May-June 09:Layout 1 18/03/2009 14:45 Page 5
May/June 09 Welcome/Fáilte 02
return for traipsing around innu-
meral shoe shops with me, that I was
“my central
going to have to go to a couple of gigs
nervous
with him. Well, either that, or have
sex with him. So he took me to see
system was
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Do
you know them? Martin Hayes is a
more calmed
fiddle player from County Clare and
Dennis Cahill plays guitar and I’m
and uplifted
not sure where he’s from but I think
than if I’d
he might be an American of Irish
descent. It was an indoor seated had ten
event, but there were no pyrotech-
nics, just the two men sitting on the
deep tissue
stage and I’m going to try very hard
massages.”
to convey the magic they created.
Martin would start with a few
but I was horrified when I realised
exploratory notes on the fiddle, then
that the gig was coming to an end.
Dennis would start picking out
And it had been 3 and a half hours
chords (is chords the word I mean?)
long!
and slowly it would evolve into a
tune – a mournful lament or a rous-
Re-entering the real world was
ing jig – and somehow, the music
like coming round from a trance and
wove all of us into a web of enchant-
I felt wonderful - my central nerv-
ment. I was concentrating so hard
ous system was more calmed and
on the music that I almost forgot to
uplifted than if I’d had ten deep tis-
breathe and everyone around me
sue massages.
was clearly the same because you
could have heard a pin drop in the
silence between the songs. It was
clear to us all that something tran-
Marian Keyes
is the author of nine novels and two essay collections. Her
scendent was happening and that we
latest book ‘This Charming Man’ published May 2008 is
available from all good book stores around Ireland.
were very lucky to be part of it.
I have a notoriously short
attention span – I resent going to
films more than 90 minutes long –
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