Aah, but Delia Murphy, though. She was wonderful. She was the wife of the person who was the Irish ambassador to Austria, I think it was. Wonderful warm recordings of some lovely Irish songs (in English, but you can't have everything).

Unfortunately, in the British Isles at least, there doesn't seem to be a compilation CD of her 78 rpm records, but I've collected a number of compilations to amass some sort of discography, plus an odd track by her sister, Angela Murphy.

If I Were a Blackbird was always one of my father's favourite songs, so being able to play it for him now is a definite plus. I still go weak at the knees when I hear The Spinning Wheel, and Three Lovely Lasses from Bannion has a particular frisson for me.

Well, cre elley foddym gra?

Bobby Bob