If the Ellington Restaurant had rafters, they’d have been ringing as Irish American Writers & Artists bid farewell to their late President, Brendan Costello. Novelists, actors, playwrights, poets, musicians and friends packed the Strauss Room to honor an amazing man no one will ever forget and all will miss terribly. In the Irish tradition of happy wakes, much laughter and lively stories ensued, and, boy, was there music!
The incomparable duo, the Kennedys, on a nationwide tour with a brief stopover in New York City, headed straight for the Ellington to kick off the celebration. They blended their vibe with other performers as the loving spirit of the evening mounted, inspired by their opener, “When I Go,” a plaintive song from their album “Stand.” To be sure, there were tears, prompted by Sara Fearon’s interpretation of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Singer/violinist, Liz Hanley, accompanied by guitarist Eamonn O’Leary, broke our hearts with a cover of Tom Waits’ “Time”. Another heartbreaker, Erin Hall, backed by husband Gabe Shuford on guitar, sang her beautiful original “If I Sing You a Lullaby.” But tears dried quickly when Erin reached for her cello to delight the crowd with the witty “I Love You Sober, and I Love You Hungover.”
Over 20 speakers shared stories of how Brendan Costello touched their lives. The awesome shepherding job fell to host Anthony C. Murphy, Brendan’s dear friend and frequent co-producer of salons. First up to speak was Brendan’s sister, Darlene Costello, who shared the “untold story” of playing sidekick to Brendan’s Batman and Captain Kirk when they were kids.
Several of Prof. Costello’s CCNY students offered words of praise and poetry. It was a neighborhood affair as well, as he was an esteemed denizen of the upper west side, not only for his legendary Trivia prowess but most notably as M.C. of the annual a Shout in the Street, the popular Bloomsday marathon reading of “Ulysses” in partnership with the James Joyce Society. Redolent of those happy times, playwright/novelist Honor Molloy was on hand to render an exhilarating reading of an excerpt from “Finnegans Wake.”
Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy, IAW&A Board Member and Co-Director of the St. Pat’s For All Parade, of which Brendan was also a Board Member, spoke of his love for teaching, how he taught us all about disability, and of his ambitious plans for IAW&A. Others recalled his “big brain,” his impressive knowledge of music and literature, his kindness and especially his “inclusivity”— how he nurtured creativity and made new members instantly feel welcome, encouraged and at home. Writer Jill Caryl Weiner zeroed in on his sense of humor. When she needed cheering up after a loss by her daughter’s soccer team, Brendan’s 3-fold suggestion was: a) Bill Murray’s “It Just Doesn’t Matter” speech from the movie “Meatballs”; b) Madeleine Albright’s line about a special place in hell for women who don’t support women; and c) “[Expletive] those [expletives]!” Maria Deasy, past President of IAW&A, and a neighbor of Brendan’s, spoke of their friendship and collaborations and presented a letter of condolence from Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, to Brendan’s sister Darlene.
Brendan left this earth too soon at age 55. Emotions ran high during a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” by the lovely Annalisa Chamberlin. Yet it was joy that pervaded the evening, driven by the virtuosity of musicians like Omar Haddad, whose violin sang out “The Old Resting Chair” with an assist from John Kearns on acoustic guitar. Later there was Omar’s exquisite “Danny Boy” electric guitar solo, before all the musicians teamed up for a rousing “Jambalaya” finish. But the night wasn’t quite finished, as past IAW&A President Mary Pat Kelley called for the singing of founder Malachy McCourt’s favorite, “Wild Mountain Thyme.” And with the memory of Malachy’s rallying “Sing the song children!” in my heart, I sang along, imagining Brendan and Malachy standing tall somewhere above, not a wheelchair in sight.
[Below] The musicians jam at the Ellington. More photos will appear in the April 9, 2025, print-digital issue of the Irish Echo.
