Off The Record
by Mike FarragherRSS 
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Has it really been 25 years since the Saw Doctors broke out of Tuam, Co. Galway and conquered the world? If you are in denial, don’t bother picking up 2525, the band’s new compilation CD. It serves as a painful reminder that time does march on!
Then again, perusing the track list and falling in love with these songs from the west of Ireland all over again is good for the soul and you quickly find yourself acknowledging that the band’s best years -- and perhaps your own -- are still in front of you.
Of course, it helps that this band has had a heart transplant in the form of Rickie O’Neill, the 21-year-old drummer whose ferocious rhythm drives the auld fellas into peak performances that have produced some of this legendary live band’s best shows!
Of course, signature tunes like “N17” and “Tommy K,” and “To Win Just Once” are on 2525, but the lads from Tuam have some new goodies baked into this retrospective as well.
In the cultural whirlpool that swirls in the Farragher household, my Jewish wife picked up a package of corned beef in the kosher section of our Costco a few days ago and plopped it in a pot with some cabbage to produce a sumptuous feast for my Irish-born parents.
It was a casual, rare midweek dinner punctuated by easy conversation. My two daughters were typically enmeshed in a tangle of homework, texts and wardrobe considerations for the following school day. They were so busy that they had swooped down the stairs, eaten their dinners in a nanosecond, and disappeared again before I could ask one of them to pass the mustard.
That was a shame, because they missed a great little pop culture history lesson from their Athenry grandfather as the water in the kettle rolled to a boil on the stovetop after dinner.
Open your ears and wallets this Sunday for the Ceol na nGael fund drive on WFUV!
The most popular Irish radio program in New York, Ceol na nGael (Music of the Irish) began as the brainchild of two Fordham students, Gerry Murphy and Mary Maguire, back in 1974. Over the years it has continued to be hosted by students who have kept the tradition alive.
Tune in to 90.7 FM every Sunday between noon and 4 p.m. to hear all kinds of Irish music, often accompanied by dedications, and to stay connected through the community bulletin boards.
You can find Lost Tribe of Donegal on Thursdays at 8 p.m. at The Harp (77th Street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn), Saturdays at 9 p.m. at Rocky Sullivan’s of Red Hook (34 Van Dyke Street), and the last Sunday of every month The Irish Haven (58th Street and 4th Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn.)
