So...........

i am typing with one finger on my left hand as i dislocated my right shoulder this morning. thanks to everyone in north western who took care of and who pumped me with happy pills i am home in a contented stupor with a sling to get sympathy.
Apologies to people who are waiting hear from me, i will be back in business in a few days.

Celtic Thunder

Click the link below for details of the fall tour of Celtic Thunder.The creator of Celtic Thunder (not to mention Celtic Woman )has long been a supporter of mine and I am delighted for her success.

Celtic Thunder Tickets

I am always asked about Wexford, it's Opera Festival and the reason for WExford being such an artistic hub. Below is the link to a TV show which will give you an idea of where I come from. Once you get to the page, click on the Friday 12 link



http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=somethingfortheweekend

The perfect Chicago weekend.....
New wing of the Art Institute http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/modernwing
Tapas, Gorgeous wine and port at Mercat A La Planxa
Pint of Guinness listening to Pat Broaders.
a movie and milkduds
I love my life
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I did an interview a few weeks back in Asia and I thoguht I would post my answers


Favourite place?

Wexford / Nice / Seoul / Tahiti / Shanghai / Manhattan / South Loop

Favourite venue you performed in?

Radio City Music Hall

Favourite musicians?

Way too many but the following are a few

Moving Hearts, John Addams ,Sondheim, John Rutter, Flook, Bela Fleck, Beoga, Celtic Legends band,

Any ambitions left?

To do a movie soundtrack

Favourite Voices?

Michael Mc Donald, Vittorio Grigolo, Kelly Clarkson, Mary Black, Dolly Parton, Adam Guettel, Brian Dunphy (Irish singer in High Kings),Siobhan Meyler(singer from my home town), Billy Porter, Renee Fleming, Maura O Connell, the list is endless.

Secret Crush?

It wouldn't be a secret if I told you

Last Big Project?

Celtic Legends tour in China April 2009 - exhausting!

Next Big Project?

Solo Concert tour in China 2010

What do you do other than singing?

Work and more work. I like producing as much as singing so I always have a project. I can lie down when I am dead.

Fame or Riches?

Respect

Favourite People?

Concern Worldwide (www.concernusa.org)

Least favourite people ?

Begrudgers / Bigots

Heroes?

Eoin Colfer, my best friend Paul Mahood, Larry Fuller(Director / Choreographer), Siobhan Walsh / Dominic McSorley(Concern),

Biggest Thrill?

Being on an album with Bocelli, Pavarotti and Vittorio Grigolo, performing on opening night of Wexford Opera House, working in a studio with Bill Whelan,
singing the role of Jesus in Passion of the Christ Symphony. Many thrills I guess

Idea of heaven?

I have two;

An amazing meal in posh restaurant with fantastic red wine and my closest friends.
An amazing pint of Guinness in my favourite pub Simon Lamberts in Wexford with my closest friends.

Idea of hell?

Not being able to get home to Ireland often.

Tony Awards

In general it was a load of old tripe this year.
Still, I liked Billy Elliot(did you know one of the Billys is a champion Irish dancer?)
Want to go see West Side Story and Next to Normal.
Highlight of the night was seeing Brett Michael's getting knocked over by the set drop. FUNNY!

Updates for you

Thank you to TL in Oklahoma for sending the lovely gift. I look forward to my concert in your neck of the woods in December.

Thank you to all the lovely people in China who wrote to say they enjoyed our shows. We have plans for my own concert tour next year and of course a return trip by Celtic Legends.

We are adding more and more dates to the Holiday tour which is my favourite tour of year. Keep an eye on the calender page. Just added New Jersey and Arizona to the mix. I am lucky be heading back to Wickenburg, AZ after an amazing time there in the spring.

This week I am adding a web store to buy the CELT album online and we are adding a link to buy the Asian imports here in the US as I am sick of the complaints from US buyers looking for copies.

Last night I headed out to the pledge on WTTW with some of the lads from Celtic Thunder. The pledge was off the charts and I couldn't be happier for Sharon the creator and the lads. They have worked every hour over the past 2 years and it is paying off handsomely. If you have been living under a rock for a few years go to www.celticthunder.ie for more information.

Bye for now

So, this is my first blog. First of many I guess. I seems my whole life involves, facebook, twitter, blogging, Youtube blah blah but I guess it is the nature of my business and it is not going away.

I decided to start writing this week because of what happened last week. Since coming back from China I have had too much time on my hands to moan and to complain. Needless to say, I dont do vacations, I dont like to be bored and I will never be unemployed by choice. I returned from China and felt the need to stay at home for a few weeks before climbing back on board my horse and riding on to the next adventure. I havent done it in a while and it will be a long time before I stop and think again.

My misery was cut chort by the horrible news that Eithne Walls, a young doctor and indeed Irish dancer from Riverdance on Broadway, was one of the passengers lost on the Air France flight that went down in the Atlantic last week. At first the news seemed like every other piece of daily bad news one sees on TV until a few hours later when someone from the show announced to all Riverdance cast members, that Eithne was indeed on board.

Eithne was a bright spark, an injection of warmth, a ray of light and a breath of fresh air in Riverdance. I remember loving our chats about her future, hearing how afraid she was of starting to study medicine and of walking away from Riverdance. However underneath all of that was an assured intelligence and a confidence in her future. I was very proud of her heading off to school.

Her life was in Ireland, mine in the US so our paths didnt cross since the end of the run in 2001. I saw pics of her occasionally and remember getting messages through mutual friends. I heard about her getting her degree and smiled remembering her fear before she started.

Her life as I knew it, has danced before me since hearing the bad news. It has had a huge effect on me, taking me by surprise. I have relooked at everything over the past week. It helped me make enormous decisions, it refocused me, it made me grateful. The sadness I feel for her loss and for her family who cannot be consoled, is eased by the light that Eithne, without knowing, passed on to me this week.

I am grateful to have met, worked, shared and laughed with Eithne and hope she is dancing with the angels now.