Hi guys! A friend of mine is looking for contacts of any kind of the wire harpist Paul Dooley. Does anyone have a home address, email or telephone no.? So far I can only find sources that state that the man lives in Ennistymon, West Clare.
I know him, have been known to play with him, he’s lovely fiddleplayer too, will PM the address when I find it.
Being a civil servant, the macabre thought crossed my mind on Derek Bell’s death: “who’ll get the vacancy?”.
I really only became aware of Paul Dooley earlier this year when his playing was featured in an excellent exhibit in the National Museum annex in Collins Barracks, Dublin. I bought his solo CD on the strength of having heard one track in the museum and loved it. Only later did I realise that I had already heard him featured as an accompanist on Martin Nolan’s first solo piping album.
I don’t know if the personalities would gel, but in musical and musicoarchaeological terms he strikes me as the ideal candidate to take Derek Bell’s place in the Chieftains. To be honest, his wire-strung harp and fingernail-plucking style are a lot more credible than DB’s “tiompán” fantasies.
He was in Bringing it all back home too.
He’s usually playign the harp on the Cliff of Moher. I love his fiddle playing but I don’t see him in the Chieftains.
He’s Canadian by the way.
Never heard of him, but being a one-time harper now whistler, I’d very much like to hear his stuff (wire-strung harps are the best for celtic music). Any recommendations of CDs?
PS If he’s at all trad with his harping he may not suit the Chieftains; Bell is an O’Carolan type player (ie orchestral harp influence and fingering technique).
Custy’s has Paul’s CD
Thanks Peter - who is Custy?
Custy’s music shop in Ennis, has been mentioned here so often I asumed that wouldn’t need explanation. They have a website and are often praised for their qservice when buying over the web, unfortunately I haven’t the URL handy as I usually go into the shop. The Knotted Chord has the CD as well by the way, also in Ennis and on the web.
And Roger, it just came to me that Noreen O Donoghue would fit the profile well, plays harp and keyboards, has done the accompaniment for James Kelly on Capel Street, was in Sean Potts group Baker’s Well, worked with Sean Kean, and Molloy [and Bill Flynn] on The Fire Aflame [interesting how Keane tries to equal Kelly’s very dramatic version of the Wild Geese with the same accompanist but doesn’t quite succeeds].
She is well settled in that scene from her erly years in Clotarf CCE, all adds up to a candidate to consider.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-10-26 06:18 ]