Vintage

A day at the Races - Sunday, 30th October 2016

Forecast rain - forecast wrong! We awoke to a clear bright autumnal morning [having set the clocks back one hour; Fall back etc], and we made our way to Dowth, Co. Meath for a noon performance. We were uncertain what we would have to face - it was a Point-to-Point Race meeting. Reaching the location was a difficult journey - bhí an saol mór agus a mháthair ar a slí chuig na rásaí. Eventually we got parked somewhere among the thousands of vehicles. What a scene! It was overwhelming. Marquees of every size and description decked the estate. There were restaurants, shopping arcades, burger vans, Punch and Judy shows, drones circling overhead photographing the various activities. Were we punching above our weight, I wondered! 

This was a charity event, organised by Owen Brennan, Chairman of the Devenish Group, a company involved in the production of animal feeds. The proceeds were in aid of farming in Africa - Farm Africa. The guiding principle of this charity is that, rather than give a poor man a fish, it is better to give him a fishing rod.

Firstly, we had lunch [taking no chances here - a poor performance might mean being chased off, hungry!] Things worked out very well, however. We sang for a half hour and then gave way the the well-known chef, Richard Corrigan, who taught us how to cook a trout - among other things. Other acts followed. Meanwhile racing continued outside. A few of the lads had a flutter - I had the misfortune of backing the Favourite in the 2.00 race - Perfect Harmony ( how could I resist a horse of that name and calibre!) How did I fare? It led to the last hurdle and then fell!

The Birches Alzheimer Day Centre Dundalk, November 16, 2016

The Birches Alzheimer Day Centre was established June 1, 2000 by the North Louth Branch Alzheimer Society, Dundalk. It is a purpose-built facility for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The Day Centre is open five days weekly, from 9am to 5pm [Bank Holidays excepted] and two Saturdays monthly. It offers a wide-ranging array of activities and care. The ethos of care is centred on the person attending, by providing care in a holistic manner that no only addresses the person's physical needs, but also their spiritual and emotional needs. It is a place of serenity and safety. The Day Centre is staffed on a totally voluntary basis.

It was our pleasure to visit the facility today, November 16, to entertain the guests. I must say that we were received very warmly and I venture to boast that our singing was greatly appreciated. We were happy to donate €500 from our Charity fund to the upkeep of the facility. We were earnestly requested to make a return visit before Christmas, so we will see if we can arrange it - performing in the Birches is among our most enjoyable outings!

The Sheep Farmers' Annual Dinner and Presentations Navan 25/11/2016

Saturday, 26/11/2016, saw us make our way to the Manor Farm, Lusk, where the owner, Mr. Michael Hoey had organised an exhibition of farm machinery, both new, classic and antique. This is an annual affair and is the biggest show of its kind in Ireland. It is a two-day event. We gave two performances. The first one was in a large hanger filled with tractors to make a farmer's eyes water. Surprisingly, the sound in the building was excellent and after a half-hour performance the audience called for more. However, we had to spare ourselves as our next performance was immediately afterwards in the canteen where another audience was waiting. Was this the most enjoyable [for us] performance to date? I think so. It was well received and we had to perform a number of encores.

Michael, it must be said, does trojan work for charity. Last year hepresented €8000 to Vincent de Paul and this year he is confident of surpassing this total.