Over The Weekend #41-A Furey Family Wedding

Last weekend was a beautiful one as my sister in law Michelle got married to the man of her dreams

It was a beautiful weekend filled with love, happiness, family and of course music

Here are some of my favourite pictures from the weekend

My lovely friend came and done my hair and make up for the day

she done a great job and I felt a million dollars for the day

Oisìn looked so confident walking up the aisle for his Auntie

Who looked stunning and proud as her Father gave her away

The scenery was beautiful in Glendalough where the wedding was held

and Oisìn had a wonderful time running around with his Granddad and Uncle!

Music was a plenty as you can imagine

and we had a lovely time chatting to Uncle Finbar

The speeches had me laughing and in tears!

Such beautiful words from the heart

Oisìn was a little party animal and couldn't wait for the music to start

Most definitely the Furey blood in him!

The Irish Folk Legends that are The Furey Brothers 

Finbar, Eddie and George

Oisìn danced his little legs off

He even wanted to gate crash the first dance of the Bride and Groom!

After a couple more dances he fell asleep and the rest of the guests danced the night away

Michelle and John Paul it was a beautiful day, we will keep it safe in out hearts

and thank you for making Oisìn feel so happy!

The next day was also great craic with a BBQ, music and drinks

Oisìn called it Uncle Paul's second party and ran around having great fun

The adults listened to the beautiful Lonesome Boat Man played live by The Fureys

Jokes where told and craic was had!

It was a special, beautiful weekend with wonderful memories

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the main men!

I am one of those lucky people who have amazing strong men in my life

My Dad is one in a million I will always be his little girl. We are very alike strong willed and stubborn but also kind hearted and generous. Watching my Dad become a Grandfather, spending most of his time with Oisìn, playing, drawing and teaching Oisìn is wonderful and makes me feel a whole different kind of love.We love you Dad!

Happy Father's day to my hubby....who is the most amazing Dad to our little boy

The bond you two boys have is amazing..Oisìn truly is your mini me!

Thank you for everything you do for us. One of my highlights every day is when Oisìn sees you

come home from work and his eyes light up. We love you 

Happy Father's Day Eddie!

Oisìn adores his Granddad Eddie he gets upset when you have to leave for tour dates

But loves to watch you sing on TV! He asks about you almost every day, and watching the love you have for each other always makes me smile. Oisìn definitely has your gift for music as he loves to sing and dance. We love you Granddad Eddie!

Song of the Week

This week is mostly sponsored by the song....

The Lonesome Boatman-The Fureys

This is my most favourite of my Father In Law's songs it a beautiful haunting instrumental piece of music that was written by Finbar and Eddie Furey

It has become there most popular piece of music....something about this piece of music strikes something in everyone. From the opens sea gull cry to the way tin whistle soars it gives me goose bumps.

I have been lucky to hear it live a number of times and it is even more beautiful live.

There is also a poem called Silent Annie that sometimes is spoken before the piece

the lyrics to that are belown

A song which nearly broke my heart

A tramp lay dying in the park.

I knelt beside him to hear him speak

And the words he spoke, they were oh so weak.

He told me a story of long since past,

Of a sailing ship with its long grey mast,

Of his captain's cap with it's shining braid

And the wonderful voyages that he'd made.

"Silent Annie" was his great ship's name.

Like a token of love he spoke her name.

She sailed 'round the Horn, aye, more that once.

She could cut through the waves like a sharpened lance.

"Believe me," he said. His eyes filled with tears

Like a drunk on a corner, trying to remember his years.

He reached out his hand and I took it in mine.

"I believe you," I said, and he gave a sad smile.

"I remember the day when they towed her away.

Her sides they were sore from the sea's angered spray.

They said she's unfit for to sail out once more

(And they towed her more inward from her own sandy shore)?

And as they broke my Silent Annie. I watched with a sigh.

I remembered her beauty when I was a boy.

She was my one love, my life's only dream,

When we sailed out together as captain and queen."

It started to drizzle, and I felt my hand tight

And he squeezed even harder as he ended the fight.

And a crowd they had gathered, and they watched with dismay

As some ambulance men came, and they took him away.

So I got to my feet, and I walked through that park.

The sun it was gone, but it was not yet dark.

My body was wet, and my clothes were not many,

But my mind was aroused by the ship Silent Annie.

Song of the Week

This week has been sponsored by the song...

The Skye Boat Song -Outlander Soundtrack

I love Outlander and all week this song has been humming through my head
This is the longer version than the intro for the show
It a Scotland folk song the lyrics have been changed over the years
and now there is two different versions of the song

Orignal Lyrics

 Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclouds rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare

Later another version the one used in Outlander became popular
the lyrics are from a
Robert Louis Stevenson Poem
 Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Mull was astern, Rùm on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now

While I like both version the Stevenson's will always be my favourite
although I do like this version of my Father In Law singing the original lyrics

The Skye Boat Song-The Fureys

My Top Ten Furey Brothers Songs

My Father In Law is back in the UK for the next couple of weeks for another leg of this years tour
Oisín found it hard this time saying goodbye to him and wanted to go with him!
As he gets older he understands that Granddad has to go to work for long periods of time
I can only imagine what it must of been like for my Mother In Law, husband and his siblings when they where younger to say good bye knowing they would see there husband or father for a number of weeks. Yet I know they love what there father does and are so proud of him and the band, and I know Eddie Furey loves what he does singing songs of his youth, old songs, new songs, songs and words that bring people so much happiness.
So I thought I would share my own personal favourite songs from The Furey Brothers!

10. The First Leaves Of Autumn

9. Oro Oro

8. Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway

7. Clare To Here

6. Leezie Lindsay

5. Gallipoli

4. Absent Friends

3. The Red Rose Cafe

2. Sweet Sixteen

1. Steal Away

You can find out more about The Furey Brothers and there tour dates here....

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's day to the four amazing men in my life

My Dad he is one in a million

he is the joker of our family 

always ready for a joke and a laugh

someone for me to talk to when I need advice

a clown when I am down

my hero and the best Granddad to Oisín

To my husband and my baby's father

I have fallen in love with you all over again since we had Oisín

The bond you both have is amazing and wonderful to watch

How Oisín's face lights up when he see you after a long day at work

Thank you for all you do for us

Eddie my father-in law 

You have made me feel like one of the family since day one

I feel like your my second Dad

and Oisín loves his Granddad Dayday!

He has your musical personality and loves to hear music

To watch you play songs for him makes my heart melt

My Uncle Gerard

who has been the best uncle a girl can ask for since I can remember

You have been always there for me

and know your little girl is my Goddaughter

Your one in a million

Love you x

Week In Pictures 48/52

This went by so quick
the weather here has been crazy feeling
like winter not spring!!

Saturday:

This one is getting so quick it's hard to
get a picture of him at times!

Sunday:

This weekend was spent trying to cheer this little one
up he was teething so bad this week

Monday:

Chocolate, candles, fizz and Game of Thrones!

Tuesday:

Oisín loves Mr Tumble!

Wednesday:

Girls Night drinks and off to see
Calamity Jane!

Thursday:

Much need strong coffee had a bit of a hangover
this morning after a night of too many cocktails!

Friday:

Beautiful picture of Oisín and his Granddad Eddie

My Week In Pictures 33/52

We had a nice week

Here is our week in pictures

Saturday:

There was a great write up in
The Irish Mirror on Saturday
about my Father in-law Eddie
and my Uncle in-law George

Sunday:

We finally got a bit of snow
on Sunday but
it didn't last and was melted by midday!

Monday:

This is how Oisín naps
with a teddy for a pillow!

Tuesday:

Getting healthy making yummy juices and smoothies

Wednesday:

Home made sweet chilli pork and cous cous for dinner

Thursday:

Finding it hard to believe this was a year ago!

Friday:

Oisín is spending the day in Granny
and Granddad's as hubby and I
both have to work
but it's okay as he
loves being there!

Five Things 3/52

I done this type of post two years ago and really

enjoyed picking out five things that

made me smile from the weekend

so decided to do it again for this year!

 Saturday morning brunch was banana and chocolate pancakes
with strawberries! Yum!

 We had a huge family dinner on Saturday
it was like Christmas dinner all over again!
These two messers are so funny
My Dad and Goddaughter

 There was a brilliant write up in the Irish Mirror
about the Father In Law and Uncle In Law
So proud to be part of the amazing family that is
The Fureys

This little cutie has a nasty cough and cold
so was up at 5am on Sunday morning
we made banana, blueberry and honey
smoothies to try ease his cough
He seem to enjoy them!

 Hubby and I had a Sunday evening treat,
takeout, Call the Midwife and wine!

Interview With Eddie Furey



IN CONVERSATION WITH CIARA DWYER – 07 OCTOBER 2012

Eddie Furey, 67, is a musician and one of the Fureys. Born in the Liberties, Dublin, he lives in Co Dublin with his wife of 32 years, Bibi. They have five children -- Michelle, Paulie, Jamie, Sarah and Conor



I live in Co Dublin, on the border of Kildare. In the mornings, herself is here -- Bibi. Most of our kids have flown the nest, but we have one fella left in the house, Conor. He's 15 and still at school. Bibi and Conor are up early in the morning. Bibi has a cup of tea. We're 32 years married. I met Bibi in a pub in Dublin and, eight months later, we got married in St John's Lane. We had a great reception in The Embankment in Tallaght.



The time I get up in the morning depends on what time I get in the night before -- I could be playing somewhere down the west of Ireland and I mightn't get back until five in the morning.

 



 

If it's late like that, I'll probably get up at about ten o'clock. For breakfast, I'll have a bit of toast and a cup of coffee. If it's a normal day at home and Conor has gone to school, Bibi and I will head off to a market -- a flea market or a car boot sale -- they say that car boot sales are where you buy someone else's rubbish. If we're in Dublin, we like to go to the Liberties. I grew up there, and then we moved to Ballyfermot in the Fifties. I had three brothers and it was a bit of a squash in the Liberties, so it was great to have a big house in Ballyfermot with our own bathroom and kitchen. My mother knew the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alfie Byrne, and he helped us get the house. Finbar, Paul, George and me all played music when we were kids. There was always music around the house. It came from my parents.



A day in my life can vary. It can be hectic, especially if we're touring in the UK or Australia or America. Airports kill me. I love walking around towns and cities, but I don't like staying in hotels. I don't like being cooped up. The easiest part for me is playing on stage.



I love the music and I love the songs and I love the feedback from the people. We do a lot of touring. I could be away for seven months of the year. I like playing the bodhran, but I also play the mandolin, violin, mandola and guitar; I switch around.



 

At one point, we were carrying around 30 instruments, but we had to cut down -- it was too much trouble.

My father was a showman and he met my mother when he was working at Puck Fair. He played the banjo, guitar and bodhran and my mother was a great accordion and banjo player. We only had a radio for the news and Ceili House. There were always sing-songs in our house and we had great people there, like Seamus Ennis. My father taught us how to pick up instruments and play them. I think I was the first one in the house to play a guitar.

 

I wanted to do a bit of singing, especially when rock 'n' roll and the blues came in, but I also loved ballads. In the beginning, it was just myself and Finbar on the road. We played in all the folk clubs in England. We did contemporary songs and folk songs. Then we were invited to play in Ewan MacColl's club in London. Once you played there, you could play anywhere in England.

 

Eventually we decided to form a bigger band with the brothers and Davey Arthur. It took off. Nobody was married at the time, so it was carefree -- travelling around, playing here and there. One time we were rehearsing in my mother's house in Ballyfermot, in the big room, and one of the boys started playing Sweet Sixteen. She said, 'Why don't you record that song?' Now it's one of the favourites when we play a concert.

 

 

I still get nervous before I go out on stage. I think that's a good thing. I might tell the audience something funny as we're setting up. We've played everywhere -- Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall. The first gig we ever did was in Scariff, Co Clare, on a cold winter's night. I think we had about 20 people, but they enjoyed it. Five weeks later, we went back and the place was jammed -- word of mouth. It was a great feeling.

 



Our best gig was when we played for the Pope in Drogheda. We put the aunties and my mother in the bandwagon, so they got to be near the Pope.

Once, we played in Carnegie Hall on a Sunday afternoon. When we came out, there was a big queue of people outside -- they were all waiting to get in to watch Rigoletto. A friend said, 'That'd be a great crowd to busk', so we got out our instruments and played. This old woman in the queue said to me, 'You guys are pretty good. One of these days you're going to be in there.' I said, 'We just came out of that kip.'

 

When we played in Germany, we didn't always play organised gigs. Sometimes we'd play on the street to get something to eat, until someone would come along and give us a gig in a pub. It was a bit of a struggle, but a struggle you had to keep at. I always say: keep at it, keep working -- any kind of gig you can get, take it, because it's experience. You'll make friends along the way, and you'll make contacts.

 

If we're playing in a theatre, I like to go to the bar area beforehand and meet some of the people coming to see us. We have great fans -- some of them have been following us around for the past 30 years. Ten minutes before the show, I change into my clothes and then we have a yap. We like to try something new in our shows, but we always play the hits -- people want to hear them. We love playing at home and the Irish audiences are always fantastic. I'm usually pretty tired after a concert.



We started off playing in O'Donoghue's pub in 1960. We were paid two pounds each. I loved it then, and I still love it. We're very lucky. We have a great manager, Joe McCadden -- he is a real anchor for us. After a gig, I go out to meet the audience. I always make a big deal out of that because they've come out of their way to see us. Then it's back to the hotel, have a nightcap and off to bed.



http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/eddie-furey-28818224.html

http://www.thefureys.com/