from all these albums (www.jimi-slevin.net). He has also been busy recording a catalogue of well-received albums for a variety of clients. Planned studio projects include a CD with the multitalented x-andra, a new album of original material and a compilation CD of Jimi's favourite production tracks by other artists. Many of these feature Jimi on guitar, b.vocals etc. and the late great Dave MacHale on keyboards.

Biography
I was born in Dublin in 1950. My parents Maggie and Jim came from the north of Ireland having moved there the previous year, my mother having separated from her first partner. This man was not my father and I never even met him, but I did inherit the Slevin name from that marriage. I have long since changed over to my mother's name Loughlin for my private life but will keep the title Jimi Slevin for my musical career as I quite like it and have spent most of my life promoting it. 

Maggie had a fine voice and sang at parties and family gatherings. She also loved and wrote poetry, and had
a very special date of birth for an Irishwoman: March 17th, 1916 (Saint Patrick's Day at the time of the Easter Rising). Jim senior was a bricklayer by trade and football referee in his spare time who often played the harmonica and trump at home in the evenings purely for the enjoyment of it. He played the Strauss waltzes and old Irish airs.. 

I feel very privileged to have been blessed with such kind and wonderful parents who, at a time when corporal punishment was common practice both in schools and in the home, never once lifted a hand to me and through their shining example gave me the best possible start in life that anybody could hope for. Maggie and Jim were respected and loved by all who took the time to get to know them, and despite experiencing somewhat more than their fair share of the knocks and disappointments of this life, never pre-judged or had a bad word to say about anybody. 

My first schools during the Blessington Street years in Dublin's Inner City were the nearby Dominican Convent and 
St. Joseph's in Dorset Street which is transiently yet brilliantly acknowledged in Joyce's Ulysses. I later attended Dublin's East Wall school and passed the primary certificate in 1963. My parents had friends and relatives in County Armagh and the Isle of Man where my mother was a regular visitor, and I also briefly attended Armagh's Greenpark School and Rushen Primary in Port St. Mary, a few minutes walk from the little harbour where we lived.

The closest friend I had during my early years was Stevie McMillon. Stevie lived down the little lane at the bottom of Blessington street (see gallery seven, 'forget me knot'), and we had great times growing up together and playing around the streets of Dublin, the nearby Blessington Street Basin, the banks of the Royal Canal at Dorset Street and the lock gates, barges & railway tracks at the old flour mill on the Cross Guns Bridge. A Dublin City wonderland of summers, winters, school holidays, marbles, toffee bars, ice pops, tears & happiness, and permeating everything the healthy and secure backdrop of our homes, the future a warm mysterious promise in the immediate distance.
 
Later in life I lived in The USA, Loughnavalley, Ballyboghill, London, Sligo, Aughris Head, Dromahair, Dun Laoghaire, Ibiza, Cran Canaria, Mayo and Berlin, where I played to a Europa Center packed with thousands of new arrivals from the East who were in the process of pouring into the city that night in November '89. The Irish pub staff were quick with the nickname 'Easty Beasties' No offence meant, that's the Irish sense of humour! They were very nice people for the most part, and it was as if they'd just been let out of jail. I felt very sorry for them. I still have a chunk of the Berlin Wall in my studio as a souvenir of that amazing time.  

I was a keen footballer in my teens and the local team I played for, Casement Rovers, won the Finglas roads league 
in 1964. They were managed and trained by my father who was an astute and fair referee, and much in demand by the local sports club. The Rovers prevailed over co-finalists Mellows Road 3-1, and the cup was presented by local priest and great character Fr. Lynch who used to sing Dickie Rock songs at functions, and a fine voice he had. His favourite was From the Candy Store On the Corner To the Chapel on the Hill'.. what else? He was a wonderful priest who was loved and respected by everybody. I remember asking him really difficult questions in his Religious Instruction class at the tech like: 'If God knows everything, past present and future as the Church clearly states, then He must have known that Adam and Eve would sin, so why did He create them in the first place?' I don't recall ever getting much of an answer on that one!

During my early teens, my best pal was John Byrne (along with Bert Robinson, Deccie Dillon, Tom McGee, Ronald O'Sullivan and later Eddie Boyle). A very nice guy and great character, John will never be forgotten for his friendship and all the great times we spent together during those formative years. His big brother Gerry was also a great guy with a sharp wit. Gerry once informed us that he was a bearded man because he'd got a bearded, and who could disagree with that? The Byrne family were good friends and very nice people, as were all our neighbours in the area. Although Finglas was a 'working class' suburb which at the time suffered from poor planning and lack of proper amenities, the locals were really great and among the most friendly, humorous and genuine people you could meet anywhere. 

I've always held that what's important in any family situation is the love, communication and ensuing sense of fun, purpose and quality of life that goes on under that roof: the spark of life and real human contact. These are the true riches of family life, and in this respect it doesn't matter one iota if that house is a shack or a mansion. I've seen - and lived with - too many well-to-do families with big luxury houses who live cold and frigid lives, and seem to spend more time avoiding one another than truly experiencing anything like a loving family. Take that TV series "The Waltons" as a shining example - they were all obnoxious.

Casement Rovers teammate Michael O'Carroll lived around the corner, and his little brother was none other than the now famous playwright and comedian Brendan O'Carroll. Their sister Eilish was my first girlfriend when we were 12 or 13. There were miles of countryside on our doorsteps and we spent long summer days wandering far across the old fields collecting blackberries and mushrooms, climbing tall trees and playing 'follow the leader' and 'kiss-chasing' with the girls. That was a good start as there were lots of real 'fine things' among them. If you were lucky you might catch one of them and get a kiss from a potential Miss Ireland! We were active and happy teenagers. None of the trouble-maker element at all I'm proud to say.

In my mid teens, I worked in the local pub Cappagh House, serving tables in the music lounge and pulling pints while enjoying and singing along to the excellent house band. They were a three-piece and the talented singer/guitarist was called Ken - a real darlin' of a guy. He wore glasses and sang a great version of the Hank Snow classic 'Lady's Man'. This would have been 1965-'66. If anybody can jog my memory as to the band's name please send a mail. It was something like '3-Card Trick' as I recall. 

I was working there one afternoon when Fr. Lynch called around to inform me I'd passed the Group Certificate with seven honours and two passes! Shortly afterwards, and after initially working with the local metal works firm Unidare as fitter/turner, I began an apprenticeship with Aer Lingus as aircraft technician. I was lucky as there were over 1,600 applicants but only 24 positions available - 12 electrical and 12 mechanical. I qualified in 1971 having passed the City and Guilds parts one and two in Aeronautical Engineering. However, by this stage of the game my main interest was playing guitar, forming a group and women. Some things just never change. Anyway, the plan was to spend a lot more time flying in aircraft and a lot less time servicing them.

I stayed with Aer Lingus for five years attending Bolton St. College of Technology and worked in the maintenance hangers and with the ground crews at Dublin Airport. I boarded the first Aer Lingus Boeing 747 on its day of delivery at Dublin Airport and visited BAC in Surrey to see the Concorde under construction. Among my Aer Lingus colleagues at this time who subsequently made careers in music were Paul O'Connor who previously managed that fine Irish band The Lookalikes and now has an Irish music pub 'The Luke Kelly' in Cyprus, Mick Galvin from Killorglin who is a renowned Irish tenor, and flute virtuoso Matt Molloy who was later with The Bothy Band and Planxty, and currently plays with the world-famous Chieftains. I was a year behind Matt then, but I'm catching up!

My first group was the three-piece Crossroads which I formed in 1969. The band played a mix of blues and rock including covers of Cream, Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Taste and John Mayall. Crossroads also featured some of my early originals, one of which, Child of Peace, survived long enough to be included on the Jimi Slevin Band "Getting There" album of '77. 

The line-up was myself on guitar and vocals, Fran Breen on drums and Martin Ryan on bass, with Dessie Sands and later Greg Baker as managers. We were between sixteen and nineteen and Crossroads was our first band. Martin went on to be an accomplished acoustic guitarist and singer while Fran has become a first rate session drummer having played on countless albums and in many name bands including the Paul Brady Band, Stockton's Wing and The Waterboys. He currently lives in Nashville where his unique drumming style is much in demand. He was recently with the Grammy winning Shelby Lynn Band. Fran has unearthed some photos of Crossroads in Stella house, and as soon as he sends them I'll post them in a new gallery. Fran and I have always remained in contact, and a crossroads re-union could be on the cards soon.

The Band was a seminal outlet for many talented musicians, and later line-ups included the talents of Blue O'Brien who has also recently been in contact. Blue was then one of the finest and most dynamic of all Irish drummers, sort of an Irish Keith Moon with a great sense of humour. Later members included Aidan McCarroll, Jimmy Lambert, Tony Quinn, Jack Kenny, Pat Fortune and Jimmy Walsh - fine musicians to a man.

In 1970 Crossroads appeared on the Irish TV pop series 'Like Now' which was hosted by Danny Hughes, alongside Status Quo, Roly Daniels and Gilbert O'Sullivan who had just released his debut single Nothing Rhymed. I remember asking Francis Rossi how he got that great guitar sound on Pictures Of Matchstick Men. Francis kindly gave me the information. It was achieved by recording the guitar three times - once in tune, once slightly flat and once slightly sharp and mixing them all together! We were just wide-eyed kids really, but they treated us respectfully and as equals. We had very enjoyable chats with them in the RTE canteen and the dressing rooms between rehearsals. Quo were very nice fellas indeed, and although they were big names at that stage, there were no airs & graces about them. That's how it should be, and continues to impress me to this day. Gilbert kept to himself as I recall, which was to be expected with the silly costume he was then wearing I suppose. I think he was a bit embarrassed by it..  Roly Daniels was also great company and we liked him a lot too. That TV spot really got us noticed. We performed Led Zep's 'Whole Lotta Love' and Sabbath's 'Behind The Wall Of Sleep'.

Crossroads played a string of memorable Saturday night residency gigs in The Cave in Dublin's Stella House in Mount Merrion and around the Dublin area including the great Club A-Go-Go in Dublin's Sackville Place. Our very first gig was in the Go-Go when the Honey Sweet let us use their gear during the break. I remember that we opened with the instrumental 'Greeny' from Peter Green. Honey Sweet were one of the best Irish groups ever in my opinion and featured my later good friend Tony Geraghty on lead guitar with Danny O'Keefe on drums (who later played in the very first Jimi Slevin Band upstairs in The Baggot Inn), Martin Byrne on bass who rehearsed with and almost joined Peggy's Leg years later, and the unforgettable Robbie Hanway on lead vocals.
 
In 1971 I joined Alyce, then a top group on the local Irish music scene. A great rock band with an incomparable vocal line-up, Alyce were much in demand as a dynamic live act and were constantly on the road playing clubs and concert halls throughout the country. The band went to New York in 1972 and almost secured a major recording contract, having played Max's Kansas City (with the New York Dolls in support!) and many other major venues. Eamonn Gibney was on vocals and percussion, Gerry O'Donovan on bass and vocals, myself on guitar and vocals, Paddy Freeney and Brian Donaghy on drums and latecomer Paul Duffy on Hammond organ. 

The Alyce program consisted mainly of original material, with memorable covers of classic pop like Richard Harris's McArthur Park, the theme from Shaft and a healthy selection of vintage soul classics.

The band was managed by Olly Byrne, who later became one of the kingpins of Dublin's Shelbourne football club. Olly sadly passed on to the next phase of this life in late 2007, so we never did get to meet up for those few scoops as planned. He was a great character, a big-hearted guy with amazing energy and zest for life. Click HERE for a recent interview with Olly in which I am mentioned, and where he recalls some of our escapades in New York back in '72.

Alyce cut a few singles which were released locally, including the gospel song Let Us Break Bread Together but unfortunately never made an album. The band did, however, record extensively in New York. These recordings were made in 1972  by local studio owner Bob Washington. Unfortunately, the band lost contact with Bob so the recordings are probably lost. Both Eamonn and Gerry were and continue to be great soul singers, and looking back with hindsight, the band should have stuck to soul music and, as David Johansen of the NY Dolls suggested in the Max's Kansas City dressing room, changed their name to The Shamrocks! I liked David a lot - a real genuine character.

Eamonn Gibney is featured in the Audio Samples page as guest singer on one of the Male Order MP3s with Wilson Picket's classic The Midnight Hour. This live recording shows what a great soul singer he is. 

After the band returned to Ireland in late 1972 and split up, I formed Peggy's Leg with drummer Don Harris, guitarist
Jimmy Gibson and bassist Vincent Duffy. This line-up worked wonders from the word go and in no time were topping the local popularity polls. In '73 they were voted Best New Group, Don Harris winning 'best drummer' and I got 'best home-based guitarist' and 'best guitarist' the following year. Shortly after, we appeared live at the New Spotlight Poll Winners Concert in Dublin's National Stadium. 

The Leg played all over Ireland bringing our music as far west as Achill Island, where we played in the legendary Wavecrest Hotel, and also appeared regularly at Donal Corvin's 'Gonzo's Rock Palace' in Moran's Hotel Dublin, then one of the premiere rock venues in the country. We also played regularly at venues throughout Northern Ireland despite the tragedy of the Miami Showband massacre where I lost a good friend and possible future band member in that most talented and genial of Dubliners, the great Tony Geraghty. I then wrote a solo guitar melody in the classical style which is dedicated to him. 'Tony's Tune' will be featured on my next album.

Peggy's Leg's repertoire included music from Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Bach, Katchaturian and Handel as well as extensive original material. At one stage we were performing live versions of works from Bach and Handel, Sabre Dance  and a blistering rendition of Bach's Sinfonia from Cantata Nr. 29. 

In late 1973, and by this time under the management of John Dee, one-time member of the Irish cult band Mushroom, Peggy's Leg recorded the album 'Grinilla', a work comprising five lengthy originals and a version of Sabre Dance largely modeled on the Dave Edmonds' Love Sculpture hit.

Grinilla was well received by critics and fans alike at the time, and although it was recorded in only a few days (23 studio hours) and with a minimum of overdubs or time to correct flaws, still ranks as a fine work and has become a much sought after collector's item. An original copy in good condition can fetch thousands of Euros. My re-mastered and greatly improved CD version was licensed to the London-based Kissing Spell label, but is now back in the band's possession since late 2005.

Leg manager John Dee is back on the boards and much in demand under his full name of John Donohoe as a dynamic live act. He has released a catalogue of great CDs of his own original compositions. I am featured on a few tracks in one of these productions, 'I Was Born To Be Free'. 

The original Peggy's Leg line-up stayed together for six months or so after the Grinilla release when Vincent decided to do his own thing. Vince was replaced after a long search by Martin Biseneiks on keyboards and finally by the wonderful John Brady on bass. In 1975 I decided to leave the Leg, and again under the management of John Dee, joined Brush Shiels, Nollaig Bridgeman and Timmy Creedon in the reformed Skid Row. Peggy's Leg stayed together for a few months with the brilliant Eric Bell on guitar, but disbanded shortly afterwards.

Taking the place of a Gary Moore or Paul Chapman was no easy job, but for me it was a dream come true as I was a great fan of Skid Row from the early days and can remember seeing them live in small halls and clubs in Dublin. I remember hearing them in a little hall in Marlborough Street called 'The C.I.E. Hall'. There were about 20 people standing around. Up on stage were Gary Moore on guitar, then only sixteen or seventeen and playing nearly as wonderfully as he now does, Brush Shiels on bass & vocals, Nollaig Bridgeman on drums and Phil Lynott on lead vocals, long before he took up the bass. 

Another memory I have of Skid Row in those days ('68 -'69) was standing in the cold night outside some hall in Dublin and hearing the band from out there 'cos there was some rough lads who had it in for me at the gig - an occupational hazard in Dublin back then if you liked to stand your ground. I remember hearing some amazing guitar playing from Gary in All Along The Watchtower (the Hendrix version), then a huge fight broke out, thankfully without my participation, and the gig had to be cancelled anyway! 

After eight busy months with Skid Row, and having cut a single The Spanish Lady/Elvira with them, I formed a new band which with characteristic humility I named after myself. 

Initially there was a sort of trial version of the band with John Maxwell on vocals (the man who firstly suggested a Jimi Slevin Band), Danny O'Keefe on drums and Garret Brown on bass. We played about half a dozen times upstairs in The Baggot Inn and I have great memories of those gigs. That fine Irish guitarist Eamon Troy also joined the line-up as special guest on a few occasions. 

The first permanent JSB line-up was myself on guitar and vocals with Brian Despard on drums and Garrett Brown on bass. Peggy's Leg cohort Jimmy Gibson later came on board on guitar and vocals. This line-up played extensively all over Ireland and recorded two tracks on EP for CBS entitled 'The Falling Asunder Rock Review Part Two', organised by Smiley Bolger and Jackie Hayden, and the EMI album 'Getting There' ('77). Our music was regularly featured on Irish radio and television and received airplay from many top presenters. Later band members included Noel Cullen, Micky Hanway, Mick O'Hagen and Dermot Kerins. The original band played a nine-month Friday night residency in Dublin's Moran's Hotel [Smiley Bolger's 'Much More Music' gigs] where we consistently turned out good performances and were regular visitors to other hot spots like The Baggot Inn, then Ireland's premiere rock venue. We received extensive coverage in the country's music press, and the JSB supported Procol Harem, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy and Canned Heat in Dublin's National Stadium. On taking the the stage, Bob 'The Bear' Hyatt told the packed house 'it's not often we get a great band like that playing before us'. 

At this time the JSB was managed by Dave Kavanagh, who went on to become one of the world's top promoters. Johnny Logan's brother Mick sang briefly with the band before that combo unfortunately split and I formed a new three-piece with the brilliant Donal McGrath on bass and Henry Tolan on drums. This line-up worked really well and the band played a string of memorable and well-received gigs throughout the country, earning many positive reviews in the music press. After half a year or so and an unsuccessful attempt at breaking into the English circuit, I decided to call it a day with bands, and embarked on a solo career in 1980. 

After a spell living in Sligo, Aughris Head and Dromahair in County Leitrim, many great gigs and sessions with Brian Taheny and Loretto Ried, and a Wednesday night residency in Kevin Flynn's 'Venue' in Strandhill, I moved back to Dublin and formed a duo with the beautiful and talented Maggie Cody. We were based in Dun Laoghaire where I lived in Janeville, Tivoli Road (a great house where later Trevor Knight, Gay Woods, Chris Green and Davy Spillane also lived) and played locally and in the folk clubs around Ireland. We also appeared on RTE television on many occasions. Our only recordings together are her performance as guest vocalist on the Freeflight album, and some things recorded at home from our television appearances.

In late 1982, after approaching Claddagh Records through good friend Annie Henry (to whom I am eternally grateful), 
I started work on Freeflight at Slane Studio in County Meath with engineer Fred Meijer and producer John Dee. My musical guests were Maggie Cody, Trevor Knight and Mick Coyne. I thank them all for their masterful contributions. The album received across-the-board critical acclaim at the time and has been re-mastered and re-released in CD format in 2001. In November of the same year I traveled to Gweedore in Donegal as guest on the Irish language RTE series SBB. The show was well presented by Seán Bán Breathnach himself, one of the nicest guys in the Irish media at the time. I performed Stormy Seas and White Cottage before a live audience. Production Assistant was the beautiful Alice Walsh.

In 1983 myself, Maggie and accordionist Oliver Sweeney formed the short-lived Claddagh and spent some months playing around the Chicago area and later in New York. At this time, we were guests of Mary Brecht at her fabulous house in Greenwich Village. Mary was a good friend who I met during my stay in Aughris Head where the Brecht family has a holiday home. She was costume designer with the New York theatre, and stepdaughter of Bertholt Brecht.

Later the same year I was approached by Gay Woods and Trevor Knight to take the role of guitarist for an Auto da Fé tour. The band featured an original program of Gay and Trevor's songs. They were a fine band and had an Irish-Dutch line-up. I have happy memories of this collaboration and tour and send warm greetings to Gay, Trevor, bassist Carel van Rijn, drummer Theo Wanders and Theo's brother Henk. I met Theo again recently when I drove up to Holland to return a large Chinese cymbal that had been gathering dust in Shea McGowan's attic all those years. We played a highly enjoyable and eventful Irish tour in '83 which culminated in the entire band camping overnight in a field overlooking the Cliffs of Moher. Gay later described this escapade as the highlight of the tour as far as she was concerned. Sleepwalkers beware!

Around this time I formed 'Jimi Slevin and the Electric Band' to play Sunday afternoon gigs in the Purty Kitchen near Dun Laoghaire. The band had a floating line-up. The gigs were great, and there was often a home-brew skulling megasession to celebrate back at my flat in Janeville afterwards (any excuse), with people literally dancing on the tables. Musicians who played in the band included Robbie Brennan, Eamon Doyle, Henry Tolan & Donal McGrath, with Benny Rice & Dave MacHale (brass section), Trevor Knight and Chris Green.

In the summer of 1984 after a tour cancellation and ensuing shortage of gigs, I accepted an offer to play in Bar La Reja, a piano bar in San Antonio Ibiza where Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees also worked in his early days. La Reja was a bit more up-market than the usual tourist joints and the emphasis was on good music. The gig was a nightly affair and I had the privilege of working with Brian Hammond, a very nice guy and brilliant musician. Brian (or 'Oscar' as he was known on the island) came from Stockport and was a very accomplished pianist and singer. We shared a roomy apartment overlooking a local market, and worked together seven nights a week for seven months as The Tigers, without once missing a gig or falling out - quite an achievement for two musicians who'd never before met and were working under considerable pressure (and no - we weren't gay!). I send a very special hello to my old friend Oscar and hope we can re-visit San Antonio together sometime soon and as planned, simply sit in the corner of that piano bar over a few Sam Miguels relaxing, swapping stories and enjoying not being up on stage!
  
Oscar was vegetarian, and will always be remembered for cooking up his awful rissoles in the kitchen, or 'arrissoles' as I re-named them. Hello to bar owner and lovely man Vicente Serra, manager Domingo and barmen Pepe, Ian, Tony Poloni, & Tony Macaroni - all great guys, and 'Mucho Figaro'. There are pics of us on-stage in gallery three, as well as the great duo Martin & Sean Sean (sic) in Zoom Zoom up the street, Cahar O'Doherty around the corner in Joe Spoon's, and myself jamming with the multi-talented Geordie Chris in Zoom Zoom. 

The talented Dean Walker also worked nearby, and played inspired covers and originals. Dean sang an unforgettable version of 'Sometimes When We Touch' and was one of the many musicians who turned up on my final gig. Fortunately I recorded this in La Reja on the night and will post an mp3 soon. Unfortunately I have no recordings of Oscar or Tony. Another man to join me during the final weeks of my '85 season was piano player Dave 'Gonzo' McAnanny who played with many bands in Ireland including Stepaside and Paul Ashford. A super blues & boogie player, Dave really brought the bar to life during his sets, and is some buck to tear into a piano! We always got on like a house on fire. I do have a long recording of one of Dave's sets which I sent to him years back and will post some mp3s soon. 

The live music in S.A. was of a generally high standard back then, and we all co-operated and got along just fine: a great bunch of musicians all round. Greetings also to the fine Irish-Scottish duo Caroline & Gerry who played in La Reja earlier in the year. Gerry had a charming little joke which I unfortunately never forgot: Apparently, some institute did a survey to find out which hand the American public use to wipe their arses. The reason why this was undertaken is somewhat unclear to me, but I can assure you that it is historically correct. As it turned out, they concluded that 87.6% of the American public use their right hand for wiping their arses, and the rest use toilet paper. 

I returned to Bar La Reja the following year for a shorter stay when a 19 year old Tony 'Anth' Kaley was the piano player. As was the case with Oscar, we got on well and had a great working relationship. Tony was recently on tour with Kieran Halpin in Germany (a brilliant duo) and we met up again at the gig after 21 years! We had a great night recounting stories about the gig and musician's apartment. I was responsible back then for introducing him to Irish music, which he really liked and ended up being permanently based in Ireland. As was the case with Oscar, I have the highest regard for him.

Once, I returned alone after being out on the town to hear girls' voices in Tony's bedroom and found him (quite innocently as it transpires, or so he now claims) in bed with two women, one of which was a recent ex of mine. Anth recalls that he heard the bedroom door opening, saw me peeping in and heard the muttered phrase 'you bastard' as the door quietly closed again. Naturally, I did the gentlemanly and polite thing, and threw a bucket of water over them all in the bed saying 'well girls, you can't sleep in here now, it's wet. You'll have to sleep in my bed'. So Tony gets up and throws a bucket of water over my bed too, saying 'you can't sleep in there either'. I've no idea where we ended up sleeping. I must add that it was a hot Spanish night and we were all falling about laughing. Such happenings were not unusual in that apartment. Thanks to Anth for recounting this funny incident, I'd forgotten all about it.

On the funny incident theme, there was a radio show on Radio Eireann in the 1950s hosted by Dublin schoolteacher Paddy Crosby in which he interviewed the kids about this and that. Paddy would always ask them if they had a funny incident to recall. This is a typical example of the sort of thing the kids would come out with:

Paddy: 'Have you got a funny incident Johnny?'
Johnny: 'Yes Sir.'
Paddy: 'Go ahead Johnny, tell your funny incident to the studio audience and all the listeners at home'.
Johnny: 'Well Sir, me Da was out making deliveries with his horse, and the horse fell into a big hole and broke its leg and couldn't get out Sir, so the vet had to came and shoot it'.
Paddy: 'Did he actually have to shoot the horse in the hole?'
Johnny: 'No Sir.. he shot it in the head Sir'.

After my return to Dun Laoghaire the same year, I teamed up with Benny White, Greg Donaghy and Jack Costello: all veterans of the sixties Irish group scene and ex-members of Elmer Fudd, Granny's Intentions and The Times. Male Order featured a mixed program with the emphasis on early soul music.

We played a few residencies around Dublin, including the Coconut Grove (or 'Coconut Grave' as Dick Farrelly used to refer to it), where we had many famous guests including Shay Healy, Eamonn Gibney and the talented Irish guitarist Paul McBrien. The band never made any studio recordings but I found a tape of a gig recorded live in Dublin and you can hear five full-length mp3s in the Audio Samples page. This was recorded on a small radio-cassette recorder through a tiny condenser mic. by friends in the audience. I've managed to squeeze a little quality out of it with my mastering setup. Check it out, it's great fun in places and we were a fine band (Audio Samples page). 
 
What's important about Male Order is that in Benny White you have one of the best singers Ireland has ever produced. This, together with the tight rhythm section of Greg Donaghy and Jack Costello, my talents on guitar & vocals and Benny's humorous antics, made Male Order an unforgettable live act.

I later played guitar and sang with The Shay Healy Band. Shay is an eminently likeable character and well known media personality on the Irish scene, has a warm but wicked sense of humour and is a talented songwriter and presenter. He wrote the Johnny Logan Eurovision winner 'What's Another Year' for his father Séamus Healy the Irish actor, who was by then confined to a wheelchair but very much in control of his mental faculties. I had the pleasure, and indeed honour of getting to know old Séamus, a true gentleman and great character, and of rendering the song for him personally on a number of occasions at his request. He loved that song and it always brought a tear to his eye. We once carried Séamus off a train in Tralee seated on my guitar case. Séamus liked to recount that I told him 'no bum notes'.

The band had a floating line-up with Tony Molloy on bass, Sean Davitt on drums and myself on guitar and vocals. We had appearances by many prominent guests including Maura O'Connell, Bree Harris, Jim O'Neill, Paul Brady, Johnny Logan, Dick Farrelly, Jody McStravick, Benny White and 'Patricia The Stripper' who had the unique talent of going through all the motions of striptease while not actually taking anything off. A very talented, beautiful and sympathetic lady. I seem to recall one of Shay's songs with the refrain:

It wasn't a bat or a cat or a rat 
That the six-foot rabbit pulled out of the hat, 
It was me, and it was magic!

A special hello and best wishes to drummer Sean and bassist Tony. Great guys and one tight rhythm section!

We were once in a hotel room in Bray preparing for the gig when Shay thought one of the songs needed a 'boom' from the drummer at some point. He immediately lifted the phone: 'Hello, Boom Service?' I wish I had said that.

Another time we were setting up in the Coconut Grave when local musician Fergus came up to the stage, bragging that he's been out with a beautiful sixteen-year-old the previous night. I said I didn't think sheep lived that long. To this day, Shay wishes he had said that.

To be continued...  

This section is mainly for people of JS note who have not been mentioned in the biography, and again the emphasis is on musical contacts. If you're not listed and think you should be, get in touch! (a-z)
 
Marion Albert - I would like to thank the wonderful Marion from Berlin for all her help with the distribution of my music and for her much appreciated inspiration and friendship during the late '80s.

Paul Barrett - Paul, along with Maggie Cody, was my keyboards guest on the RTE television show 'Trom agus Éadrom', which was presented by Liam O’Murchu, in '82 when, in the splendour of Tullynally Castle, we performed live versions of 'The Children Of Lir' and 'Stormy Seas' from the Freeflight album. 
 
Paul Brady - I supported the Paul Brady band (which featured my old friend and former 'Crossroads' colleague Fran Breen on drums) in Limerick and Ennis during the Hard Station tour. Paul also appeared as guest with the Shay Healy Band in Dublin with myself on electric guitar when we delivered an unrehearsed but note perfect version of 'Busted Loose' from his 'Hard Station' album. Paul once tried my Gurian Cutaway acoustic in the Savoy dressing room in Limerick. He looked me in the eye and said 'a man would kill for a guitar like that'. I'm glad to say I'm still in possession of that Gurian and have survived to tell the tale! 

I love that guitar, and have recently had it renovated by Dieter Fischer, the Meister guitar maker at Hofner. Dieter did a great job and the guitar looks and sounds like new. He's been with the firm for nearly 50 years and also built McCartney's violin bass. His father built a red Fisher jumbo for Elvis when The Great One was with the military in Germany. Elvis called personally in an army jeep to pick it up in Bubenreuth near Erlangen where Hofner was based at the time. Thanks to Dieter for a great job. That guitar was my main instrument and it's really magic to be playing it again. It was out of action for years and I never found a suitable replacement. The Gurian Cutaway is the one I played on the Freeflight album. 

On the subject of instruments, a nice co-incidence is that my first guitar, bought in Dublin in 1966 and still have, was a Hofner Club 40 and that Erlangen, where the company was based, was the German town I first worked and lived in twenty years later! 

Peter Corbett - Peter, like Alfred Höller, is regularly featured in Riteroad studio where his inspired fiddle playing has been a highlight of many fine productions. He comes from Limerick and has been based in Germany for over twenty years. Definitely one of the country's best fiddlers, he also sings and plays guitar very well. 

Mark Costigan - Myself and the multi-talented Mark formed a duo just for the fun of it in December'84 and played a string of great gigs, notably Mrs. Flannery's Folk Club in Bolger's Hotel, Tullamore, where we entertained the packed room without the luxury of a PA. and had great crack with Dennis Ryan & the house band and hotel owner Gerry Conroy after the gig. Apart from being a great guy, Mark is a fine guitarist/singer/songwriter who has also made a successful career for himself in Ireland as journalist & radio presenter.

Mick Coyne - Master of the Uileann pipes and tin whistle, Clareman and great character Mick was special guest on Freeflight and also, again with Maggie Cody, was my guest on the RTE television series 'SBB' when we performed Stormy Seas and The Maid Of Coolmore. Mick will always be remembered for his joke about Mr. Wankbreak who worked for the Better Ball Ball-Bearing Company. Wankbreak got into trouble with the law and the local police sergeant rang up.. "Is that the Better Ball Ball-Bearing Company?".. "Yes, can I help you?".. "Do you have a Wankbreak there?".. "A Wankbreak? We don't even get a tea break". 

Ger & Eddie Crean of Crean's pub in Enniscorthy. I Played in Crean's where the talented Eddie (who was a fine guitarist himself) and his beautiful girlfriend Ger ran a great little folk night in the pub. You were always guaranteed an appreciative audience and great hospitality. I send love & best wishes to both Eddie and Ger. This was one of the first gigs Maggie Cody and myself did together.

Cyril Cusack - I once accompanied the great Irish actor on guitar when he sang a few songs during an unforgettable intimate late session in Tullynally Castle which included Maggie Cody and my old friend RTE researcher Frank Murphy. We had earlier appeared on the RTE television show Trom agus Éadtrum which was recorded in the castle itself. Thomas and Valerie Pakenham were great hosts, even getting the family photo albums out. One of those truly memorable nights, and a tip of the hat to Frank for organising it all so well.

Mick Davis & Bachelor's Walk - Mick, who is now based in Stuttgart is a highly accomplished Irish traditional fiddler and charismatic live performer. He was one of the founder-members of 'Oisín' along with Geraldine & Shay McGowan. I have produced, played on and & sung on two Bachelors Walk CDs: Train to Galway and Bachelors Walk Live. 

Dick Farrelly - On numerous occasions Dick has guested with the Jimi Slevin Band and he and myself have had many great informal sessions. He also joined me onstage for the second set of a concert in Stuttgart quite a few years ago and with no rehearsal managed to compliment my set like he'd been doing it for months, and to delight the audience with some truly inspired guitar playing. A talented man, and 'no better búachaill'. 

Mary and Greg Flannery - The Carmel Hotel in Kilkenny on Thursday nights was the one of my favorite places to play during the mid-eighties. Impeccably run by Greg and Mary, it was a cosy and friendly house and one of the best small venues in the country. I have many warm memories of great nights there either solo or with Maggie Cody or Jon-Pol Huellou. Thanks to Greg and Mary for all the unforgettable times.

Kevin Flynn - In the early '80s during my stay in Sligo and Dromahair, I played regularly in The Venue in Strandhill, owned by then Planxty manager Kevin 'Lofty' Flynn and his wonderful wife Mary. I supported, played with, and drank with many unforgettable acts in The Venue including Andy Irvine, Liam O'Flynn, Louis Stewart, Christy Moore, Scullion, James Blennerhasset and many others, and was present one afternoon with good friend Eddie Boyle at an early on-stage Moving Hearts rehearsal with Christy on vocals & guitar. I send my heartfelt gratitude to Kevin for all his help, encouragement and support during that formative time at the beginning of my solo career.

While seated at the Venue bar one evening, Kevin paid me one of the greatest compliments of my life in the form of: (fixing me from under his glasses in that legal eagle fashion) "Slevin, you're the maddest cunt I ever came across, and that's saying something". 

Liam O'Flynn - After a first meeting and few jars together in The Venue bar in 1980 and a spontaneous invitation from Liam, I drove with him to Boyle, Co. Roscommon where we teamed up for the second half of his concert where I accompanied the master piper on his selections of jigs, reels and slow airs and sang songs including many's the Planxty classic like the beautiful slow version of 'As I Roved Out' and 'The Cliffs Of Doneen' with those unforgettable pipes intros. Liam and myself did the gig with no rehearsal and received a great reaction from the packed house. 

Angela and Joe Galligan - There were many great folk clubs around Ireland in the mid '80s, and I was a regular visitor to the Highway Inn, Crusheen which was one of them and featured a folk night on Tuesdays organised by local Joe Galligan and his lovely wife Angela. I played there solo, with Jon-Paul Huellou and with Maggie Cody. I send best wishes to Joe, Angela and daughters Tara, Rachael & Beckie, and to my wonderful old friends from that time, Jan & Bren Hughes (the young maid from the Moors ;-) and Marie & Tony Crockford. They were simply a great bunch of people all round. Those were unforgettable times back in the early 1980s.

Paddy Glackin - I am featured on The Oisín 'Jeannie C' album, which Paddy produced. He also played fiddle on 
the RTE television studio sessions for producer Frank Murphy's Irish language series 'Anois agus Arís', for which I 
composed and arranged the music. Musicians for the RTE session were Trevor Knight (keyboards), Benny Rice (sax), Maggie Cody (backing vocals), Robbie Brennan (drums), and the one and only Paddy himself on fiddles.

Angela & Jim Holohan - Ballybofey, a border town in County Donegal, was the seat of Black Arthur's folk club on Thursday nights which was wonderfully organised by Jim & Angela Holohan. I send many thanks to Jim and Angela (lovely people and great crack) for all the mighty sessions back at the house in nearby Stranorlar and for their great hospitality on many occasions.

Tony Holleran - Local singer and 'horrible nice fella', Tony Holleran ran a folk club on Monday nights in the Jolly Mariner boat club in Athlone, and I have fond memories of all the great sessions with him during and after the gigs. Hey, Tony -  we're overdue for a few scoops..

Alfred Höller - Alfred is a great guy and brilliant musician. He is perhaps Germany's top pedal steel player, and is featured on many Riteroad studio productions. He was also my partner in 'The Country Two', which I formed during my love affair with country music in the late '90s. We played only the best old and new American country, with Alfred's ever-tasteful pedal steel and Dobro providing the perfect backdrop for my vocals & guitar. Alfred is a founder-member of The Greyhounds and much in demand with his band and studio work. As I am similarly busy with my own projects, the duo only played occasionally but received many favorable reviews in the German country music press. 

Jon-Paul Huellou - I formed a duo with this talented Breton flautist during my stay at Janeville in Dun Laoghaire in the early '80s. We played many gigs on the Irish folk circuit, and were regular visitors to the legendary 
'Mrs. Flannery's Folk Club' in Bolger's Hotel, Tullamore. I send much love and appreciation to Jon-Paul & Marie for all the great memories. The couple had a rented house in Blackpitts, near the centre of in Dublin. They once received a letter from abroad with the address wonderfully miss-spelt as 'Blacktits'. This word gets the occasional search engine hit on this website from unsuspecting surfers out there who are looking for something entirely different altogether.
  
Kieran Halpin - I joined Kieran for the second set of a concert in Germany a few years back and he has, along with Maartin Alcock, Chris Jones and Gerry Kaley, been a most welcome overnight guest at Riteroad Music Studio.

Vinnie Kilduff - Vinnie plays whistles on Maggie Loughlin's, a slow air in the Irish traditional style which is dedicated to my mother and is included on the'Home To The Heart' CD. This was recorded on Achill Island in the spring of 1997 against a backdrop of storm force winds, when myself and Vinnie managed to extract ourselves briefly from the local pub. 

Trevor Knight - Trevor is a very nice guy, talented songwriter and keyboards player who has been a guiding light for many fine bands in Ireland and has contributed to untold albums and studio & theatre productions. He was one of the founders of Naima, a fine jazz-rock outfit from the mid '70s that featured my old friend Fran Breen on drums, and later the 'famous' jazz-rockers 'No Buckets'. Riverdance also featured Trevor's talents. He was special guest on the Jimi Slevin Band's 'Getting There' album of '77 and appeared live with the group on many occasions. His keyboard playing is one of the highlights of Freeflight. Along with Gay Woods, Trevor formed the Irish-Dutch Auto Da Fe, with whom I played in '83. Trevor and myself invented an alternative lyric to the Bee Gees' Massachusetts, which became 'Massivehugetits' during the 'Getting There' sessions. 'And the lights all went out on Massivehugetits' As Trevor remarked in the control room, 'whole cities on them'. 

Ted Lavelle's Pub, Achill Island - During my stay in Achill in the late '80s I was a regular guest at Ted Lavelle's in Cashel - one of Ireland's best pubs and highly recommended with a great atmosphere and pint of Guinness - and send my thanks & gratitude to Tom Cafferkey & Celene for all the wonderful nights, Catherine & Paddy McNulty, Aenis and Kathleen, the beautiful and talented  Gráinne Joyce and all at Sáille West and Cashel who were not only great neighbors, but some of the nicest people I have had the privilege to meet. Tom is a good businessman, and succeeded in getting me to play on New Year's Eve '88/89 for the somewhat unique fee of free beer, 2 bags of coal, and a trailer load of turf. I played it and had a great night.

Dave MacHale - Dave was Based in Frankfurt but sadly passed away in the summer of 2009, the ex Boomtown Rats sax and keyboards wizard was a regular guest in my studio and his playing has graced some fine productions. He was a wonderful guy and inspired musician. Kevin Strong, Garry Roberts and myself played 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' at the funeral service in Frankfurt. Things just aren't the same here without him.

Yvonne & Páraic (Tiny) McNeela - In the late '80s during my years in Mayo, I was a regular guest at The Paddock Bar in Swinford which was run by Tiny & Yvonne. I send them thanks and appreciation for all the great nights in the pub and for their hospitality and friendship on many occasions. Páraic himself is a talented singer & solo entertainer. I had the pleasure and indeed honour of getting to know Páraic's father Mick McNeela from Ballycroy who was also a fine singer, and a man of great character and humour. 

Jim Lockhart - I did some studio work on Jim's TV drama music along with Garvan Gallagher on bass and the woodwinds from the RTE light orchestra in Dublin in the mid '80s. Jim was of course a member of Horslips and has produced for RTE radio.

Thin Lizzy - In the late '70s I was invited to London by Thin Lizzy where I tried a few things out with the band for the then-forthcoming USA Queen tour, as Brian Robertson had injured his wrist. I have great memories of staying in Phil's and Scott's places for the week or so, and sampling the London music scene and nightlife from a somewhat starry perspective. The Lizzy people treated me very well and I had a ball.  Later Gary Moore -  who had previously toured with the band - became available so my services weren't needed after all and the rest is rock history. 

I only met Phil on one further occasion before he tragically died, when we met in McGonagle's (a late night Dublin rock venue where the JS Band often played) a few months later and we had a friendly chat. He was good company during my London visit and we had interesting chats & informal sessions in his apartment and unforgettable nights out on the town. 

A couple of evenings we stayed in, just having a few drinks while watching TV or listening to music. On one occasion we met the guys from 10cc when their car pulled up beside our taxi in traffic, and we all headed down to the Marquee club. I was also in the studio control room with Phil, Scott & Brian later in the week as Gary laid down the solo to 'Waiting For An Alibi'. A memorable visit, and I'm glad to have had the chance to get to know Phil personally and on a one to one basis during that time. 

Christy Moore - I was guest on many occasions during Christy's run of nights in The Meeting Place in Dublin in the late '70s when we had many's the pint of Guinness after the gig, and supported him in County Clare in '85. At a big concert in  Germany in the mid-nineties, I had the chance to thank him after the gig for Only Our Rivers and Lisdoonvarna, when along with Barney Rushe (friend and writer of Nancy Spain & The Crack Was Ninety),  I was Christy's backstage guest for cups of tea courtesy of roady and sound man Jim Donohoe. Barney recorded his wonderful 'Born Again Strangers' album in my studio. Do yourself a favour and get your hands on a copy. This was one of my very best productions (Audio Samples page). Amazingly, no-one has expressed interest in commercially releasing this, and it's only available from the man himself. 

Dennis Ryan and the Mrs. Flannery's Folk Ensemble - Throughout the early '80s, I was a regular visitor to the mighty town of Tullamore where Mrs. Flannery's Folk Club took place in a large room in Bolger's Hotel, and with no PA system. I had to work hard to follow the excellent house band led by master fiddler Dennis Ryan and featuring the inimitable Tony Holleran on guitar & vocals, along with Frankie Thomas, Louis Dwyer, Domenic Madden, Mick Guilfoyle, Val Hughes & Ray Farrell. 

A tip of the hat to all the lads for a job well done, and to manager and great character Gerry Conway for the hospitality & crack at that wonderful old hotel, and the hearty Irish breakfast in the morning.

Davy Spillane - Another Janeville veteran, I played a few spontaneous tunes with Davy at the Cliffs of Moher back in the late 1980's, and visited him recently in his studio in County Clare.  

Louis Stewart and Heiner Franz - During my stay in Sligo in the early '80s I guested onstage with Louis at The Venue, Strandhill. Louis also visited Riteroad Music Studio in Germany in the mid '90s along with Heiner Franz for a highly enjoyable and musically productive few days. A truly great guitarist and very funny guy, Louis is the embodiment of that most genial of characters, the true Dublin gentleman. 

One of the highlights of their visit was an evening in the studio when both Louis and Heiner tried out my guitar synthesiser. This can give the guitar almost any sound from a string section to a church organ and is a most engaging toy for any good guitarist to try out. Louis picked a beautiful choir with strings and amazed us all with a few monumental instrumentals and then it was Heiner's turn. There was a horrible dry banjo sound which would sometimes bend the notes out of tune which poor Heiner had to wrestle with, much to the amusement of the company and on Louis' uncompromising instructions to 'give him the banjo'. I have sent recordings of this very funny incident to Heiner, together with 40 minutes of an improvised and brilliant studio session as these two master guitarists jammed in their straight ahead style on some tasty jazz standards.

Marian & Oliver Sweeney - I worked with Oliver and Maggie Cody in the USA back in 1983 when we formed the trio 'Claddagh'. The group played a string of well-received concerts around the Chicago area and in New York. Oliver is a horrible nice fellow who has his own label and is a respected music journalist, writing for for Hot Press and many other newspapers and magazines. (See Oliver's 1983 Hot Press review of Freeflight in the reviews page) I send best regards to Oliver, Marian and family. 

Brian Taheny & Loretto Ried - I teamed up with this multi-talented couple in Sligo in the early '80s and played many gigs with them around the area. I was also present with Loretto and Brian at many's the unforgettable Saturday night session in The Beach Bar on Aughris Head. These sessions were presided over by the great Joe O'Dowd, always fondly remembered as a lovely man and inspired fiddler, and also featured the fiery flute playing of that unforgettable local character, Pat Mahon. It was during this period that I came to know the genial Fred & Pat Zesserson and Mary Brecht of the New York theatre. I say hello & thanks to Fred and Pat for their hospitality & friendship during my stay at Aughris Head. 

Olive & Anthony Travers - Anthony used to run the Folk Club in Sean Óg's Pub every Wednesday night in the wonderful town of Ballyshannon in County Donegal, and I send my thanks to everyone involved for all the great nights and sessions. Much appreciation also to Conor & Barry Britton, then of the Sandhouse Hotel and The Barry Britton Crafts Centre in nearby Rossnowlagh. I was one of the headlining acts at the Folk Festival in 1983, and was a regular visitor to Sean Og's during the early 1980s.

Apart from the above-mentioned venues on the folk scene, I was a regular visitor to Slattery's of Capel Street, The Meeting Place, The Earl Gratton, The Puddin' Folk Club in The Parliament Inn, The Judge & Jury, Tailor's Hall and The Baggott Inn in Dublin. Also Maynooth College, The Wexford Arts Centre, T. & H. Doolin's in Waterford (thanks to Martin & Anne) The Merriman Tavern in Scarrif, De Lacy's in Cork, The Elphin Hotel in Dun Laoghaire, The Thatch, Sallynoggin, Leo Conroy's Stables bar in Castlecomer, The Golden Grill Enniskillen, Cavan Folk Club, Monahan Folk Club, Drocheda Folk Club, The Collier's, Carrick-On-Shannon, The Venue, Strandhill, and many more unforgettable gigs during the mid-eighties.

On the rock scene, the venues I've played are too numerous to mention here, but included Dublin's National Stadium, The Mansion House, Liberty Hall, Various city halls, All the Irish universities including Trinity College, Queen's University, UCC, and UCD. 
 
I have also appeared on many RTE television & radio shows including  Like Now with Danny Hughes (TV spot with Crossroads), Discassette & The Pat Kenny Show (radio interview, Discasette TV appearance), The Gerry Ryan Show (radio interview), SBB Ina Shui (4 TV appearances), Trom agus Éadrom (2 TV appearances), The Dave Fanning Show (studio sessions, interview), Aenghus McAnally's 'Anything Goes' (played 'Jessica' live on TV with Aenghus!), Youngline (TV appearance), Shay Healy's 'Nighthawks' (2 TV appearances) & Fáilte (TV appearance). 

Top presenters like Gay Byrne, Larry Gogan, Jim O'Neill and Mark Costigan have also featured my music in their radio shows. I also wrote the background music and arranged & sang the title song for the RTE Television Irish language series Anois agus Arís which featured 'Father Jack' himself, the wonderful Frank Kelly as 'The Minister' and was produced by Frank Murphy.

For free mp3 samples of many of the above-mentioned bands check out the new  Audio Samples  page. More soon..

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