I was a member of The East Winds in high school. Played mandolin and a little rhythm guitar with Peter Kennedy (no relation) who was a great Bert Jansch-style picker and lead vocalist/tambourinist Jim Higgins.
We recorded "Arkle" about the great Irish racehorse, in 1965 or '66 with the "Leaving Of Liverpool" on the flip side, for Outlet records in Belfast. We were paid 10 pounds each with a crate of Guinness thrown in. As high-schoolers, how could we possibly say NO to such a deal!
Every time Arkle raced, Outlet did a big promo with the single - full-color photo on the cover (the horse, not us!) with Pat Taaffe the jockey aboard. When Arkle fell and broke the pedal-bone in his foot forcing him to retire, another big promo. When the horse finally died, yet another big promotion with his photo edged in black. Outlet sold a SHITLOAD of these singles every time the horse made the headlines.
Of course, thee East Winds had broken up and left school for all of these promotions....
I remember breaking my mandolin pick at a gig one night, and because replacements were expensive in those far off days, I had to use a collar stiffener from my shirt.
And I became adept at reusing broken strings if the string broke near the bridge-saddle.
I remember having to read the graffitti on the walls in the toilets to see if we were playing in a Protestant bar or a Catholic one, because in some borderline areas, it was hard to tell.
If there was a lot of "Fuck the Queen" calligraphy, we could do rebel songs all night long, and if there was "Fuck The Pope" style hieroglyphics, we'd do middle of the road, folky, non-Nationalist material. Aaahh, if I only knew then what I know now...
I'd still be a frigging folk-singer!

Seamus