I’m delighted to announce that The Usher Family 3-CD Set is now available to purchase through PayPal at €20 + €5 postage.

Please note that the Album Set will not be available to download.

Thanks to all who came to Thursday’s Launch at the Droichead Arts Centre and to Eilis, Wally and Donal for the great music. I’ll be putting up some more Pics & Stuff  soon .

Well Folks, we are delighted to Launch our two Albums tomorrow night – starting at 8pm in Droichead Arts Centre. We have been working on  Much Blindin’ Down the Marsh for the last few months and a big thanks is due to Wally, Eilis and Donal for all their hard work.  Donal , in particular did some brilliant work on the recording and mastering side and we would like to thank all the Staff in louthlouthmusic offices for all their hard work behind the scenes in preparing for the launch. We also be presenting music from the Madam, I’d Like to Be Tossin Your Hay and Pitcher Hill CDs  at the Launch

We are delighted to be able to Launch the Pitcher Hill CD at last. It has lain in the vaults since 2002. It hopefully be a fitting testament to the great Wally Murphy, a brilliant songwriter and musician who will at last get the recognition he deserves in his home town.

In 1981 Joe teamed up with Eddie Clarke to produce one of Irish traditional music’s most important albums, a recording of duets of Fiddle and chromatic Harmonica. Cavan man Eddie has been avid listener at Joe and John Kelly’s Session at O’Donoghue’s on Friday and Saturday nights. The album shows the uncanny closeness of the fiddle and harmonica playing, particularly in the phrasing and rolling. Joe said that Eddie would come to listen every weekend ‘for years’ before the enforced absence of John Kelly on one particular night led a fellow-customer in O’Ds to suggest to Joe that himself and Eddie ‘try a few tunes’. In Joe’s words ‘he knew every tune I started !’

Thus began one of Irish traditional music’s great duets…….enjoy !

The Watery Hill Boys with Colin Henry , the Red Room, Cookstown, 2012

This is a tune learned from the late Mick Clifford, Duleek Co Meath, possibly composed by Mick – a great tune to play !

Two of Joe’s favourite reels, he invariably started a session with them.