DE FACTO: Westport celebration of Tony Reidy a night to remember

It was a full house. And there was a waiting list. I was lucky to be there. Even luckier to be part of the show, performing. Blessed, even. It was a night to remember. One of the best music nights in Westport Town Hall in living memory. It wasn’t planned that way. It became that.
It was so for a myriad of reasons. Apart from the person being honoured and the performers, it was the determination, tenacity and unassuming modesty of Fiona Keane. She is the person who conceived, produced and directed the night’s entertainment. It was called ‘Hard Hat, Soft Heart – A Celebration of the Songs of Tony Reidy’, and it was a fantastic show. Memorable beyond words. Thank you, Fiona.
Twenty-five performers took to the stage to honour Tony Reidy, the man and his music. Tony has released at least six albums on CD and cassette (yes, he’s that old!). Still prolific, he’s preparing a new album.
He writes about his childhood in Aughagower, his family, working on the farm, fair days and simple observations about being a child, son and brother. He writes of love, heartbreak, family, destitution and the hand one is dealt in life. He is a sensitive and heartfelt writer honouring the living and the dead.
Tony wandered in the desert of Mayo County Council for 40 years (or so!) disguised as a council engineer and then enjoyed the Promised Land of singing and playing his own songs. He graduated from straightening our boreens to working out chord progressions. Buckets of pothole tar were replaced with harmonicas and guitars filling the sounds in his head.
Sending out a ganger and a gang of outdoor staff to deal with an overhanging tree is no longer an issue. Instead, he seeks the company of fellow musicians to hollow out sounds and songs from chords and notes. No more worries about floods or overflowing rivers as he grapples with which instruments to play on a track.
On Saturday, April 20, Westport celebrated Tony Reidy in style. His songs were sung and performed by the 25 performers, all his friends and acquaintances. Uri Kohen was impeccable on sound.
Each performer gave their own interpretation of Tony’s words and music, some a cappella (Seoirse Swanton – ‘Seán na Sagart’; John Hegarty – ‘The Songs Live On’), others solo with their guitars (Charlie Keating – ‘Fair Day in Westport Town’; John Hoban – ‘Paddy’s Looking Rough’ and ‘Stick to the Books’). The Clew Bay Critters (Dan Delaney, Dearbhla Ryan, Tim Rogers, Brian Lofthouse) acted as a formidable house band for the night’s proceedings.
Some ventured forth with others (Mags Gallen and Steve Bryant – ‘Woodbine And Wild Rose’, ‘Breeze On Your Face’; Glyn and Allsoun Keegan – ‘Blue Stone’; Coda – ‘God Knows’, ‘Raifteirí is Back’, ‘Like a Wild Thing’, ‘Rough Shot of Lipstick’) and some with The Clew Bay Critters (John Scahill – ‘Stack Of Barley’; Fiona Keane – ‘The Seagull’s Cry’; Derek McLoughlin – ‘Sunday Morning Whiskey Songs’; Pat Staunton – ‘Leave Room in Your Heart for a Love Song’; Pádraig O’Dwyer – ‘It’s Good To Be Alive’, and yours truly – ‘Bertrá Beach’), while Critter members Tim Rogers and Dan Delaney also delighted us with songs – ‘It’s Good For Ya’ and ‘You With The Head, aka The Bodhrán Song’, respectively.
Tony took to the stage to perform a couple of solo songs (‘Your Boy’ and ‘Johnnie’). He thanked all gracefully. The night finished with a magnificent ‘all in’ Critters-backed rendition of ‘The Devil in Tooreen’.
‘Send them home sweatin’’ was the mantra of the showbands, but ‘send them home shouting for more’ was the mantra last week in Westport Town Hall Theatre. It was simply ‘one of those nights’. Wholesome, uplifting, encouraging, challenging and soothing. It was a balm in a bomb-bathed broken world. We were among our own, celebrating Tony and his family, present and living, and his parents and sister ‘living anew’ amongst us.
Afterwards, Jim Heineken Flanagan said he was so delighted that we honoured ‘one of our own while he’s alive’! He has a point. We’re mighty at saying how great people were and how much we actually appreciate them after they’ve gone. Thankfully, we got to celebrate a living legend. Comhghairdeas Tony.