Having been within 20 miles of the Haiti border myself last year, it was very obvious that when the news of the earthquake came through they wouldn’t have the resources to try to deal with such a major catastrophe in such a poor region of the World.  We were discussing this in Charlies a few weeks ago and talking about the images on the television, and Shaky came up with the idea of having a fundraising event both at Charlies and the Craic n´Ceol one night.  Jon said that he would cut his hair, Widgeon was shaving his beard, all those connected with the two bars were donating their salary on the night, and I said that I would give 50% of the bar takings on the night to the fund.

I am writing this the day after the event, and with everyone´s help we raised €5,100 and had a great night as well.  We would all like to thank everyone that supported the event, and there are people in Haiti (who we will never meet) that will have a tent, food, clean water etc., because of all your generosity.

It was great to see all the musicians from both bars, and a few other bars as well, on the stage together for the last few songs, and the atmosphere was electric. After the bar closed there were 6 or 7 of us that stayed back for a quiet drink, and I was telling the story of the taxi driver that drove Anna and myself from Pattaya to Bangkok, a distance of 150km for €6.  The drive took 2 1/2 hours, and he had to return to Pattaya again as well.  He drove us in a brand new Toyota car, and if he got the car and the petrol for nothing, he would still have had only €1.20 per hour for his time.  Don’t worry, we gave him a tip bigger than the fare, but the point is that it shows how far €5,100 will go in countries like that, and Haiti is much poorer than Thailand, and the money we and you are sending over there is worth the equivalant of €1,000,000 approx. if you compare the price of a Western taxi for the same distance, and do the maths.

On a slightly different note,  I was lucky enough to have spent some of my early adult days with very little, and even no money at times, and I was also lucky enough to have spent some time living in countries which were as poor as Haiti.  The reason I say this, is because a gentleman walked in to the Craic the other night and started a conversation with me.  He told me that he was a Publican in Ireland and then told me he just got a text that day to say that a good friend of his had commited suicide.  I had just read that the rate of suicide had jumped something like 35% in the last year or two in Ireland.  He then went on to tell me that his friend was in his 60s, built up a good business, borrowed to build property, credit crunch, and was heading to go bust, like many… this is why I say I was lucky to be poor at one time in my life.  I know what it is to have nothing, and I’m not one bit afraid of it.  The worst that can happen in Ireland is that you get a coucil house, the dole, and despite the fact that you won’t be going on foreign holidays, there are thousands and millions fighting to stay alive in Haiti who would kill for the worst that can happen in Ireland.  The problem is people are putting this image, and believing themselves they are, who they portray themselves to be, by what car they drive or where they live, and when something goes wrong they are ashamed and embarassed.  Suicide is desperate sad, and believe me, I know, but depression I can understand, even if badly, but why could this man’s friend not see that he was the same man he was last year and for the last 40?  He lost his money, but not his ability, and he wasn’t going to be cold or hungry.  We know the answer is “status”, but that’s why I was so lucky, and it’s a pity that more people don’t realise the difference between who they are and what they have.

Anyway, enough ranting.  Must go to work – and a million thanks again to everyone for last night!

Hey comrad. I awoke this morning at 6 something to find your text on my phone. I was sure it was a nightmare and tried to sleep again, but after 2 minutes I decided to get out of bed to turn on the light, in case this was for real. Then I was thinking, maybe this is a mistake, and in your good but not fantastic English, you made a mistake. It was only the third time I read the message that I understood this is very real, and there is no mistake or nightmare, unfortunately.

Now I was really awake and the first thought that came into my head, or maybe picture, was of watching you and “Papa Caros” (as I called him) playing together in Cork, and the way you bounced off each other. After putting on the kettle, I eventually got my brain to function and made the call, and the rest is…

A little like yourself, Papa Caros always shook hands sincerely,and always with his own unique kind of graceful smile. A man that would not know how to hurt anybody, who would make a bad soldier. His strengths were much deeper than anything physical. I met Vicente a good few times, and despite not being able to speak his language, I always communicated very well with him, as did the rest of the lads. We were always so happy to see him coming around our “nuthouse” with his positive but discreet humble energy.

Each and all of us are with you in the battle of all time battles that lies ahead in the future. You have an army that would have flattened hitler behind you, Serg,and yes, I spelled hitler with a small “h” on purpose. The days and the weeks and months will pass, Serg, and the tears will turn to laughs and smiles at the happy memories you are lucky enough to have. The length of time is not so important as you will find out, but the quality. You may not feel it right now, but you will understand later how lucky you are.

Our thoughts are also with your dear mother who has lost her best friend. May God give her strength and courage to fight on positively, and also your brother. Bless ye, and be sure the sun will shine again for all of you with purpose and energy. xxx

Barry

I have always asked myself the following question: is alcoholism a chemical addiction or not? From watching different alcoholics and their behaviour over the years, whether they are drinking or not drinking, I have often thought that there is more to alcoholism than just a chemical addiction. Then, in the last few days, I have met two different people by chance who related more or less the same story to me about two different family members. Basically, in both cases the family member gave up drinking because it was interfering with their lives, or so they thought, but both of them started and continued to drink in a normal fashion a few years later. In both cases, again, they said that when they were drinking too much and having trouble with it, the reason was because at the time they were not happy with where they were in their own lives, and they were hiding behind drink, and then blaming the drink for the problems, even after they stopped. Of course, the drink wasn’t helping the situation, but the drink in itself was not the underlying problem. Both of them gave up drink and made a serious effort and succeded in addressing what was for them the *real* problem, which was different in each case, and became comfortable in themselves and where and who they were, and in both cases they returned to having a drink, and have been for quite a few years without any problem whatsoever.

The question is, are all alcoholics hiding from something, whether they are on or off drink, and blaming drink for everything that happened in their lives and hiding behind it, joining the club AA and unknowingly supporting each other from facing whatever the *real* problem might have been from the start? Is it possible, like the two stories above, that if they had addressed the *real* problem, if they could face it and deal with it, that they would be able to drink normally? Or maybe there was no real problem, simply a chemical dependency?

I don’t know what the answer is but these two stories really got me thinking to what I always thought was at the very least a possibility. Maybe the truth is that they simply can’t face whatever the real problem is or was, and therefore they are quite happy to hide behind and blame alcoholism for everything, and even if that was the case, is there anything wrong with that, if it’s getting them through life?

I would love to hear other people´s thoughts and experiences of similar situations, but more from family members rather from those who have had or have a problem with drink, or the lack of it!!

I don’t mean in any way make a joke of what is a very serious problem for those who are affected by drink or an underlying problem, whether they are or were the drinkers or family members, as I am one of the above myself, and, like you all, I know many people in the same situation. But we have to keep a sense of humour, even if we´re laughing at ourselves, and maybe this is all bullshit and drink is simply a chemical addiction that affects some more than others?!

What a fantastic, even if funny, year it has been for all of us at Charlie´s Bar!  The fantastic parts of the year for me were seeing so many familiar faces again and again, and watching Charlie´s Bar becoming more and more like a local, despite the fact that so many people are here for a week only – and how many of you know each other from returning again?! I was amazed when we were in Galway
so many people knew each other from back in Lanzarote and decided to meet up together at our Xmas gigs back home.

As I write this in Thailand on a working holiday, I am just thinking of all of those who travelled to Galway from Scotland, England, Wales and all parts of Ireland, and it was great to see everyone together, even those that can´t sing or dance!  It was a very unusual feeling to be playing outside of Charlie´s Bar and to see so many friends.  We all looked so different with four layers of clothing, designer Wellington boots and walking sticks – or were they umbrellas? Now we are looking forward to the Cork gigs (18, 19 & 21 Dec – info HERE), and I know some people that were at the Galway gigs who are going to be in Cork as well.

Another great memory I have from 2009 was welcoming Sharon Shannon, Damien Dempsey, The Wolfe Tones, Jon Kenny and then, just before we closed for the holidays, the great Finbar Fury.  Each time we had special guests over we all got a great buzz from it and enjoyed their company as much as their music.

We were all delighted to have acquired the Craic´n Ceol in June of this year. It´s a bar that fits in very well with what we do and complements Charlie´s Bar as well, and we are very proud to have it.  We were also delighted to have Rory Gallagher joining us at Charlie´s Bar & the Craic with his fantastic talent, and we wish him and his fiancée Cara the very best for their future.  Both of you have only 4 months left to do what you have to do!!

If I made one cock-up this year, it was opening Charlie´s Bar 7 nights a week from May until October.  It was too long playing 7 nights and we should have stayed on 6 nights until the middle of July – but I will learn at my own pace!  I am even contemplating opening 5 nights a week from January with the way things are at the moment, but we will see as we go along.  Unfortunately, there have been quite a few bars that have closed down in Lanzarote over the year, and I know the same is true in Ireland and here in Thailand as well.  Thankfully we have gone from strength to strength, but we have to be on the ball all the time and never let up.  It´s a good job we all love what we are doing and get on so well, or it would be next to impossible to keep going in these times.

One benefit I can see since the Celtic Tiger ran out of borrowed steam is that the arrogance that some of the Irish yahoos had is gone, thank God, and we are back to doing what we do best: drinking a few pints, having the craic, singing a few songs and talking proper shit, not the Celtic Tiger shit.

Looking forward to 2010, we will have quite a few special guests coming over again, and the fantastic Sharon Shannon will be the first on 20th February 2010.  We are currently working on mixing more tunes with songs and we look forward to doing plenty more of that – for me that is what I love the best and to see what kind of concoctions we can come up with.   It´s amazing what can happen when you put 6 thick heads together!

I learn so much about life in Charlie´s with friends and customers telling me so much about their lives.  It´s as if they reflect on life when they get a chance while on holidays, and it´s great to see them a few months or a year later and see how they got on with whatever situation in the meantime.

Like I already said, we are now looking forward to the Cork gigs and then re-opening Charlie´s Bar on 26th December, and getting back to what we do best together.  I won´t talk about what we don´t do best together here, apart from fishing, cooking and skydiving!

We all wish you a very Merry Xmas and a peaceful, prosperous, loving and, above all else, healthy New Year.

“Go raibh mile maith agaimh” which translates as “I hope you get laid soon, have triplets, a crippling mortgage, and never see the light of day again!

Cheers
Barry and all at Charlie´s Bar

P.S. My back is f*cked here in Thailand – and not for the reason you perverts think!  It´s from trying to get under showers that were built for 4´6″ humans and not 6´4″ aliens.  Happy Christmas.

Howdy again!

It was a fantastic last week in Charlie´s Bar before we broke up for the holidays.  I really enjoyed the week with Finbar and Sheila Furey.  The one thing that I enjoyed more even than the fantastic performances Finbar gave, was their company.  Finbar reminds me of a great friend of mine who has passed away, but with the same name. They would have really enjoyed each other´s company because the Finbar that sadly passed away was the same, in as much as he had great principle and honour in his bones, and was a mighty character and great craic as well, and always up to devilment.  I would have loved to have had the opportunity to go away with both of them for a weekend – for sure it would be a weekend you wouldn’t forget in a hurry…

Photos of Finbar on stage with Skin & Hide in our Photo Gallery

I will always look forward to welcoming Finbar and Sheila over here to Charlie´s Bar anytime they can make the time to visit our humble little watering hole again.  I know I can speak for all of the staff and musicians at both Charlie´s and the Craic when I simply say “thank you” to Finbar for taking the time to get to know us and giving us the opportunity to  play a few tunes with you.

Now we take a break for a few weeks before we head for Ireland to play the Xmas Gigs, and it’s a true testament to Finbar that he has decided to come along to one of our Irish gigs and join us on stage for a few tunes and a bit of craic.  We look forward to seeing you back in the old sod!  Rumour has it that there might be a very beautiful box player joining us for a few tunes along the road as well…

I would just like to thank all of the customers of Charlie´s and the Craic on behalf of all of us for your custom throughout the year, and we will be looking forward to getting home and firing Charlie´s Bar up again on 26th December.  In the meantime Rory, Jon, Widgeon and (I think) Gally will be playing at different times at the Craic over the next few weeks – so enjoy, and thanks again.

Cheers
Barry Murphy

I read with regret that Slatterys Travel have gone into liquidation.

I met Dave Slattery here in Lanzarote a couple of years ago, and again we held a meeting in Killarney soon afterwards.  I formed the opinion at the time that he was running too fast, but also that he was a damn fine individual and he employed the best of people here in Lanzarote.

I’m sure that this is a dark moment for him, but I’m also sure that he will learn from this and mushroom again.

Charlies for the craic, the women and the beer!! 

Hello to all. We take annual holidays every May, and next year we, “Skin & Hide” have been thinking of going travelling and gigging for 3 or 4 weeks.

There have been suggestions of going to the United States to play a few festivals and a few other countries, but I decided to put it up here on my blog and see if anyone comes up with some brain waves, or have any suggestions…

Where is the best place to get Thai food?