Howdy again,

As most of you know, we (Skin & Hide) are on holidays from the 10th May to the 24th. We would like to thank “Ignition” for covering at the bar the first week, and this week we have a bunch of talented f*ckers from Manchester covering. They are playing a lot of music similar to Skin & Hide, but with fiddle and banjo instead of electric guitars! They are a right sound bunch of lads that I have known for a couple of years from my trips to Manchester. Next Saturday night should be a great night with Skin & Hide sharing the stage with the lads from Manchester for some of the evening. It’s also the banjo player´s (John) birthday.

As for Skin & Hide in Ireland… most of us travelled to Galway for Leo’s funeral, which was a bad start to the holidays. If there is such a thing as a “nice funeral”, Leo’s was very special. It was the first time in my life that I saw people singing and playing music at a graveside, and it went on for what must have been an hour, while Sharon and Leo´s friends and relatives took turns at filling in the grave. It was an amazing natural feeling to have been there. As devastated and shocked as Sharon was, she still found the energy to organise such beautiful music in the church and sent Leo off better than anyone could have done. I would also just like to take this opportunity to thank Leo’s brother Kevin for his hospitality in the Roisin Dubh after the funeral.

As I write this, Massimo is in rome playing music with a few of his friends during his holidays, Widgeon is in Texas, Shane in Kilkenny, and Shaky on a plane back here to Lanzarote from Dublin. Jon Gold is chasing sheep around Connemara with a vicious look on his face, and Sergi is lost somewhere between Scotland and Ireland, looking for Barcelona with a compass in his hand!

We are all looking forward to a great summer in Charlies, and our next “siesta” will be the first two weeks in December.

Our thanks again to all the lads that filled in for the holidays at Charlies.

Cheers
Murphy

We all had the pleasure at Charlie´s Bar of welcoming Sharon Shannon and family here in february. I went to the airport to pick up the troop, and within minutes realised there was a real character amongst them. It was Sharon’s partner, Leo, cracking jokes and looking forward to the week that was ahead. We had a great week just as he anticipated. I had long conversations with this dark-haired man with a real twinkle in his eye for life. He told me a lot about his life experiences and we pondered many questions about life itself. We were looking forward to meeting up for a pint during the summer and having a laugh and just catching up again. I didn’t know Leo very well, but in the short time that I did I liked him. It’s that simple.

Then in a very short message on my phone today from John’s daughter, I found out his life had been cut short, and as I write this some hours later, I feel so f*cking empty, sad, and I don’t know what else. I am thinking about Sharon, Leo’s offspring that he spoke to me about, but most of all I am thinking about Sharon, only because I know her personally and not his kids. Leo told me that they were together nearly 9 years or so and that they would be together until death. He was right.

My own brother passed away 10 years ago, much too young as well, and I asked him today to welcome Leo and show him the good haunts and the ropes in his new world.

Sharon – all of our thoughts are with you right now in Lanzarote. The reactions and the looks on the lads´ (at Charlies) faces as I told them spoke for themselves. It was and is nothing but extremely f*cking sad and complete disbelief. We are here for you, Sharon, and always will be, come hell or high water.

Leo, you are gone ahead of us now. Keep an eye on what we do and try to steer us in the right direction until we catch up with you again. It was a real pleasure to have met you, even though it was for such a short time. There was something so genuine and human about you.

Tog a bog e,a chara

May you rest in peace.

From all of us in Lanzarote