Ronnie Drew

Ronnie Drew has died, it happened 16 August 2008 at Saint Vincent's hospital Dublin.
Ronnie was a founder member of The Dubliners who were formed in 1962 along with Barney McKenna and Ciaran Burke, joined later by the late Luke Kelly John Sheehan and Bob Lynch, Ronnie was born in Dunlaoire Dublin in 1932, his wife Deirdre passed away 2007.
Ronnie's time with the Dubliners was from 1962-1974 and from 1979-1995 also dropping in to join the lads on a few special occasions in between.

With Ronnie on vocals with Seven Drunken Nights which launched The Dubliners career with their appearance on Top Of The Pops in 1967.
His rendition of Phil Coulters song ''Donegal Danny'' sums up Ronnie Drew for me, an absolute brilliant version. all The Dubliners songs can be found on my site which has videos,,just Google Martin Dardis songs

He recorded songs with many of Ireland's finest singers and musicians including The Pogues with ''The Irish Rover'' Christy Moore, Eleanor Shanley with ''A Couple More Years'' The Dropkick Murphys to name a few.

In February this year The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew was released and the single went straight to No 1 in the Irish charts, The song was written by Robert Hunter of The Grateful Dead along with the members of Irish rock group u2.
Singers on the single were -Christy Moore, Sinead O'Conner, The Chieftains, The Dubliners, Ronan Keating, Robert Hunter, Kila, Paddy Casey, Damien Dempsey, Mary Black, Paul Brady, Mundy, Declan O'Rourke, Bob Geldoff.

Celtic Thunder

Celtic Thunder are a bunch of Irish [as far as I know] lads I came across only recently, Youtube is where I first heard them, they were singing Yesterday's Men by which was a bit of a hit years ago for The Furey's, I thought, ''not bat at all'' , a bit too much rehearsed and stage managed but a breath of fresh air for folk music.

Well they have come along well in the last year or so, releasing old classic songs like The Mountains Of Mourne, Caledonia, and an old favourite I recorded myself ''Come By The Hills'' , well if all this helps the Irish folk/ballad scene I'm all in favour, anything to help get the young people involved in singing and playing a musical instrument is great.

The reason I post this is that Marc from Germany who works out the guitar chords on some songs has sent me a few of Celtic Thunder songs with chords, by the way Phil Coulter wrote most of the songs for the lads.
The first is yesterday's men which was first recorded by The Furey's And Davie Arthur and one of my favourites.

The next is a song called Christmas 1915 which I was only vaguely aware of, but a fine anti war song with video and chords.

Next up is another Phil Coulter song called heartland which sounds like a mythical like song, an amusing concept to have the women playing the musicial instruments and the lads singing, this typs of stuff reminds me of riverdance.
All the songs are in the same key with chords as Celtic Thunder sing/play so you can strum along and stay in tune.