Eleanor McEvoy landed in Australia this week on tour from now until…. well, until Ireland warms up again in roughly six weeks’ time.
On St Patrick’s night, Monday 17 March 2014, Eleanor was a very special guest of Riogh and the Illawarra Folk Club at what’s starting to look a lot like a St Paddy’s tradition in this south coast of New South Wales town centre. Accessible from anywhere and a short walk from the train station.
(Our correspondent Bill Quinn later that night ventured down the road to another raucous Irish venue, and couldn’t help but notice that, despite the number of prone young bodies decked out in over-sized corporate green Irish hats, the music on the tannoy was Canadian Scots.)
But before that, and after one or three very large jars of piping cold very special St Patrick’s Day tea, Bill spoke a little with Eleanor about the tour.
*** Audio file will be removed at the end of February 2020 ***
Take II; I really have to learn to wait until the edit saves before rushing off to the next one. So, to repeat, I did not delete this or the other dozens of audio files slated for demolition in February 2020 when I was in the twilight between being a roving rambler/gypsy for five years living on fumes and hitting minimum retirement age in 2021 and having access to my super. $16 AUD a month to Soundcloud to keep scores of interview and blather audio files seemed a waste – they were not accessed often. Then Covid hit and I could afford $16 a month, but it seemed arrogant and selfish to trash hours of audio to get down to a minimum, free storage plan at a time when artists were losing gigs and having to clean toilets or take on farm work just to get by. It’s a price I’ve been happy to stump up ever since. It’s not noble or virtuous; it’s just how this Spanish-Irish Roman Catholic (lapsed, very lapsed) Australian is wired. Read on; we’re here to talk about Ms McEvoy, not me. UPDATE: Oh look, it did save but after the alert at the bottom of the page. New Chrome Notebook – who dis? I’m old; don’t judge me… 😉
Bill Quinn: It’s getting on for 10.30pm on St Patrick’s Day in Australia, which means that over in Ireland, it’s roughly midday. People are at lunch, they’re settling into the snugs, they’re in the bars, they’re making St Patrick’s Day what it is.
Meanwhile, in the sweaty, sweaty, sweaty, hot climes of the Illawarra, at the back stage of the Diggers Club, I’m talking with Eleanor McEvoy. Hello, Eleanor.
Eleanor McEvoy: Hello, how’re you doing?
I can tell you that at home what they’re doing, they’re getting ready for the parade. The parade’ll be at midday.
BQ: Your home town/county is?
EM: Well, my home town where I was born is Dublin, a place called Cabra on the north edge of Dublin, but now I live in County Wexford in a more rural environment.
BQ: And so in all of these cities, all of these towns, in all of these places, they have their own separate parades?
EM: They all have their separate parades. The biggest one is in Dublin City, but I like to think the Wexford one is pretty cool too.
Overheard Productions 