When Fingers Flaherty got married, his (few) friends sadly shook their heads and whispered that the marriage would never last. As his battered car smoked away into the dusky distance, carrying the slightly happy couple to their new life together, his (few) friends wiped away the tears and prepared themselves for the inevitable catastrophe. Flaherty wiped the…
Crazy Blues
Fingers Flaherty wasn't the first disgruntled lover to sing the blues! People have been battling with the blues - or the "blue devils" as they once were known - ever since they started falling in love with each other back in those dark caves. They discovered that fire could keep away the prehistoric chill. And…
Wintry watery blues
Life is an ocean, so the philosophers think. Life's an ocean, them dusty philosophers think. Well, the storm's a-brewin', my boat's startin' to sink. Fingers Flaherty There's a light, a certain kind of light, that pours over the landscape on a winter afternoon, enveloping the mountains in a languid melancholy, making the sea contemplate the…
Blue skies, blue eyes
There ain't nothing new to see under God's blue skies. I tell ya, nothing new to see under them blue and shiverin' skies, 'Specially when ya look at them through bloodshot alcoholic eyes. Fingers Flaherty This photo was taken earlier this month in Omeath, County Louth, overlooking the sublime serenity of Carlingford Lough towards the…
Christmas lights
Christmas is comin', the goose is gettin' fat, Christmas is a-comin', baby, that goose is gettin' fat! But Santa won't come near me, kitten. I've been a dirty rat. Fingers Flaherty
Flaherty lookin’ for salvation
(c) Padraig Hanratty 2015 Jesus, lift me up, I feel like I've been cursed! Help me up, Jesus. I feel low down and cursed! Jesus said, "Ya gotta stop hangin' out with the devil first." Fingers Flaherty
Talkin’ Squirrel Blues now available in paperback!
Talkin' Squirrel Blues is now available in paperback from Amazon! Buy Now Also available:
The story behind a squirrel
My article about the genesis of Talkin' Squirrel Blues was recently published in Writing & Me. You can find out where the idea for the Floyd the squirrel originated by reading the article here. Talkin' Squirrel Blues ebook is currently available on Amazon. Paperback available in November 2015!
Seeing the Future
I remember it was cold. Very cold. And as the sun slipped defeated behind the horizon, it got even colder. So cold that when he returned to the stage after the intermission, he was wearing a scarf. And we were all concerned for him. I also remember how frail he looked. This was the fifth…
The Titanic Sails at Dawn
According to Pablo Picasso, art is “a lie that makes us realize the truth, at least the truth that is given to us to understand”. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Bob Dylan discussed his new song about the sinking of the Titanic, “Tempest”. He implied that his song wasn’t too concerned about the historical facts…
QUIPS AND CHORDS 