Oh dear - this brought a lump to the throat
We were recording an old bachelor singer in West Clare, well into his eighties, who had a rake of rare songs.
He lived halfway up Mount Callan in a fairly inaccessible area with just a crossbred collie for company.
After several years of visits he tiurned to us and said, "you know, I was really pleased when you started to visit - I was always worried that the songs would die out when I passed on".
I was so worried I tried to teach them to Topsy.
Martin Reidy (RIP) can be heard singing on The West Clare County Library website (Carroll Mackenzie collection)
Jim Carroll