Over and Out
To understand the end, let’s go back to the start. It was August 2020, and Brendan Tierney put me in touch with the Sligo Weekender. The newspaper were looking for a columnist, and I was writing a daily blog at the.
Letter
The Piano Has Been Thinking
Stories and reflections on songs, piano, performance, teaching and the musical life around Kieran Quinn Music.
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Latest letters and stories
Risking his life for love...
Our dog is in love. I will admit to some self-doubt about whether the good readers of this column would be interested in said dog, but then I saw Seamie O’Dowd posting a picture of his cat on Facebook and I took it as.
Teenage superstars...
Dear Reader – Current 6th Yr and emcee Senna O’Hara was introducing a younger performer to the stage during last Saturday’s Teenage Theme Night #25. She told the story of how the song about to be sung was the song she.
How to learn something properly...
I have this great student. I have loads of them actually, but today’s column concerns one in particular. My friend and colleague Dave Flynn works across the corridor from me in Strandhill, so we often hear snippets.
Repetition, rumour and refunds...
Dear Reader – Our Ransboro daffodils (courtesy of our neighbour Patrick Downes) bring hope and the promise of brighter days when they arrive each year. They took a battering recently with all the wind, but are still.
Announcement - Theme Night #29
Dear Reader – Good morning! Tickets go on sale this morning (Tuesday) at 11am for Theme Night #29. First though - here’s how we announced the theme last Friday. All hyperlinks in bold. The Big Thing It’s a broad theme,.
Heroes...
The question was posed on one of those glorious Monday sessions. The ones that aren’t allowed any more. The best of times - in The Strand most probably. Everyone we knew was at work, but we were off. Basking in the.
The theme has been picked...
Dear Reader – Thanks so much for the overwhelming number of responses to last week’s letter. Some of you replied by email, others (including some prominent members of the Theme Night ensemble) preferred to be more.
Football coaching - bring it on!
I was asked recently to look after the Coolera-Strandhill U-12 girls football team. And while my first thought was ‘yes – I’d love to’, my second was ‘I really don’t want to be that coach’. You know the one I’m sure –.
Things that make me excited...
Dear Reader – Preparations are beginning for Theme Night #29. Tonto and Steve are excited, and so am I! But we need your help… All hyperlinks in bold. The Big Thing As advertised in last week’s letter, Theme Night #29.
Impostor syndrome - bad or...good??
Dear Reader – I’ve seen your picture. Your name in lights above it. This is your big debut. It’s like a dream come true. Or is it? You tell me. All hyperlinks in bold. The Big Thing Many of you nice people are asking.
Monday nights are back!
Dear Reader – A week of hope for our industry and our country. I was in Blacklion at the weekend and was driving up to the village. Suddenly I realised that I had some time to myself and the door of Frank Eddie’s pub.
Two drifters, off to see the world...
Dear Reader – Johnny Mercer was right - there’s such a lot of world to see. Today’s letter is dedicated to some of the great people who have helped me to see it. All hyperlinks in bold. The Big Thing Much-loved.
Johnny Saucepan - anyone for grub??
Dear Reader – For anyone looking to make great things in their home town, you need look no further than this man for inspiration. More chef stories below, but first, some news… The Big Thing Adult piano classes and the.
2021 - My Favourite Things...
Fiction book of the year: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I read it twice. And gave a few copies as Christmas presents. It brought me deep into a world about which I knew nothing. Non-fiction book of the year:.
The best time of the year...
Dear Reader – I love January! An opportunity to reset. The year stretching out ahead of us, full of possibility… *All hyperlinks in bold. Below image by Mark Basarab on Unsplash. The Big Thing The internet and.
Celebrating Sligo's Music Scene
Christmas is a time for celebration, and today I want to celebrate Sligo’s amazing musical community with a few stories from the past few weeks. Michael Rooney is from Scotstown, Co. Monaghan. He now lives in.
The difference between good and great??
Dear Reader – Soccer pundit Eamon Dunphy used to be very clear on the difference between a good and a great player. More on this below, but mostly in this week’s letter I will be looking back on 2021 and looking.