• 28cm x 33cm Christy Moore is one of Ireland's best known folk singer's, songwriter's and guitarist. He is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, Paddy on the Road was recorded with Dominic Behan in 1969. In 2007, he was named as Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's People of the Year Awards.

    Early life

    Moore was born in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland and attended Dominican College Secondary School. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music. During a bank strike in 1966, which lasted twelve weeks, he went to England, as many striking officials did, but didn't return when the strike was settled. "I had a wild and wonderful time in England, with no bank manager looking over my shoulder," he said. Doing general labouring work, he frequented the folk clubs and the Irish music pubs where he met Seamus Ennis, Margaret Barry, Luke Kelly, Martin Byrnes and many other traditional musicians.When Irish singing trio The Grehan Sisters, with whom Moore was previously acquainted, moved to the north of England from Dublin in 1967, they assisted Moore to get a higher profile by giving him contacts and support slots on their concerts.

    Musical career

    1973 brought his first major release, Prosperous, which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed Planxty: Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty. After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion (which he has been doing ever since). He also formed the band Moving Hearts with Lunny and five other musicians in 1980. In 1987 he appeared on Gay Byrne's The Late Late Show performing with The Dubliners for their 25th anniversary. In 2000, he published his autobiography, One Voice. Moore's earlier lifestyle resulted in a decline in health and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations, have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore reduced his workload for medical reasons. Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink, his song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Listening to Johnny Mulhern's song "Hard Cases" caused Moore to recall the Galway drinking scene with local musicians Mickey Finn, Pete Galligan, Corky and Terry Smith. On 17 April 2009, Moore released his first new studio album in four years, entitled Listen, and promoted it through a series of live gigs. In December 2011, Moore released the album Folk Tale. His next album Where I Come From was released in November 2013 and features a new protest song called "Arthur's Day". The album peaked at number three in the Irish album charts. On the road was released in November 2017, while his most recent album Magic Nightswas released in November 2019.

    Political and social commentary

    Moore is best known for his political and social commentary which reflects a left-wing, Irish republican perspective, despite the fact that his mother was a Fine Gael county councillor and parliamentary candidate in Kildare. He supported the republican H-Block protestors with the albums H-Block in 1978, the launch of which was raided by the police, and The Spirit of Freedom.He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker Bobby Sands, including "Back Home in Derry" which is based on Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". He ceased supporting the military activities of the IRA in 1987 as a result of the Enniskillen bombing. Political songs he has performed throughout his career include Mick Hanly's "On the Blanket" about the protests of republican prisoners, "Viva la Quinta Brigada", about the Irishmen who fought in the Spanish Civil War against Franco, and "Minds Locked Shut" about Bloody Sunday in Derry. Moore has endorsed a long list of leftist support causes, ranging from El Salvador to Mary Robinson in the 1990 presidential election. At the Glastonbury Festival in 2005, he sang about the Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie. He supported the anti-nuclear movement in Ireland playing in many concerts and at festivals in Carnsore Point for the cause.

    Banned songs

    "They Never Came Home" is a song about the Stardust fire of 1981 where 48 people died. The song was recorded on the Ordinary Man album and was released on the B-side of a single in 1985. The song achieved notoriety when Moore was taken to court over claims in the song prejudical to an ongoing court case determining compensation. For instance, the song claimed, "hundreds of children are injured and maimed, and all just because the fire exits were chained". Mr Justice Murphy ordered the Ordinary Man album to be withdrawn from the shops, and costs were awarded against Moore. "Another Song is Born" was recorded for the album's re-release. "They Never Came Home" later appeared on his box set and on the album Where I come from.

    Musical style

    His solo style includes driving rhythms on guitar and bodhrán as well as slower ballads.

    Family

    Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is Luka Bloom, is also a singer-songwriter. His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also a traditional flautist and tin whistle player, with Christy appearing on his Wind Dancer album. Memorable events

    Detention incident, 2004

    In October 2004, Moore was stopped and detained by Special Branch officers at the Welsh port of Holyhead, taken into an office and questioned about the lyrics of his songs. The following day, he released a statement saying: "My driver and I were stopped and held for two hours at Holyhead last Monday, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. My driver and I were held separately in two interrogation rooms. I found the whole experience threatening. I was questioned about the contents of my briefcase." Despite initial reports to the contrary, the singer's van, which was full of musical equipment, was not searched. "I was questioned about lyrics of songs and I was asked a lot of personal questions about members of my family and my children and about my home. At no time was I given any explanation as to why I was being held and interrogated in this manner", he added. He said the fact that Irish people are still being treated this way on their way to Britain is very "saddening". "I had hoped to deal with this matter out of the public domain. But seeing as it has become a news item, I feel the need to offer my side of the story. I found the whole affair quite frightening."

    Desert Island Discs

    In June 2007, Moore was a guest on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs.He selected mainly Irish folk music that had inspired him and spoke of personal and political issues that had shaped his life, choosing a set of Uilleann pipes as his luxury item and The English and Scottish Popular Ballads as his choice book.

    Penguin book of Irish poetry

    In 2010 Christy Moore's song "Lisdoonvarna" which he wrote gained entry in The Penguin Book of Irish Poetry.

    Oxegen

    On Sunday 10 July 2011 Moore joined Coldplay on stage at the 2011 Oxegen Festival performing the song "Ride On".
  • Moscow Flyer and jockey Barry Geraghty pictured winning at Punchestown in 2005.
    Moscow Flyer and jockey Barry Geraghty pictured winning at Punchestown in 2005. 27cm x 30cm  Moone Co Kildare
    Trained by Jessica Harrington, Moscow Flyer won 26 of 44 starts including 10 Grade One events over fences and three wins at the highest level over hurdles. Moscow Flyer bowed out of racing after finishing fifth in the 2006 Champion Chase at Cheltenham – a race he won in 2003 and 2005 – and spent the latter half of his retirement at the Irish National Stud in County Kildare. On his death at the ripe  old  age of 22,Harrington nominated his victory in the 2004 Tingle Creek at Sandown over old rivals Azertyuiop and Well Chief as her particular highlight
  • 45cm x 60cm  Naas Co Kildare Extremely unusual charcoal sketch "Study for Metamorphosis"from the internationally  renowned sculptor Bob Quinn.Quinn works from preparatory sketches like the beautiful charcoal featured here to the wax or clay original.He then makes his own moulds before taking the wax through the long casting procedure to the patination process and to the permanence of the final sculpture. Please email us directly at irishpubemporium@gmail.com for more information. BOB QUINN grew up with sculpture. His father, a bank manager, was a part-time artist and, as a boy, Bob would watch him casting and moulding sculptures for sale. Bob dabbled for years too, producing the odd private commission but it was only after a long career in commercial art and design that he took the "frankly terrifying" step of giving up his job as a commercial designer BOB QUINN grew up with sculpture. His father, a bank manager, was a part-time artist and, as a boy, Bob would watch him casting and moulding sculptures for sale. Bob dabbled for years too, producing the odd private commission but it was only after a long career in commercial art and design that he took the "frankly terrifying" step of giving up his job as a commercial designer to become a full-time sculptor. His first major exhibition, at the Solomon Gallery in the Powerscourt Centre, Dublin, is the culmination of months of hard work. Seeking inspiration in everyday life, Bob first sketches his tableaux of human interaction in charcoals before moulding the figures in clay and finally casting them in bronze. The pieces are full of quiet drama. In the ironically titled Conspiracy, two womencasually gossip on a bench while a third listens in.Without overburdening each figure with facial detail,Bob lets the weight of the bodies and the angles of the glances between them convey their various personalities. Quinn lists Epstein and Rodin amongst his inspirations but his sculpture Waiting recalls the stark memorial pieces of German sculptor Kathe Kollwitz. We see the lonely figure of a man grieving on the rugged western shoreline. His hand pulls the coat around his face shielding him from the elements, but also to hide his grief. The figures are largely naturalistic, but Quinn is not over-preoccupied with a rigidly-correct anatomy. In many pieces, such as The Christmas Swim the enlarged hands and feet exaggerate the gestures giving the figures an almost playful expression. Quinn's works are being displayed in an exhibition of work from various artists at the Solomon Gallery until July 21.
        Born in 1948 Bob Quinn enjoyed a long career within the Irish advertising business as a commercial artist, designer and as the head of a successful design and production company. He now works full time as a sculptor in Blackrock Co Dublin where he lives with his wife and two daughters.  

    He has pursued his love of drawing and sculpture throughout his career and has illustrated several publications and has been a regular contributor of illustrations to Independent Newspapers. His sculptures appear in private collections and gardens throughout Ireland, Britain and Europe.

    Although loosely described as figurative his art is expressionist and his deep knowledge of anatomy allows him to abstract the human form and make the simplest of observations. His lifelong influences have been Epstein, Marini and Giacometti and painters such as Millet and Degas. His current work is a celebration of the drama and the nobility of the most ordinary of human activity. In terms of the craft of sculpture he enjoys the whole time worn process: Working from preparatory sketches to the wax or clay original he then makes his own moulds before taking the wax through the long casting procedure to the patination process and to the permanence of the final sculpture.

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