Irish Times readers respond to the death of Aslan frontman Christy Dignam on Tuesday
Micheál Fitzgerald, Christy Dignam, Eamonn Fitzgerald and Joe Jewell after an Aslan concert in Killarney.I was very fortunate that my first appointment as a teacher in 1967 was in St Fergal’s boys’ national school. Finglas was one of the most socially deprived areas in Dublin making the news for all the wrong reasons. Sure, there were some hard chaws, gougers, gurriers and the no-one-wants-me brigade, but there were also raw uncut diamonds that sparkled when hope beckoned.
He loved stories as a key to learning and communicating: “You must know your audience and interpret the real meaning behind ‘How can I protect you in this Crazy World?’ Isn’t that what teaching is all about, as well.” No self-pity, but hanging on to see his daughter Keira – an outstanding singer in her own right and spend just some more time with his grandchildren. “I love the buzz of entertainment live action, interpreting every song and wooing the audiences.
Small things matter. Thanks for all the memories, Christy: the chats, teas, craic, frank discussions, decency, honesty and appreciation. You told me how and why you wrote your songs This Is and Crazy World. When you arrived at the gates on Tuesday afternoon, you already had the lyrics and the melody for “Hello, Christy, you’ve arrived, at long last ...”
Yesterday’s chat with Christy Dignam took me on a journey of the times Aslan and, more especially, Christy had been in my life. The first encounter was in 1992 when Aslan, led by a barefoot vocal genius, performed at the opening celebration of the Shannon Aerospace hanger. I was just 18 and, in those days, an unlikely gender to embark on an aircraft mechanic apprenticeship, a stepping stone that led to a 30-year career.
Roll forward to 2014, when my husband and I had moved back to Dublin. On an August evening of our first weekend while on an unintentional walk, we passed the Purdy Kitchen in Monkstown. The sign over the door read, “Tonight Christy Dignam Live”. Assured this was weeks if not months old, I investigated with the barman who confirmed “tonight” was, as the word intended, AND there were tickets available.
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