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What really happened to the Millenium Whiskey?
We think enough time has gone by to bring this up. Y2K and Princes ‘Let’s Party Like It’s 1999’ are distant echoes in our memories. Was there really a Rickety Wheel? And what really happened to the Millenium Whiskey? The Rickety Wheel But first we must go back further in time to the reason why…
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A simple guitar becomes an instrument to fight racism and sectarianism
Growing up I knew Dad was a musician. We had guitars, music and records around the house. By the time I was 15, I was starting to get the itch to play. A friend was swapping his acoustic for an electric, and I asked Dad if we could get it. Of course, his initial response…
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Gerry’s Belfast Telegraph Columns
Gerry was nothing if not a keen observer of life and the people in it, and his take on their antics was often wry, regularly witty, but always wise. He was an enthusiastic student of human behavior and was driven by an innate curiosity, as he peered at the world through the informed lens of…
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Gerry’s show in a box!
Gerry had a wonderful back catalogue of fun, wacky and musically brilliant songs that he played regularly on the show. They were carefully stored in this metal flight case. He knew that the CD’s in there were all he needed to craft a show around. He purchased the case because he had learned that CD’s…
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Tall Tales and Short Songs – a Long Story!
A four-year-long story, as it turned out… A part-time musician and folk singer at the time, Seán Donnelly was a busy man running his shoe shop in Newcastle, Co. Down when his recording of The Homes of Donegal was played in 2010 by BBC Foyle’s Éamon Friel – a man who likes a good song.…
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C’mere Til I Tell Ya
C’mere til I tell ya about BBC Christmas parties, bog rolls, rubber men, pensions and why country men are more dangerous. Gerry loved to people watch especially on holidays. He also loved to collect stories of silly things that people did or funny situations that they got themselves into. I can still hear him laughing…
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Midnight Goats, Jackie Bites, Anderson Powers and South of the Border
It didn’t take a lot to get them going. But Gerry and Sean could get into character and really have a go at Gerry Adams, Gregory Campbell, Daniel O’Donnell, Stephen Nolan or Jackie Fullerton, to name a few. They had a great way of pinpointing the unique character, eccentricities or turn of phrase that each…
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Turn Gerry up and start laughing!
One of the things that is heart warming for us as a family is listening to how he helped people through the darkest of days during the troubles. He seemed to be an oasis of hilarious fun and normality sandwiched between the constant tragedy dominating the news and political shows. Last August, on the Antiques…
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Gerry’s Ghost Hunt
He was genuinely spooked! Especially after his visit to Richhill Castle Co. Armagh where he felt the ghost of a small boy tug at his sleeve. And he witnessed a solid oak dining table being lifted and smacked down. Most likely by spirits who wanted to make their presence felt. Gerry needed a large hot…
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Happy Birthday, Gerry
Gerry would have been 78 today. He would have hated that! But we would have cheered him up with presents like a book, a cream jumper, a jacket (real clothes) and some smellies/aftershave. Then it would have been a night out starting with vodka and lemonade, a steak dinner (pepper sauce on the side), dessert…