Each year in September, an New York City-based organization called “The Village Trip” stages a multi-sited festival to “celebrate arts and activism across Greenwich Village and the East Village.” This year, on Monday, Sept. 23, they will present “A Parting Glass: Dan Milner, Mick Moloney, and Irish Music in Greenwich Village,” a tribute concert celebrating the lives of two titans of Irish music in America and New York City, as part of the festival. The concert will feature artists including Bonnie Milner, David Jones, Deirdre Murtha, Niall O’Leary and Tom Dunne, as well as members of the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra (which Moloney founded and in which Milner performed), including Liz Hanley, Don Meade, Donie Carroll, Brendan Dolan, Tony Horswill, and me. The concert will go from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Bitter End (147 Bleecker) and bring instruments, as there will be an open session afterward (featuring special guests from way out of town, keep an eye open for an announcement) at Wicked Willy’s, which is a pub directly next door. For further details, including ticketing information, visit https://www.thevillagetrip.com/event/a-parting-glass/.
Speaking of Donie Carroll (and a few of the folks above), his annual concert in support of the Mercy Center – a cause, you might remember, that was very near and dear to Mick Moloney’s heart – will take place at the New York Irish Center in Long Island City, Queens, on Saturday, Nov. 16.
If this is the first you’re hearing of the Mercy Center (https://www.mercycentre.org/), it is a long-standing charity based in Bangkok, Thailand, that does important work to help the children and communities in that city’s numerous slums. It uses its funding to build and operate schools, improve family health and welfare, protect street children’s rights, combat the AIDS crisis, respond to daily emergencies, and offer shelter to orphans and street children.
Dan Milner and Mick Moloney.
Now is the time to put a reminder date in your calendar. While more details and additions to the fundraising concert are likely to follow, the lineup that’s already scheduled to appear includes Carroll, Heather Bixler, Ivan Goff, Katie Linnane, Liz Hanley, Tony DeMarco, Don Penzien and me. I speak for everyone when I say we look forward to the night and hope to see you there!
Finally, some very sad news to report in the world of traditional music with the sudden passing last weekend of the brilliant, beloved bouzouki player and singer Cyril O’Donoghue. Few details were known at the time of writing, but suffice to say O’Donoghue’s death is a major blow to Irish music, particularly in Ennis. Universally respected and admired, he was known for his enduring partnerships with many of Clare’s greatest traditional musicians, but there seemed to be none closer than uilleann piper Blackie O’Connell, with whom he performed extensively and with whom he led the “Piping Heaven Piping Hell” session at Considine’s Pub in Ennis for many years.
O’Donohue’s musical career was long and notable. He was a member of legendary bands such as Damp in the Attic, Dubhlinn, Fisherstreet, Foolin in Doolin, and Providence, and made many and distinguished recording credits, including his solo album, “Nothing But A Child” (2003; with support from Siobhan Peoples, Murty Ryan, Leonard Barry, Tony O'Connelly, Tola Custy, John Kelly, and several others), “Setting Free” (with Tola Custy, 1994), “I Was…Flyin’ It” (with Damp in the Attic, 1998), “Late... In The Night” (with Conor McCarthy and Christy Barry, 2003), “The Recession sessions” and “Live in McDermotts” (with Foolin in Doolin, 2009 and 2011, respectively), and “Friars Green” and “Dubhlinn Live” (with Blackie O’Connell, 2014 and 2023, respectively).
O’Donohue was a stalwart in Ennis and his passing will prove a game-changer for the music there. Deepest condolences to his family and friends and in particular to the musical comrades, for whom he cared so deeply. If you’re not familiar with O’Donohue’s work, I encourage you to explore a few of his recordings, which you can do by visiting https://blackieoconnellcyrilodonoghue.bandcamp.com/ – it’s stunning.
