Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:11:05 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/ en-us http://www.harryodonoghue.com/images/logo.gif http://www.harryodonoghue.com/ columbine@tampabay.rr.com http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=25 August 13, 2008 Hello, I hope life is good with you as you read this. You might reply: “it’s the only one I got, so what the he..” Be that as it may, I do hope all is well with you and thanks again for stopping by. Here’s what’s happening in the life of one wandering musician: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:11:05 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=24 July 17, 2008 Hello, hello, How are things? I hope all is well in your world and thanks for dropping by to spend a little time with me. It’s a Thursday evening here in Savannah and we’re between rain showers, it’s typically muggy outside and we can use all the rain we get so no complaints here. Tomorrow I’ll grab my duffel from the attic and start to pack for our second Ireland Tour but let me give you an update on the happenings since last I wrote. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:51:56 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=23 Monday, May 5, 2008 Hello, Thanks for stopping by. It’s a beautiful morning here in Savannah, the kind that makes you feel good about life. I just returned yesterday from performing at the Shannon Pub in Buffalo and although the audience and staff were very nice it rained the whole time I was there, which, no pun intended, put a damper on things. Tue, 06 May 2008 07:49:28 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=22 March 18, 2008 How’s it goin’? Well, that which for many was planned, anticipated and looked forward to, is now part of history…St. Patrick’s Day 2008 is a done deal. It was by most accounts a strange one indeed, what with the venerable Saint’s parade day moved and shuffled here and there depending on the city, state and influence of the Catholic church in that particular location. It was difficult to keep up with the ensuing confusion and resulted in less than usual numbers of temporary migrants jetting around to participate in the festivities. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:11:11 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=21 Feb 6, 2008 Hello, It’s Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and once again I’ve decided to brave the odds and go off the drink until Easter. Mind you there may be a relapse or two but if so I’ll just keep that to myself. All in all I believe my resolve is strong enough and once the first few days are done I’ll be off to the races as they say. For no apparent reason there seems to be a surge of new listeners to The Green Island Radio Show of late. At the Red Cross Benefit concert in Lagrange, Georgia a couple of weeks ago several folks told me how much they enjoy listening to the show on Saturday nights. It’s nice to know that we’re doing something right…please keep tuning in. Don’t forget we stream live at www.gpb.org We still have between two and four seats open on our Classic Ireland Tour on June 8th. We will most likely give any unsold airline seats back to Aer Lingus on Friday February 22. I know some people are as yet undecided but you still have a couple of weeks to mull it over. It promises to be a great experience. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:25:24 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20 January 8, 2008 Hello, Ah, the best laid plans…I really did mean to update this a couple of weeks ago…but well, there you go…Christmas ‘n all. I trust you had a good one, we certainly did here in Savannah. I’ve just come to the realization that 2007 was one of, if not the best year I’ve had in the business. As I look back I remember fondly the many delightful venues, the wonderful people who organized the shows, and the audiences who came out to hear the music. Thank you one and all. Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:44:19 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19 November 9, 2007 Good day and thanks for dropping by, It’s funny but I’ve sitting here in front of the computer for a couple of hours, answering emails, reading about world events, researching cholesterol (I was recently informed that mine is through the roof, and all the while I thought I was a healthy specimen of manhood), and generally dithering about on various websites. It’s enough to put you into bad form, especially reading about world events. Which way does one turn for relief? The dollar is as weak as it’s ever been, the war in Iraq is still bogged down with no end in sight, oil prices are nuts, Pakistan is on the brink, Africa is crying out for help, drought here in the Southeast, fires in the West, global warming, unusual weather patterns, and in D.C it’s business as usual…no fun there Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:01:00 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=18 October 8, 2007 Hello, I hope this finds you well, thanks for stopping by. I’m between trips, just got back from two Boston/Bermuda cruises and this week I have a little R& R getaway planned…down south of the border. The cruises aboard NCL’S Majesty were simply delightful. The weather in Bermuda was lovely, the audiences were terrific, the Cruise Director Archie and all the onboard staff were professional, friendly and a joy to work with. Add to that the fact that I got to work with some truly talented entertainers, Paul Brogan, Chris Mitchell, Kevin Broesler’s Irish Dancers, and my favourite comedienne, the hilarious Patty Ross. I can’t say enough about these folks…I had a ball. Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:42:20 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=17 August 30, 2007 Hello, Thought I’d write a brief update before I leave town. I hope the summer is going well for you. It’s almost done now…won’t be long before we see the Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas merchandise on display at our local fine stores…nothing like getting a jump on the pending Fall and Winter seasons. Okeedokee then, last chance to book a ticket, hop a flight and sail to Bermuda. We’re leaving for Boston on Saturday and sailing off into the sunset on Sunday. The second cruise leaves one week from Sunday. If you can’t make it here’s wishing you a terrific Labor Day weekend…soak up the last days of summer with family and friends. Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:05:10 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16 Hello, Thanks once again for stopping by. I’m sitting in the cool of the afternoon here at my desk listening to the music of one of those Strauss lads…you know the waltz guys. It’s all very soothing and so nice to be in out of the blistering heat. Those of you who keep up with the Celtic World will know that Tommy Makem, the Bard of Armagh, passed away on August 1st. It’s a sad time for Irish culture. Tommy came to these shores in the fifties and along with the Clancy Brothers was an integral part of the Folk scene in Greenwich Village in the late fifties and early sixties. Makem counted Dylan and Joan Baez among his fans and he wrote some of the most popular ballads in the Irish catalog of songs. He was a powerful and intense performer and won many awards in his lifetime. Tommy continued his work of spreading Irish culture through music and story right up until the very end when illness forced him to stop. So ends an era that may never be replaced. Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09:28:47 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=15 July 5, 2007 Hi there, I thought I might get working on this yesterday July 4th…for some reason it didn’t happen…but the fireworks were great. I returned from Ireland last week after spending a week with family après tour. It rained every day I was in Drogheda and according to my brother it’s raining still. We were lucky on the Tour, we had four very nice days out of seven. Again I want to thank those who came…everything went according to plan, more or less, and what a terrific group we had this year. Owen our driver/guide was in top form as usual and the hotels were lovely. Of course the airline was average…doesn’t seem to matter who we fly with, there are always delays and some missed flights…still everyone was accounted for after the first day. Thu, 05 Jul 2007 17:16:16 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14 May 30, 2007 Hello, I hope all is well in your world. Summer is here, schools are out and people are on the move. The great travel season has begun but it will be more expensive this year with the gas price being so high. They say it’s just a supply and demand thing but it seems that some companies are turning huge profits. If you’re like me, on the road a lot, the high cost really does make a difference. Anyway it is as they say, what it is. Wed, 30 May 2007 13:52:50 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13 April 9, 2007 Hello, Thanks for stopping by. It’s nice to be home again after touring in Pennsylvania for two weeks. The organizers at all my Penn State University shows were extremely accommodating and friendly and the tour ended on a high note with a performance at the beautiful Pullo Performing Arts Center in York PA on March 29th. www.pullocenter.yk.psu.edu. Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:43:58 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=12 March 12, 2007 Hi, Here I sit on the Monday night before St. Paddy's Day, listening to Mary Black on the audio system and trying to get caught up on paperwork, accounts, contracts and other such mundane chores. Mind you, Mary is in fine voice tonight, lovely singer that she is, and a lovely lady as well. Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:33:57 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=11 February 5, 2007 How’s it goin’? Thanks for stopping by to spend a few moments with me in my corner of the universe. I was home on Ireland a couple of weeks ago… catching up with the family sort of thing…and we had a terrific time. It was one of those trips that started off a little shaky (airline stuff) but really turned into a perfect getaway. I would love to get back before my summer Tour but my schedule suggests otherwise. Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:19:55 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=10 January 7, 2007 Hello, Welcome to this, my first writing of the New Year. The Holidays are now part of history, nothing left but fond memories…and bills. Time to look forward to new adventures and challenges that lie ahead. I wish you good health and inner calm this year...not to sound like a guru or anything but it reads well…actually I could use some of the inner calm myself…oh, and maybe to win the lottery, that would be nice…and quite unexpected too. I must start buying tickets! Sun, 07 Jan 2007 20:50:02 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9 December 18, 2006 Good Day, ‘Tis the week before Christmas and there’s much to be done, and I don’t have my gifts bought, not even one…Lordy, Lordy!! C’mon now, isn’t that the way with men? I read the magazines and that’s what they say…that we men-folk leave our shopping until the last minute…no point in going against the grain on this one…anyway it’s too much fun hanging around the mall on Christmas Eve afternoon watching the frustration, panic and sheer terror on the faces of the last minuters. Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:51:14 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8 November 21, 2007 Good day, I might as well be back in Ireland as I write this. It’s cold, wet, windy and rainy outside…reminds me very much of a typical November day when I was growing up…brrrr! Still, it suits the time of year I suppose, but hardly what one would expect in Savannah, Georgia. Wed, 22 Nov 2006 06:14:36 -0600 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7 October 3, 2006 Hello there, Thanks for stopping by. I seem to always begin these updates with an apology for allowing so much time between writings, but not this time. It?s been a while, but Lord knows, when He made time He made plenty of it so here we go?better late than never. Fingers crossed, but so far it hasn?t been much of a hurricane season, thank Heavens. We needed the reprieve this year. Mind you some of us were obliged to spend an extra day at sea while Bermuda was pummeled by?Florence, was it? We arrived the day after the storm hit and the island sustained little damage, which is more than can be said for my stomach?a life on the ocean wave and all that?rough going out there, but we survived with a little help from the bottle of pink pills. Tue, 03 Oct 2006 08:21:36 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6 August 8, 2006 Hello, It?s been a while since I?ve had time to sit down and write so I?ve stolen a few minutes during what seems to be a decidedly more hectic schedule than I had imagined. Life is busy, busy, busy, but then isn?t everyone?s? I flew back from our second Ireland Tour last Friday night and once again the friendly skies weren?t as friendly as I would have liked. Still, better late than never, huh? Both of the Tours were very successful, thank Heavens. The weather in Ireland was absolutely picture perfect, I have rarely seen the island look so beautiful. We?ll get some shots posted on the Tour page ASAP. Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:07:23 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4 June 18, 2006 - 2.35a.m Hello, I thought I might get a jump on Father?s Day by writing these notes at this particular hour?I was wrong! For whatever reason I don?t have the resilience I once had?especially in the wee hours. I?ll address this later?gd?night! Well now?fast forward twenty-four hours and here I am again at the end of said day. This is the first Father?s Day without my own Dad. I spoke with my mother earlier and I could feel the sadness in her voice. I tried to keep things light, turning the subject to the upcoming Ireland tours and she obliged by sounding enthusiastic. I was home a few weeks ago to spend time with her. There was a family dilemma?it seems with our family that the dilemma is ongoing?the drama perpetually unfolds. Anyway, the mother and myself were chatting while walking down the street, and referring to the drama she said, ?I prayed to your father this morning, he?ll take care of everything?. I was taken aback, here was a woman who had lost her husband and companion of fifty years and such is her religious devotion that she now prays to him?not for him, but to him...to help resolve a situation. I held back the tears and linked her arm in mine and thought silently, ?this is why the woman is my hero? Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:32:17 -0500 http://www.harryodonoghue.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2 Tuesday May 2, 2006 Hello, Thank you for stopping by. May is my favourite month of the year. I love to see the flowers and trees blooming and everything looks so bright and new and clean?beautiful, beautiful. Sun, 12 Mar 2006 16:21:24 -0600