THE FOXROCK FOLK CLUB PROJECT: RE-LIVE THE 'FOXROCK FOLK CLUB' EXPERIENCE!

THE FOXROCK FOLK CLUB

As Luke Kelly remarked when he played the club in December 1972, a folk club in the suburb of Foxrock was a somewhat unlikely combination. Probably even more unlikely was the fact it was organised and run by teenagers and managed to attract to Foxrock some of the biggest names on the Irish music scene (see Folk Club History & "Local and Visiting Artists").

The aim of the Foxrock Folk Club Project is to (1) research the history of the club (2) develop a club archive and (3) create a space in which people who played at the club or attended some of the sessions can share their memories of what was an unique musical and cultural experience.

Contact: jeremy.kearney40@gmail.com

Saturday, 23 January 2016

RE-LIVE THE 'FOXROCK FOLK CLUB' EXPERIENCE!

The Fat Duck Restaurant in Bray in Berkshire is one of the most famous (and expensive) in England. The chef who established it, Heston Blumethal, is renown for his unusual and experimental use of ingredients which include such dishes as egg and bacon ice cream and snail porridge. However one of the innovations of the restaurant that I find quite attractive is its concept of multi-sensory dining where you listen to the sound of the sea on an iPod as you are eating a shellfish dish. Not suprisingly I've never been, as the cost is as extreme as the cooking and to get in (like some schools) you have to be put down for a place on the day you're born, if not before. However, after a recent dining experience, I no longer have any reason to envy those who do get to the Fat Duck.
Passing through Dublin recently, I met up with Una, a stalwart of the folk club and of many other community activities, who still lives in the area. Together with my wife, we decided to have a nostalgic meal in the Shanai Indian restaurant that now occupies the building that was the Parish Hall where the folk club took place. The manager and his staff were very welcoming and were pleased to know about the previous history of the building and the manager was delighted when I gave him a copy of the CD. Although an extension has been added at the back of the restaurant, the long narrow main building that was the Parish Hall still remains and the door is in the same place.
The food was excellent and we were happily tucking into the delicious chicken pakora and jumbo prawn house special curry remembering the folk club days (my wife is now an honorary member having heard the tapes so often!). Then I heard the music coming over the speaker system and said in amazement to Una, 'Listen, that's Al O'Donnell. He's playing the CD!' We couldn't believe it. Here we were in the parish hall listening to the recordings of musicians who we first heard live in the same place over 45 years ago. And he played both CDs right through!
As far as we could see the other diners did not really notice this incredible Proustian moment but it may have had a subliminal effect and some time in the future when they are passing by Claddagh or Tower Records they will feel an irresistible urge to go in and buy the album.
I don't know if the CD will be permanently on the sound track but perhaps during a visit if you say you would like to hear a track or two, maybe you will be lucky....

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'LIVE AT FOXROCK FOLK CLUB' CD

'Live at Foxrock Folk Club: the Parish Hall Tapes 1970-72'
A double CD with 36 tracks and 16 page booklet.

For the first time a selection of unique recordings from Foxrock Folk Club are now being made available on CD.
They include:
- rare, and in some cases, previously unreleased recordings by traditional and folk musicians like Luke Kelly, Andy Irvine, Ronnie Drew, Al O'Donnell, Sonny Condell and Dónal Lunny
- live recordings of legendary Dublin blues artists like Red Peters, Brian Fry, Johnny Norris and the acoustic band, the Dirty Dozens
- tracks by one of Ireland's finest traditional and mainstream jazz bands, the Butler Fox Jazz Band, led by Rock Fox and Phil Butler
- the unique Irish progressive group, Supply Demand and Curve
- and highly popular musicians and groups like We 4, Danny Doyle and The Gingermen.

These recordings from the 1970s are now available worldwide and can now be purchased in Ireland from:

HMV / Tower Records / Claddagh Records / Freebird Records / Mojo Records

And in the UK and worldwide from:

birnamcdshop.com/ www.amazon.co.uk / www.amazon.com / iTunes

DO YOU REMEMBER?

The Foxrock Folk Club ran from 1969 to 1973 in the Parish Hall in Cornelscourt (see Folk Club History).
Did you play there? Were you in the audience?
As a member of the original folk club committee I am trying to gather as much information as possible about the club, the artists who played there and the people who attended the sessions.
The section on "Local & Visiting Artists" lists the names of many of the artists and groups who played at the club and the dates of their appearances. While some of the names are now well known, both nationally and internationally, I would be very interested to hear more details of some of the lesser know participants, and also of any names that are missing.
As this is the 40th anniversary of the Foxrock Folk Club, there are going to be a number of events to commemorate the club and its activities (see Latest News).
Join in the blog and post your memories and stories.

Jeremy Kearney
('joint treasurer' - Foxrock Folk Club).

FOLK CLUB HISTORY

The Foxrock Folk Club was established in 1969 by a group of young people, all in their teens, who lived in the local area of Foxrock in South County Dublin. They were all interested in music and involved in various community and social activities. There are different accounts of how the club actually took shape but what is clear is that the first session in April 1969 in the village hall in Cornelscourt. The club then ran for nearly four years presenting a wide variety of different musicians and artists.
The first session was a fairly relaxed affair that involved a variety of different local and visiting acts and was attended by an audience between 50 to 60 young people from the local community, the majority still at school and none aged over 20. Also the system for advertising sessions was suitably parochial as it involved producing tickets, which were then circulated around the schools. Hand drawn posters were also put up on lampposts around the local area. Although none of the organisers had ever been in a folk club in real life, the club grew quickly from small beginnings to encompass folk, traditional and jazz music and poetry and theatre.
It ran consistently on Sunday nights every two weeks between October and May for the next three and half years. From somewhat amateurish beginnings it developed rapidly and was soon presenting some of the most important names on the Irish music and arts scene. These included sessions by such now legendary performers as the Chieftains, Luke Kelly & Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners, Donal Lunny & Andy Irvine, two of the founder members of Planxty, Al O'Donnell, Horslips, Louis Stewart, poets like Roger McGough, Brendan Kennelly, Peter Fallon and Pearse Hutchinson and actors such as Niall Tobin and the Abbey theatre group.

Therefore, this year (2009) will be the fortieth anniversary of the start of the club and a number of the people who were part of the orgainising committee are planning a commemorative 40th session in June. Many of the original artists who played the club are now well known, and have expressed an interest in participating. There is a good deal of memorabilia available on the club, including admission tickets, posters, photographs, the artists book, the finance book, and over 20 hours of tapes of the artists performances. It is hoped to have an exhibition of this material at the same time as the 40th anniversary concert.

'Local & Visiting Artists'

A
Abbey Theatre-in-Education Group 16.4.72
Aura 24.10.71
B
Paul Barrett 17.1.71
Battle of Clontarf 4.10.70
Bitter Green 19.3.72
Burnt Norton 25.4.71
Butler Fox Jazz Band 26.4.70 / 6.2.72
C
Eamonn Carr 30.11.69
Lar Cassidy 9.5.71
Casterbridge Union 21.12.69
Ian Caulder 17.1.71
Chieftains 9.5.71 / 19.12.71 / 17.12.72
Eoin Clancy 5.12.71 / 8.10.72
Clawhammer 14.5.72
Neil Coll 23.1.72
Sonny Condell 1.3.70 / 14.5.72
Richard Cullen 9.5.71
Currach Folk 29.4.69
D
Danny Doyle 19.12.71
Ed Deane 29.4.69
Charlie Delaney 4.10.70 / 25.4.71 / 6.2.72
Fran Dempsey 10.10.71
Dickensia 25.5.69
Dim Reflection 26.4.70 / 5.12.71
Dirty Dozens 18.10.70 / 20.12.70 / 28.3.71 / 21.11.71
Down County String Ticklers 26.4.70
Tony Drennan 21.12.69 / 30.1.71
Ronnie Drew 6.2.72
Brian Dunning 14.5.72
E
Elisah Drut 9.1.72
F
Peter Fallon 4.10.70 / 28.3.71 / 24.10.71
Fenian Men 18.1.70 / 28.3.71 / 21.11.71
Tom Frisby 30.1.71
Brian Fry 17.1.71 / 30.1.71 / 14.2.71 / 14..3.71 / 28.3.71 / 9.5.71 / 10.10.71 / 19.12.71 / 16.4.72
G
Ben Gibney 2.4.72
Gingermen 29.2.71
Noel V. Ginnity 19.12.71
Pat Gormley 9.5.71
H
Hamilton Band 20.2.72
Michael Hartnett 11.4.71 / 9.1.72
Honor Heffernan 14.5.72
Larry Hogan 15.3.70
Horslips 6.2.72
Pearse Hutchinson 11.4.71
I
Instantaneous Mood 27.4.69
Andy Irvine 1.3.70 / 14.3.71 / 11.4.71
J
Jacobites 13.12.70 / 17.1.71
Jazzbag 2.4.72 / 14.5.72
Jolly Beggarmen 5.3.72
Julie and Tom 27.4.69
K
Luke Kelly 17.12.72
Paul Kennan 14.2.71 / 9.5.71 / 9.1.72
Brendan Kennelly 26.4.70 / 29.2.71 / 25.4.71
Peter Kieran 9.5.71
L
Loose Rainbow 24.10.71
Donal Lunny 21.11.71
Michael Lynch 14.2.71 / 23.1.72 / 19.3.72
Mc
Jim McCann 9.5.71
Joe McCarroll 18.1.70 / 18.10.70 / 25.4.71
Justin McCarty 15.11.70
Roger McGough 13.12.70
McKennas 9.1.72
John McQuaid 15.11.70 / 14.2.72 / 25.4.71
Diarmaid McQuaid 24.4.71
M
Chris Meehan 15.11.70 / 5.12.71
Mellow Candle 20.2.72
Pete Morgan 18.1.70
Johnny Moynihan 17.1.71
Paul Murphy 15.2.70
N
Mike Nolan 19.12.71
Johnny Norris 4.10.70 / 5.12.70 / 24.10.71 / 23.1.72 / 8.10.72 / 17.12.72
O
O’Connors 27.4.69
Al O’Donnell 14.3.71 / 11.4.71 / 21.11.71 / 23.1.72 / 8.10.72 / 17.12.72
Leo O’Kelly 30.11.69 / 21.12.69 / 15..2.70
Dan O’Reardon 14.3.71
Clodagh O’Reilly 14.2.71
O’Sullivan’s 1.11.70
Peter O’Toole 27.4.69
P
Pavees 29.2.71 / 19.3.72
Plad Cat 9.1.72
Eugene Platt 15.3.70
R
Sheila Roche 14.2.71
Leon Rowsome 5.3.72 / 8.10.72
Vijek Rupora 20.2.72 / 5.3.72
S
Kulivant Sedhev 14.3.71
St. Sepulchre’s Consort 2.4.72
Killian Skay 20.2.72 / 16.4.72
Somertons 4.10.70
Louis Stewart 20.12.70 / 11.4.71 / 19.12.71
Dermot Stokes 27.4.69 / 18.10.70
Supply, Demand and Curve 29.2.71 / 5.12.71 / 2.4.72
Dick Tapiteau 14.3.71 / 28.3.71
Tara Telephone 19.10.69 / 20.12.70
Niall Tobin 14.5.72
Twangmen 1.11.70 / 10.10.71
V
Velvet Poetry 1.11.70
W
Wax Impression 15.3.70
We 4 18.10.70 / 9.5.71
Colm Wilkinson 5.12.71
Wrinkled String 15.11.70 / 5.3.72

THE FOXROCK FOLK CLUB PROJECT

Cornelscourt Parish Hall