Craic On

I received this email from a visitor from Scotland after our series of articles about regenerating Moville. It turns out he has written songs about Moville and other areas around here like Cooley Cross and Kinnego Bay as well as one for his uncle Patsy Barr.

Here’s the email and a link to the songs. See what you think.

Ideas for Regenerating Moville

I don’t know if you will remember me but we’ve met and chatted a few times when my wife, Sandra, and I have visited Moville from Paisley in Scotland. My Dad’s family are from Moville. My Uncle Patsy, Aunt Rita and Aunt Mary lived up on the farm at Cooley and my Aunt Mary used to own “The Step Inn Bar” many years ago before it became “Rosatos”. Sadly, Uncle Patsy is our only surviving relative in Moville and now lives in “Taobh na Cille”. Following one of our chats, you once did an article about my childhood recollections of catching salmon and sea-trout in the Bredagh River. Maybe that will help you place me. We try to get over a few times a year – (5 times in 2011 – including Dylanfest at which we spoke to you and Tony Bramwell and which we really enjoyed and hope to return for this year).

I’m a regular reader of CraicOn and I’ve been following your posts re “Ideas for Regenerating Moville” but have been hesitating with this suggestion as it could be seen as an attempt to showcase and promote my own “talents” which, of course, modesty forbids – but here goes.

A couple of years ago now I wrote a song called “Hello Moville”. Sandra and I have performed it in “Rawdons” on a couple of occasions during Paddy’s breaks and it well down quite well. You may even have heard it for all I know though I really don’t recall you being there.

I have been off work since suffering a cardiac arrest last year and found myself with a lot of spare time on my hands while waiting to undergo a cardio rehab course. Over many years I have written quite a few songs and, just in case my implanted defibrillator doesn’t work if/when called upon, I decided that I would record my songs for posterity on my home computer. Anyway, I was surprised and pleased with the results and was inspired to write and record a few new songs. I play all the instruments and Sandra and I share the vocals though I make no claim to be a singer. As I’ve completed them I have uploaded them to my SoundCloud page – links below – where they seem to be getting plays from all around the world – especially the USA.

Several of my songs have a Moville/Inishowen connection and I have put together one “set” entitled “Inishowen Songs” which has 4 songs – “Cooley Cross”; “Patrick Columba Barr” (a tribute to my Uncle Patsy); “Hello Moville” and “Kinnagoe Bay”.

“Hello Moville”, in particular, is a celebration of Moville as a holiday town and it occurred to me that as it is available to be played and downloaded free worldwide on SoundCloud a mention on CraicOn might get a few more listeners and, who knows, inspire a visitor or two to the town in this “Gathering” year.

Kind regards,

Joe Barr

Listen to the songs here – Cooley Cross / Patrick Columba Barr / Hello Moville / Kinnego Bay

My favourite is Kinnego Bay.