Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 14 May 20 - 10:04 AM

I somehow thought of this thread: RTE recently did a lovely appreciation of the piper. At the time of posting there are only a few days left online but it is a good watch for your lockdown time:

Liam O'Flynn : Píobaire

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Tony Rees
Date: 14 May 19 - 06:12 PM

He was a featured artist on Shaun Davey's "Granuaile", featuring Rita Connolly, of which I have a video tape of the Greenwich (London) concert performance broadcast on the BBC (not sure how to share it, though). More details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granuaile_(album)

An interesting and at least partly successful blend of classical and folk music elements, in my opinion at least...

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 14 May 19 - 02:34 PM

Cloch le Carn : Liam O'Flynn

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 03 May 19 - 06:34 AM

RTE has just announced a new series of 'Cloch le Carn', a series that celebrates the lives of (more or less) recently deceased public figures.

Nest weeks episode is dedicated to the life of writer Emma Hannigan, one of the following episodes will focus on Liam O Flynn.

One to look out for, I'll bring back up this thread with a link once the program is put on the RTE player.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: StephenH
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 06:00 PM

Yes, thanks very much, Peter Laban. Really enjoyed the Planxty film.
There's a nice moment at about 20mins in where Donal Lunny and Andy
Irvine look on with affection and admiration as Liam Og O'Flynn plays
a solo piece.
I was surprised by the Phil Coulter/Shanachie business - but then I'm
most familiar with the Planxty era spanning the first three albums.
"Songs of Granite" next for me too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 07:34 AM

Thanks for the heads up on the Planxty film ... great to see it ... Songs of Granite next!
Derek

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 06:04 AM

Still more coming up all the time:

Planxty : No Disco

On the TG4 player. While you're there, do yourself a favour and watch 'Joe Heaney : Songs of Granite' while it's up there. Monumental piece of work.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 02 Apr 18 - 07:46 PM

just to lighten the atmosphere a little:
thanks to whoever put online
a recent interview with Martin Carthy,
who recalled the shock of his first encounter with Seamus Ennis.
Carthy walked into the premises where Ennis was making music and holding forth.
It was Carthy's first encounter with uillean pipes:
"like wrestling an octopus!"

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 02 Apr 18 - 03:38 PM

No trouble at all, you're welcome.

I was going to let this drop now but the thread is back on top:

Obit in NY Times

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,bigJ
Date: 02 Apr 18 - 03:00 PM

Before this subject drops off the page I'd like to express my thanks to Peter Laban in particular for keeping us up-to-date on this sad topic.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 06:36 PM

Thanks for the suggestions, Peter: tried them all, but that programme remains invisible, even after signing up for an account with RTE!! Just isn't meant to be, unfortunately.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 06:03 PM

I met him in Chicago. A nicer, kinder gentleman you would scour the world to meet. And piping like well…words fail.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 10:50 AM

If the programme isn't accessible outside Ireland, maybe it doesn't show from the main menu when accessed from abroad? That's possible too ofcourse.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 10:45 AM

Go to player, select 'All programmes' click Monday 26 march on the calendar and there you go, select 'The Pure Drop - Liam O'Flynn'

Programmes A to Z will get you there too, click 'T', select 'The Pure Drop - Liam O'Flynn'

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 10:35 AM

Curioser and curioser: I have gone direct to the RTE player site, and I can watch anything else on it successfully from here (Scotland, without logging in or anything: however, it does not show, and cannot even find the programme to which you linked, Peter, maybe because it is an archive? I can still get to it via your link, but not play it "owing to your location" - so just wondered where it thinks I am!
I tried to find it on YouTube, but no luck there either.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 07:26 AM

Irish Times obituary

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Mar 18 - 04:43 AM

I have no idea what permissions RTE does or doesn't apply. It works for me but I do note there's an /ie/ in the link (because I reached it from Ireland). You could try go to the player at rte.ie/player and see if you can get it to work from there. It should be there until april 25 th anyway.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 18 - 07:33 PM

RTE replay appears now only to be available in The Republic. Maybe a VPN would assist?

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Mar 18 - 06:45 PM

Content of the RTE broadcast not available via that link, Peter Laban. I know I have watched stuff from RTE in the past, so is there a way round it?

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,addison10
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 09:35 AM

Guardian obituary of Liam O'Flynn

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 04:03 AM

The Pure Drop (1991) : Liam O' Flynn

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,addison10
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 06:20 PM

The Guardian obituary is online:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/25/liam-o-flynn-obituary

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Mick Tems
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 03:32 PM

Apologies about the typo - what I should have said was: "His inspiring and masterful playing totally mesmerised and enchanted me."

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Mick Tems
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 03:26 PM

I booked Liam O'Flynn to be a guest at Llantrisant Folk Club, at which was meeting at The Bear in the town's Swan Street in those days. His inspiring and totally playing totally mesmerised and enchanted me - RIP, Liam.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 12:03 PM

RTE will have an old edition of The Pure Drop on Monday next : The Pure Drop : Liam O'Flynn, 23.35 on RTE 1 television

I'll put up a link once it's available on the RTE player.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 05:41 AM

I see the Coffin Company has a returns policy ????

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 03:57 AM

Hell's Bells! I made a right praiseach of that quote of course! It should read:

Outside of a dog, a book is Man's best friend
Inside of a dog - it's too dark to read!"

Groucho Marx


Apologies

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 03:23 AM

Tom's was the first one I saw too, Martin. Definitely a moment of 'I want one of those'. During his travels he heard mention of coffins made of rushes and at some point his informants made one up as an example. Organising his own funeral he went looking for something similar. That's the story as I remember it anyway.

I have seen them used a good few times since and we have sent off my father in law in one.

For those unfamiliar with them there's a large variety of them on offer, in willow, bamboo and what have you, for example here (@ the coffin company)

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 06:36 PM

On wicker coffins - the first I saw was that of Tom Munnelly, the folklorist (and ex-Boy Scout companion of my youth) about ten years ago. Increasingly common.

Regards

p.s. Incidentally, knowing he was about to die, Tom arranged his funeral with meticulous care. The Order of Service, for example, had what looked like a Psalm printed on the back cover. What it actually said was:

"Outside of a book, a dog is Man's best friend
Inside a book - it's too dark to read..."

      Groucho Marx.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 10:06 AM

Me too. And that inspired me to put the Dublin Reel on my one-and-only attempt at a CD in 2004. I coupled it with The Wind That Shakes The Barley! I should stick with Liam's version if I were you...

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Stu
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 06:49 AM

His version of the The Dublin Reel in the set of reels on Cold Blow is one of my favourite pieces of music ever. That album (and the Well Below the Valley) pretty much changed my life when I first heard them.

He'll be sorely missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 04:04 AM

Wicker coffins (or other eco friendly options, felt pods etc) are not uncommon these days, and not just in Ireland.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Mar 18 - 07:17 PM

I was intrigued by the wicker casket - I'd never seen one before. Are they common in Ireland? And was the great man buried in it, or cremated?

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 09:12 AM

I'm catching up with everything you put up, Peter. Last night I watched the "Retrospective" DVD after the missus had hit the sack as I hadn't watched it for a while (I have to put headphones on - thank God for Father Christmas bringing me a wireless Bluetooth set). After two hours I still hadn't got to the end of it. What joy.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 08:08 AM

I'm not much of a concert goer but did get persuaded to go from N Wales to hear him play in the Irish Centre in Sheffield many years ago. Although aware of his ability and an enjoyer of Planxty, I was a bit doubtful as to how I'd get on with a solo evening. His playing mixed with a few anecdotes was superb.

Sorry to read of his passing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 07:17 AM

Obituary by Peter Browne(in the Independent)

Liam O'Flynn remembered : a giant of Irish traditional music @ RTE


Lyric FM tribute : 2014 concert of The Brendan Voyage

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: radriano
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 11:44 AM

I loved Planxty. I especially loved their non-frantic instrumentals. Liam Óg Ó' Flynn was a magnificent piper.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 08:56 AM

Was it on that programme that someone said Planxty were like the Beatles, someone said that during the past week anyway. Four musicians coming together, outstanding musicians each, and creating something much bigger than the sum of its parts, take away any of them and they could never be the same (see the period when they had Johnny Moynihan or Paul Brady filling in).

Years ago an old friend from Rotterdam, Rens van der Zalm, came to Ennis with Mozaik. After the concert we chatted for a while and were joined by Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, who were great, friendly and chatty. But I was acutely aware these were guys whose music had been such a great influence on my life. And I have seen all Planxty members any times in many different configurations, Andy on his own or with Rens or Donal Lunny, with LAPD or a few years ago an early Januari concert of Sweeney's Men in Spanish Point, singing the West Coast of Clare with the beach and the ocean in the dark outside the window, Davoc and Ann Rynne sitting behind me with Luka Bloom, singing harmonies and making it all that bit more special. And it was all great but it was never quite the same, not without all four of them being there to hit the sparks off eachother. And, all other things aside, that perhaps makes the loss all the greater, knowing with Liam O'Flynn one of the essential pieces is now gone forever.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 08:34 AM

Andy Irvine is on tour in Australia until april 2nd.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 08:28 AM

That was a fine tribute indeed. I was kind of hoping to hear from Andy Irvine too but I presume he wasn't available. And I noticed that the camera never showed Rita Connolly's face...? Thanks again for that, Peter.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 05:21 AM

I'll keep it going for a bit Steve.

On Wednesdaynight, the day the news broke RTE radio did a tribute with Gay McKeon, Neil Martin, Seán Davey and Rita Connolly and Christy Moore (all raw and emotional) .

I saw a facebook video of it on Thursday (via the Uilleann pipes group) but it's also here: Liam O'Flynn tribute, RTE Arena

TG4 broadcast 'The Piper's Call' on Patrick's day in tribute, that may be up on their site as well (TG4.tv, it wasn't there yesterday). That was good to watch again too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Mar 18 - 07:16 PM

Cheers, fellers. I've just spent the last twenty minutes on yer links with tears streaming down me cheeks. Thank God Mrs Steve's in bed blissfully unaware of me blubbering! As it's still St Patrick's week, at a stretch anyway, I'll just refill me glass and raise it to a beautiful piper and a beautiful man. Quiet though it is, this has been Mudcat's finest ever thread...

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 05:02 PM

Planxty 1973

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 11:20 AM

Editorial in today's Irish Times

Irish Times coverage of the funeral

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 17 Mar 18 - 10:26 AM

RTE News item covering the funeral service

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 06:38 PM

Think I first saw him live at Sidmouth Festival too, in the 1980s, when he played in a duo with a cellist, whose name escapes me: beautiful sound from both instruments. Borrowed a copy of "the Brendan Voyage" from our local record library and loved that. Then got to see him play it at Glasgow's Celtic Connections some few years back: front row seat right under his nose! Ans of course, loved all the Planxty stuff too.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 12:16 PM

'That's lovely, Peter.'

I don't know Steve, all those memories are filling my head. I didn't mention how the crowds erupted each time the pipes came in during the Planxty reunion concerts in Ennis in the naughties. or the time the RTE symphony orchestra did a Clare residency and we went to their concert in the Church in Kilkee on a miserable winter's night where they did Dvorák nr 9, The New World, and the Breandan Voyage. My little fella was ten or twelve at the time and it was the first time he came face to face with a full orchestra. We told him we were going to listen to Liam Flynn and he expected the usual diddly stuff and was completely mesmerised and overwhelmed on the night.There was one of the early Micho Russell memorials too, Paddy Canny was there and hosts of others, Flynn did a solo appearance and played the whistle particularly lovely on the occasion. All that stuff comes floating back now.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: StephenH
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 11:32 AM

Very Sorry to hear this. My heart was always lifted by his playing with Planxty -
"Cunla" and, as mentioned above, "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" being two
favourite examples which spring to mind.
My condolences to his family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 11:28 AM

That's lovely, Peter. It was my severe bad luck to only discover Planxty and the Bothies when they were finished, but that night in the back room at the Tree Inn is a treasurable memory. I also saw him at a piping workshop one afternoon at the Sidmouth festival. I didn't have much clue as to what he was explaining to the assembled company about the technicalities of the pipes but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Subject: RE: Obit: Liam Óg Ó' Flynn (1945-2018)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 15 Mar 18 - 11:00 AM

Thanks Steve, that would be a good bit of nostalgia indulgence.

I first saw Liam O'Flynn play, with Matt Molloy no less, when I was an impressionable young fella around 1971. I admit I have barely any recollection of this, it was also the night I first saw Séamus Ennis and the impression left by him overshadows all other memories of that day. But it was that very night that pointed me to a path I am still on.

It was Ennis's music that got me interested in the pipes but, as I said elsewhere, it was eventually Liam O'Flynn at one of the concerts of Planxty's 1979 After the Break tour that pushed me over the edge. I went searching for a set of pipes and found me one within weeks. And the rest of it is, well, I don't know what it is and what it got me into.

Crossed paths with the man a few times since, memories of his playing at early 1980s Willie Clancy weeks, me poring over a tape I made of his playing in 1983, getting at each and every note on the tape. A Na Piobairi Uilleann tionol in Ennsitymon in 1990, me sitting there somewhere playing the Queen of the Fairies and spotting him a few meters away, listening to me. And later on the night Liam playing Ennis' pipes and passing them around for us to try play them. Having eventually relocated myself to Miltown Malbay, late nights in Friel's with him coming in on late August nights when the place was bursting with music. Being part of the group playing in the church in Bodyke when Martin Rochford was laid to rest, Liam leading us through Martin's favourite reels as the coffin was carried away. The call coming saying 'we'll be in Friel's at seven, in B, come, don't tell anyone' playing with Padraig MacMathuna, Tony Linnane and Henry Benagh all night and Tom Munnelly giving out at the bar on the night, Tom himself only a few weeks away from the day we stood at his graveside. Liam coming to town to unveil the scultpure of Willie Clancy or playing with Donal Lunny and Paddy Glackin on a dark Januari night in Spanish Point. Just some of the memories. I cherish them.