This is my
tribute to Richie O’Shea © who passed away in January 2016. I composed it for
and read it at his funeral.
When
Bridget and Richie started out on their wedding day
They put
their trust in God to lead them on their way
Though the
years they were blessed with five wonderful children
Who have
grown into fine young women and fine young men
If you
stuck a pin in Richie O’Shea his blood would be green
And he
never ever sang a song that was any way obscene.
We all
came here together from both far away and near
To pay
final respects to a man we all loved so dear
A man who
loved to sing and who loved to entertain
As he took
us back to Ireland
Up in heaven
joining many others is another singing star
Singing of
a Lady from Limerick or men from Castlebar
Or maybe
he’ll sing of Drumlish and its famous Marquee
Or about
Mc Carthys Shanagolden or the Rose of Castlerea
He often
called me on the phone on many Saturday nights
As they
headed out thru Mineola or maybe Roslyn
Heights
Rebel
songs of the Irish and the hated Black and Tans.
When he
sang of Glemaddy and the byways to his heart
We all
though of other towns from which we did depart
And to the
Tipperary
When they
heard him sing about their Galtee Mountain Boy.
Who can
forget the Whistling Gypsy and the O’Brien’s from Cork
And Richie
singing for all of us about the Streets of New York.
He sang
about the Foyle that flows through Lovely Derry
And Danny
Doyle’s song about the green hills of Kerry
He sang of
a mother and her son sadly parting on a Quay
And asked
us to join the Irish Navy far across the sea
He sang
with pride of the bravery of Robert Emmett Bold
And his
love of Ireland
There were
songs he sung which he really made his own
Like the
one about the border and Sean South of Garryowen.
He sang of
a Castlemaine man who to Australia
A real
Colonial Boy who grew up very mean and wild
Keeping
his memory alive so his sacrifice is never forgot.
For the
Scottish he sang about the Flower of Scotland
And for
all the Irish Americans Mc Namara’s Band
He sang
the soccer anthem about the Fields of Atherny
About a
young man stealing corn so his family didn’t die
He made
everybody happy when he sang of Irelands
And about
Katie Daly and her good old mountain Dew.
He sang of
an Irish rebel who had on his head a bounty
And the
brave lads who fought the tans from Cork
County
And he
sang of a blackguard looking for a nice young honey
His name
was Dan and she had to have plenty of money
He sang
about the 3 pubs in Bohola one of which was Clark ’s
When he
was singing in the summer around New
York
He sang
about a Boston
And
friends who came and did not get him out on bail
He always
hoped the Irish People could be on the one road
And he wanted
to live where the river Shannon flowed
He could
sing about being in Australia
Or getting
a Galway shawl when there’s Moonlight in Mayo
He sang
about an Irish Rover who was always a little wild
But came
back a rich man and with his family reconciled
He asked
all Irishmen to be happy and to often sing
Songs that
we all know and love like the Claddagh Ring
He sang
the whimsical song about a bunch of Thyme
But we
will all remember him for One Day at a time
And I know
why he sang with much joy about Newport
Town
Bridget
came from there before she wore her wedding gown
Some
people have fond memories of cruises on the high seas
And
romantic dancing to Ritchie’s songs in the midnight breeze
With
Richie Marie Francis Johnny Hanley and Kenny McLeod
Paddy
Noonan’s band was prime and could entertain any crowd
And when
Richie left Paddy Noonan’s band he really was blest
By teaming
up with Frank Keegan one of the very best
And when
again we think of Richie a man of class and style
The thing
that we’ll remember most of all is that incredible smile
And so we
have come here to shed a tear for a man so very kind
And shed tears
for our own young days which we have left behind
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