Archive:  2009

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DECEMBER

What's up? Things are busier than ever for us as we steamroll into the 2nd decade of the 21st century. This is our 18th year together as Hair Of The Dog and we still have all of our original members. It's been our pleasure to make music together for all these years and we hope to continue for many more.

We've recently upgraded our live sound system. People who come to see us on a regular basis noticed immediately. If you haven't seen us in a while, now is as good a time as any to attend one of our shows. Besides all of the PA gear, we've added many new songs as well as a couple of instruments to our repertoire. John is now playing the accordion and Eric is featured on two violin tunes. We're having more fun than ever and it shows.

In case you hadn't heard, after more than a decade at the Altamont Fairgrounds, the Irish 2000 Music and Arts Festival will now be held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa, NY. The move north was a difficult decision for the festival promoters but in the end it was decided that Saratoga County was a more central location for the thousands of annual attendees. The I2K Festival is now a two day affair and it's one of the finest Celtic jamborees in the world. Hair Of The Dog has played at every single Irish 2000 Fest, including the very first one that was held on a rainy Saturday at Heritage Park, the former home of the Albany-Colonie Yankees. Be sure to check out the new I2K digs!

Sadly, Frank McCourt, an American-Irish teacher and a Pulitzer Prize winning author, recently passed away. We had the privilege of appearing with Mr. McCourt at a New York State Writer's conference in Albany, NY a few years ago. Frank McCourt was a very interesting man. McCourt, the son of Irish immigrants, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1930. Unable to find work in the USA during The Great Depression, McCourt's father moved the family back to their native Limerick, Ireland where they sank deeper into poverty. Frank's father eventually relocated to wartime Liverpool, England, taking jobs in factories and leaving his family to fend for themselves. Frank quit school at 13 and took whatever work he could find. At 19, McCourt returned to the US and was soon drafted into the army. After his discharge, he obtained his master's degree from Brooklyn College and taught in New York City schools for 30 years. As his teaching career was winding down, he began writing books such as "Teacher Man", "Tis" and the acclaimed "Angela's Ashes" which was eventually made into a film. Frank McCourt was a true family man, a really nice guy, and a wonderful success story. He'll certainly be missed.

Instead of reading about Ireland, why not go there with us? Our next trip to The Emerald Isle in February 2010 will be our eighth and we want you to come with us. Here's what we're gonna do:

The Guinness Factory: Upon arrival at the factory you will be given a tour of the famous Guinness Storehouse. This seven-story structure is in the shape of a giant pint glass (I kid you not!). Throughout each floor, you will learn about the history and making of Guinness. When you get to the seventh floor, you will have reached the “head of the pint”, a 360 degree glass-enclosed pub also known as The Gravity Bar. This is where you will receive your complimentary pint of Guinness beer. Here you will be able to relax and enjoy the uninterrupted panoramic views across Dublin City – it really is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Dublin!

Dublin City: If you are into Irish history, be sure to check out places like the GPO (General Post Office – site of the 1916 Uprising), the Four Courts of Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, or Trinity College. The Trinity College Library houses the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. This ancient artifact was transcribed by Celtic Monks in approximately 800 A.D. If shopping and site-seeing are your thing, be sure to visit Grafton Street and have your picture taken with Molly Malone (the “tart with the cart!”). And of course, for great music and nightlife, be sure to check out the Temple Bar area of Dublin.

Blarney Castle: At the top of this 90-foot castle, is the world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech. The story of the origin of the stone is shrouded in mystery. One legend says it was the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Just how long the custom of kissing the Blarney Stone has been practiced is not known. One local legend claims that an old woman, saved from drowning by the king of Munster, rewarded him with a spell, that if he would kiss a stone on the castle’s top, he would “gain a speech that would win all to him”. In the event that you’d rather not climb the 112 steps up the narrow castle wall to kiss the Blarney Stone, our good friend, BARNEY Stone will be going on the trip with us, and you can kiss him instead. It’ll save you the long climb, and he only charges a buck! Adjacent to Blarney Castle is the famous Blarney Woolen Mills. This is a must-stop for you shoppers!

The Dingle Peninsula: Make sure you bring your camera. Here you will truly be awed by some of the most magnificent scenery in all of Ireland. Along the way you will be entertained by our personal coach driver/tour guide. Let me tell you, your driver/guide will definitely make your trip special and unique. His stories, and his way of telling them, are absolutely the best! After a wonderful day around Dingle, we will return to the very musical city of Killarney. We’ve got a bunch of great pubs to visit that night!

The Cliffs of Moher: The Cliffs rise 700 feet and stretch out along the Atlantic coastline for five miles, and is amongst the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. The Cliffs boast one of Ireland’s most spectacular views. On a clear day the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara. You might want to bring your binoculars; we saw whales in the Atlantic the last time we were there. In February 2007, the Clare County Council opened the “Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience”, a 32 million dollar facility featuring an array of interactive media exploring topics such as the origin of the Cliffs, the bird and fish life in the area, and much more.

The Aran Islands: We will be traveling to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands. Shoppers will love the sweaters (the Aran Islands are the home of the Aran sweater, the “original” Irish sweater). The 1997 romantic comedy “The Matchmaker” with Janeane Garofalo is partially set on the Aran Islands. Dun Aengus is a fort situated on the edge of a cliff at a height of 100 meters overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on Inis Mor. It consists of a series of concentric circular walls, the innermost; the citadel encloses an area approximately 50 meters in diameter with 4m thick walls of stone. It was built in the 2nd century B.C.

For a lot more information on our trip (like our stays in Killarney and Galway), please consult the “Road Trips” page of our website. We can’t wait!!

Soon we'll be celebrating our 20th year together as Hair Of The Dog. I can hardly believe it. Where did the time go? Once again, we want to thank all of our friends and fans for supporting us for all of these years. It has been and continues to be our honor to entertain you. See you soon.

Rick and the Boys.

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