Gerry Tully remembering gigs with Finbar Furey

Finbar Furey and Gerry Tully play a selection of songs together in Brogan’s Bar, Trim, County Meath.

In the life of a musician the road twists and turns and not always in the best way. But every now and then you get a call that brightens up your whole year.

Finbar Furey has walked all the roads in music, he’s a champion ulliean piper, and plays low whistle, five-string banjo, and guitar. he’s singer, songwriter and producer. I was introduced to Finbar by Don Baker, I’ll give you all the details of that in another blog.

I was acquainted with Finbar for a few years. Then in 2015 Finbar was asked to do a few gigs around Dublin but his regular band members were busy. Finbar called me and asked if I was free, I wasn’t, but I quickly got someone to fill my own gigs and headed off to meet Finbar for a rehearsal. I called to his home and we got to work on a set list. It was sureal to be rehearsing iconic songs Sweet Sixteen‍ ‍The Lonesome Boatman and The Green Fields of France We went through the set a few times and chatted about music, songs and gigs around Ireland. We chatted for ages, drank tea as Finbar reminisced about his Father, Ted and how he followed the road of music. All of Finbar’s concerts were sell-outs, thoroughly enjoyable, and a pleasure for me to be part of.

A few years later Finbar called into my gig in Brogan’s Bar in my home town of Trim. When my gig ended, Finbar got his banjo and, as you can see in the video above, we played a set together.

A treasured memory of really lovely, hilarious time, spent with one of Ireland’s iconic musicians.

Here’s the set we played. I held on to the setlist to remember a few great gigs.