Fr James Horan of Knock features in new musical for hospice

 When I was researching On A Wing and a Prayer, my book about Fr James Horan and his truly amazing achievement in building Knock Airport back in the recession-hit, emigration-ridden 1980s, the words of one of his favourite songs, If I Can Help Somebody, had a habit of entering and whirring around at the back of my mind.

 The more I delved into his audacious efforts to build an international airport the more I heard about his great penchant for singing a song or two to make a few bob for his last and perhaps greatest project. I had, of course, heard him sing on occasions, most notably in Rome in 1985 when he led a pilgrimage to the Holy City, direct from his not-yet-opened airport on top of Barnacuige.

 Three Aer Lingus planes had taken us to Rome, and one evening after a group visit to the magnificent Tivoli Gardens, we adjourned for a meal in a nearby hostelry. A local musician was there to entertain us, and before long the Monsignor, now aged 74, was on his feet, singing two more of his favourites, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and Danny Boy. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he had finished.

 So when I was researching the book, between 2004 and 2005, it was so easy to visualise him singing a song, and the rapport there was between him and his audience. So much so that I knew that one day he had to have his very own musical, with him up there on the stage again, singing not always very well but with true feeling as he remembered the songs of his youth, songs his parents would have loved, songs John McCormack for instance would have sung.

 The first rough draft of the ‘musical’ was in place before the book was finished, and ever since it has been returned to time and time again as flesh was put on bones, cameo moments dressed up (not that they needed much dressing for in the case of Fr Horan truth was sometimes stranger than fiction!). The musical I called ‘On A Wing and a Prayer-The Musical’. I showed it around, got positive feedback and continued to write and revise. Old songs loved by Horan form the backbone of the work, with some new tunes added.

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Walk Down an Irish Lane  By Terry Reilly

(for monthly column Irish American News, Ohio)

  A good friend, Joe Byrne from East Mayo, who has a very healthy following for his popular programme on local radio here, has done great work over the years to preserve our music, song, lore and poems.  His latest undertaking, a mammoth one, is the magnificent compilation ‘Mayo Music and Musings Collection’, a set of 6 CDs to mark twenty years on Mid West Radio. 

This project is the 12th production in the Dreoilín Community Arts Series and was once again compiled by Joe Byrne who is a musician and singer and presents and produces the weekly arts programme ''Ceol agus Ealaíon'' on Tuesday nights from 10.00pm until 1.00am on Mid West Radio.  It is also intended of course as part of the Mid West Radio Twentieth Celebrations and many of the tracks represent a cross-section of some of the material recorded and broadcast by Joe since the station started in 1989. The sound bytes are taken from the four programmes that Joe has been involved in over the past 20 years. (see www.midwestradio.ie for details of Joe’s programme which comes to you via the internet overseas).