Luke Kelly Appreciation Thread

gubby

Has anyone come across a wonderful poem written by Liam Clancy I think (at least its on his album) called simply "Luke" it would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I will post it here if I can find it

lanternchikk

gubby wrote: »

Has anyone come across a wonderful poem written by Liam Clancy I think (at least its on his album) called simply "Luke" it would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I will post it here if I can find it

Here it is:

Luke – How glad I am that our paths crossed in that brief window of consciousness that is given to us between the two great mysteries.

You came into my life through a window – the men’s room window –
in the Central Hotel at the Fleadh in Miltown Malbay back in 1964.
They wouldn’t let you in the front door because they said ‘twas after hours and you weren’t a resident – but it was really because they didn’t want
a Dublin Jackeen upsetting their session.

Willie Clancy was there, in the parlour, and Jimmy Ward and
the great Seamus Ennis who shares this piece of ground with you now forever.

You startled us all that night when you sang.
You were no self-effacing rustic
waiting to be coaxed to sing soft sad love songs.
You were as strident as a street in Crickelwood,
as brash as a Dublin hackney driver
and you took delight in what you sang.

Joy and anger mixed in a powerful blend –
that was your hallmark – then as always –
joy in the act of singing – anger in the words that spoke of injustice.
You came from the mold of the great commune-ists
who knew that it was right to rail against the tyranny of class and privilege.

Look at us now Luke, here in this cemetery,
a small huddle of the living, amidst a vast throng of the generations
that marched through before us and, coming fast behind,
the generations waiting to be born.

So what signifies? What signifies is that you fulfilled your destiny –
that you did not stint in the giving of the talent that was uniquely yours.
Had you been a blade of grass you would have been very green and very tall and very pointed – because all things must be what they are to their fullness.

Since we laid you down here – how many years ago? –
you have been joined in the long silence by so many of those we knew –
by Kieran Burke and Seamus Ennis and Joe Heaney and Willie Clancy –
and by my own brothers Tom, Paddy and Bobby.

But are ye really silenced? No, No and never will be.
It’s all preserved isn’t it – in reality as well as in memory.
And when in the future there are those who want to hear,
not the froth of fashion in the pop song of the month,
but the timeless vision of the true story told,
they will listen to you Lukey – you and your likes, if there are such.

And even though we understand all this with our heads,
we still lament that you will, as the song says – no nay never – never no more – will you play the wild rover – no never no more.

Wishbone Ash

This thread needs a few pics!

Steve

My favourite Luke song of all time, It's not an easy song to get right and he performs it as if he was just tying his shoelaces!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtEKUWRpUWg

Equally a favourite of mine and one I always attempt (and fail) to sing when I'm full of porter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa7birRBmNM

And some more of my favourites to keep yez going...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wny_0pi4hR4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WosTgIBgzf4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSDzOKPvedc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvSO2beh5sk

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do

lanternchikk

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

This thread needs a few pics!

Damn right!:)

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I've never seen that one before. It's great though! Where do you have it from, if I may ask?

Wishbone Ash

lanternchikk wrote: »

I've never seen that one before. It's great though! Where do you have it from, if I may ask?

Google Image Search is your friend!

Bobeagleburger

Pure Legend

Great thread btw:)

Wishbone Ash

SteveC wrote: »

My favourite Luke song of all time, It's not an easy song to get right and he performs it as if he was just tying his shoelaces!

A group of us were over in Bristol at a football match earlier this year. We were in a very busy pub on a Saturday night when one of the older lads did a fantastic rendition of Rocky Road. I've never heard a British pub go so quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Pure class!

SteveC wrote:

Equally a favourite of mine and one I always attempt (and fail) to sing when I'm full of porter!

Apologies for being pedantic but, in that clip, Ronnie doesn't seem to have a clue where 'Monto' was! It was nowhere near the 'back of the Pro Catherdral'! It was in the area around what is now Foley street.

Dyr

the last two aren't luke kelly surely, they're your man with the ronald mcdonald wig who does the luke kelly tribute thing

pokerface_me

The last 2 photos are of chap called Chris Kavanagh, he does a stunning tribute to Luke. He has a site if you google legend of luke you should find it.

Wishbone Ash

Bambi wrote: »

the last two aren't luke kelly surely, they're your man with the ronald mcdonald wig who does the luke kelly tribute thing

pokerface_me wrote: »

The last 2 photos are of chap called Chris Kavanagh, he does a stunning tribute to Luke. He has a site if you google legend of luke you should find it.

Apologies folks! :eek:

*shakes fist at Google Image Search*

lanternchikk

pokerface_me wrote: »

The last 2 photos are of chap called Chris Kavanagh, he does a stunning tribute to Luke. He has a site if you google legend of luke you should find it.

I thought so. The beard and face don't look quite right on the pic I "quoted" before. Too, um, "clean"? Also, how long has that in-ear monitor-or-what's-it-called been around?

Esel

Bambi wrote: »

the last two aren't luke kelly surely, they're your man with the ronald mcdonald wig who does the luke kelly tribute thing

I thought they looked funny, but didn't to wreck the thread's buzz!

pokerface_me

Luke was born in Dublin on either the 16 November or 16 December 1940. The confusion arises because his mother says November and his birth certificate December. In the main Luke always took his mother's word for it, for he reasons that she was there at the time.
The family was a large close one. Luke's father, another Luke, worked for Jacobs the biscuit people and had a great love of soccer - a love he passed on to his son.
Luke was educated at St. Lawrence O'Toole's (the patron saint of Dublin) School in the North Strand area. He left school when he was thirteen and did a variety of jobs before coming, via the Isle of Man, to work in England.
His hobbies included golf and anything to do with the arts. He's was a voracious reader and was rarely found without at least two books and as many newspapers about his person.
Luke was married to Deirdre O'Connell, the Irish-American method actress who owned and ran Dublin's Focus Theatre.

Quoted from the Dubliner scrap book, it also says he was given the name Luke Gerard kelly, any other info i can look up for you, let us know.

lanternchikk

Thanks pokerface!
So the name thing seems to be true - Luke Gerard "The Sun Is Burning" Kelly.:)
I thought Luke's birthday was on the 17th (Nov. or Dec.) though, not the 16th...?

pokerface_me

lanternchikk wrote: »

Thanks pokerface!
So the name thing seems to be true - Luke Gerard "The Sun Is Burning" Kelly.:)
I thought Luke's birthday was on the 17th (Nov. or Dec.) though, not the 16th...?

Sorry my fault it was the 17th.

Heres a pic of his grave

humberklog

My favourite's Raglan Rd. Written by Patrick Kavanagh about Hilda O'Malley (dido, rollo, dessie o'malley family). Kavanagh presented the words to Kelly in The Bailey. Kelly reckoned an old Irish tune would suit it. The Dawning of The Day and so it came.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBndHNJoC0k

lanternchikk

Some more pics...

_blank_

Ha, i love the version of rocky road posted above, notice how he sings the second verse twice, and starts laughing in the middle of it?

irlirishkev

Folks,

This is a great DVD. I bought it a while back. All fantastic performances, interwoven with touching tributes from friends and musicians. I highly recommend it.

lanternchikk

irlirishkev wrote: »

Folks,

This is a great DVD. I bought it a while back. All fantastic performances, interwoven with touching tributes from friends and musicians. I highly recommend it.

I have it:)

This documentary about Luke is great too:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-501647685464276780

Steve

There's a Ronnie Drew tribute program on RTE1 right now, some good clips of Luke as well.

minxie

yeah just turned on its all very sad..
rip

lanternchikk

No RTE here...:(

Anyone else here got a book called "Luke Kelly: A Memoir" by Des Geraghty? If so, what do you think of it? Reading it, I get the impression that Luke took the whole political activism thing very seriously, and was always interested in what was going on in the world etc (excuse my crappy English, it's late...) so I must admit, I find it kind of hard to imagine that he "almost exclusively" hung out with other musicians. What do you say, humberklog?

Anyway, the unforseen consequences scene described on pages 76-77 is HILARIOUS...

humberklog

lanternchikk wrote: »

No RTE here...:(
What do you say, humberklog?

Anyway, the unforseen consequences scene described on pages 76-77 is HILARIOUS...

I say I think I'll pick myself up a copy of said book.

Pangea

25th anniversey coming up in a few weeks ,rest in peace.
Dead at 44 short life , great musician.

lanternchikk

Pangea wrote: »

25th anniversey coming up in a few weeks ,rest in peace.

I wish I could be in Dublin for that bittersweet occasion...

Pangea wrote: »

Dead at 44 short life , great musician.

43 actually; he died early in the year in which he'd have turned 44.
F*cking cancer...:(

lanternchikk

*bump*

http://www.patsy-watchorn.com/page.php?title=20090129_lukekelly
http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/scorn-not-his-simplicity-521138.html

Hungover? i woke up still wasted.

And can you tell I'm a great, big, fat, ever-so-slightly-obsessed fangirl?:D:o

neil_hosey

my granda grew up on sheriff street along with Luke, Luke was a few years younger than him. He told me his Ma looked after Luke as a kid and was in his house on a daily basis from an early age.

He told me the one thing he remembers about him is that he sucked a tit ( as my granda calls it...a do-di, soother ) til he was 8 years old. He said his ma used to go over to the railings of the school at lunch time to let him suck on a rubber tit..

Thats an incite into luke that only a handful of people know about


Great man.

lanternchikk

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Thanks neil_hosey, the rubber tit story made my day.:D