.... or at least yesterday was Saint Patrick's Day.
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated every year on March 17th and it is the annual celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. It has been commemorated for over 1000 years and is the day when across the world people come together to celebrate Irish culture and heritage.
For some reason, it took me until January 2020 for me to make my first trip to the Republic of Ireland. That seems a long time ago now given what has occurred since .... the immense self-inflicted harm of Brexit on our country by an obsessive nationalist and isolationist minority, a global health pandemic that has killed millions of people and the current horror, carnage and war crimes against humanity being wrought on the people of Ukraine by Russia.
It is said that there are only 2 types of people in this world: the Irish and those who want to be Irish. The friendliness and hospitality that I encountered during my trip in 2020 was second to none and I have travelled extensively throughout western and eastern Europe. In my experience, you will not find a nicer group of people on this planet. Everywhere I went, I met friendly and interesting people who went out of their way to make me feel welcome in their country. Of course, the Guinness and traditional music didn't hurt either.
During my first trip to the Republic of Ireland, I went to a concert in Kilkenny with Sharon Shannon, Frances Black and Mary Coughlan. All 3 performed solo sets with their respective bands before playing and singing together at the end.
If you can't be in Ireland for Saint Patrick's Day, what better way to celebrate it than to again see and listen to the amazing Mary Coughlan in London.
Mary Coughlan is undoubtedly the greatest female singer to have emerged from Ireland in recent times.
“Dubbed as Ireland’s Billie Holiday, Mary is a jazz and blues singer whose life story gives weight to the truth that the best singers are the ones with the most painful lives” (The Guardian).
Whether into folk, blues or jazz, no one can fail to be moved by the emotional depth, expression and power in the voice of Mary Coughlan which has been forged from an extraordinary life.
Born in Galway in the west of Ireland in 1956, Mary Coughlan has battled and overcome childhood trauma and abuse and near-death from alcoholism and drug addiction. After hitting rock-bottom and extensive periods in psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation centres, she literally pulled herself out of the dregs of a vodka bottle to confront the foundations of her problems head on and sort out her life. She has been sober since 1993 and carved out a timeless and highly regarded career with a legion of devoted fans worldwide.
Blues, jazz, folk, Irish soul …. what a voice! …. what a personality! …. Mary Coughlan - Wikipedia
💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
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