Yes, good to hear from you Dermot. I hope you didn't mind my contributions about you. I'm listening to your CD "Dermot Kelly Sings Original Compositions" (2003) as I write this. (I bought it from "The Record Rack" in Ennis.) You have a rich tenor voice and the whole CD is well produced, with plenty of variety. The liner notes are nice and easy to read, with the basic information all there. (I would have liked more information about the musicians, e.g. who played which instruments but I realise space was limited.) My favourites include "Tony's Stew" (track 9) and "Banners Flyin' Free" (track 11) and the poignant "Put More Turf On The Fire" (track 15).

And it's good when questions get answered (even if it takes some time!) and people link up - definitely the best aspects of the internet!

I laughed aloud at Jim's anecdote about McHugh's landlord asking everyone to come inside because the pub was closing. (Jim, I'm sure you could write a book of such quotations, with all your experiences of collecting songs over the years.)

Just to update Jim's "quickie" about the buskers: they each had to apply for a "Busker's Licence" in September 2006 while, at the same time, they were still being sued for trespass and told not to perform there. Tina and a few others, to their great credit, kept on playing even though they were harassed and it cost them a lot of money in solicitors' fees. (I wrote a song about it called "The Busker".) Eventually, in early 2007, just before the 33-Million-Euro Visitors' Centre was opened, the court in Ennis decided no further action would be taken against them, so long as they each signed for the official "Licence" and kept to the rules. The contract is actually identical to that used on the London Underground, with a couple of extra clauses. (I checked through it line by line.) Although the contract seems to have worked well in London for the past 5 years, there are numerous absurdities in it - especially for the Cliffs of Moher buskers. For example, they are not allowed to eat or drink while busking. (I suggested they should have notices in front of them on their "pitches", saying to the public: "Please don't feed the buskers". Actually, Tina told me once an old lady offered her a slice of bread.) There were no actual auditions in the end, even though the buskers agreed to them, but each had a half-hour interview with the two managers - Ger Dollard and Katherine Webster. 15 licenses were issued. As a Busker License holder myself I am not allowed to make any derogatory comments about the Cliffs of Moher "brand" or "management".

I'll post this now before my pathetic BT/Eircom dial-up link fails again. (Still no broadband here.)

Nigel