Naples08rev2 - Page: 1 of 1

The economic crisis has greatly affected millionaire city here in
Naples, Florida, but there was no evidence of that when the Irish
Tenor sang at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. This
twenty million dollar facility was built entirely as a result of the
fund raising ability of one woman, Mrs. Myra Daniels.

Arriving half an hour early for the concert, it was almost impossible
to find a parking space. The concert had been sold out for
several weeks and several fans must have been very disappointed
at not being able to get seats.

Hopefully, the Center will bring back the Irish Tenors soon again.

For the Irish Americans in Naples, this amounted to the longest
wait in the history of Irish music in America. We had waited and
hoped that our tenors would appear at the Philharmonic for almost
nine years.

Having traveled to other cities to hear them, we knew what to
expect and we were not disappointed. There are no more superlatives
left in the English nor indeed in any language, to adequately describe
a night at an Irish tenor's concert. As many people have said
before, 'just go and experience it for yourself.'

Was this for real or was it a dream? After waiting for so many
years, the Philharmonic Orchestra was playing Brian Boru's March.
They did not know that a descendant of the great Munster King,
Brian Boru, was sitting so close to them just a few seats back.
Ms. McGrath was listening to the family marching tune being
played so far away from home and by musicians of various
nationalities. Ms. McGrath actually lives in Naples, but
perhaps this tune was chosen in honor of Finbar's prized rooster
named Boru?

King Brian Boru marched from his home that is Dromoland Castle
today to his castle on The Rock of Cashel, in Tipperary after
having a falling out with his brother, the High King, Donal Mor
O'Brien. One wondered just how many other Brian Boru
descendants were in this audience tonight?

Marching with King Brian Boru were his family members, the
Reagans and McGraths. The Reagans settled at the other side
of the Galtee Mountains in Ballyporeen. Many years later Michael
Reagan left Ballyporeen to come to the United States where his
grandson became President.

At the other side of the Galtee Mountains, the family of another brother,
Ahearne, the MacIlraiths (McGraths) settled on five hundred acres on
the side of Sliabh na Muc. The old McGrath home still exists
today where it houses a state of the art modern training facility
for Greyhounds called Garrett Kelly Racing run by Garrett and
Suzanne Kelly, the famous authors of Champagne and Slippers
and many other books. They also take care of injured and
problem greyhounds. There was once a famous greyhound in
Ireland called Master McGrath. The more affluent of McGrath's
family moved further south in Munster where they owned
fourteen castles. *****

Most of the five hundred acres at Sliabh na Muc got confiscated from
the McGrath family and their poet, Aindreas McCraith wrote Ireland's
most famous curse poem to send greetings to those who did it.

That poem is very difficulty to find, but the great Irish playwright John
B Keane wrote a rather similar poem in the same vein, probably i
nspired by the Massey Dawson Saunders curse poem.

Aindreas McCraith I believe, also wrote a song often sung by the Irish
Tenors and the Chieftains "Mo Ghile Mear". Dispossessed, ragged
and poor, his poems only became famous long after his death. To
historians he is also known as 'An Mangaire Suagrach.' The
translation of that is lost to me.

At the Philharmonic Concert, Finbar's 'How Great thou Art' was probably
the highlight of the evening. Somehow in these hard times, the
audience appreciated that there is something greater than the
material things of this earth. No doubt in the hushed silence
of Finbar's spectacular performance, some in the audience
were thinking of their huge real estate losses and praying 'O God,
how great thou art....especially if you send me a buyer for that ten
million dollar house I am trying to get rid of'.

Here in the USA, I am sure Finbar would be amused to hear that
they bury St. Joseph upside down in the gardens of homes for sale.

The Orchestra delighted us by playing Fairy Tale of New York. It
was written by the singer with the Pogues, Shane McGowan.
How many of the audience knew that or indeed how the name
of this rock group came about? They use the shortened version
of Pogue Mo Thoin, which is a very rude Gaelic comment,
usually uttered by husbands when their wives ask them to
be the one to make a cup of tea.

Anthony's magnificent 'My Grandfather's Immigrant Eyes' was
very suitable considering the economic climate here today.
This song tells the tale of an Irishman who came to the United
States and worked hard all of his life and became a success.
One line was especially true for me at this Naples concert
'Don't take it for granted, said my grandfather's immigrant eyes'.

At either side of me sat two of Naples most successful
developers, Irish American of course. Both parties
thrilled, delighted and so proud of our Irish tenors.

Larry Basik tears up when he discusses his mother from
Mayo, now deceased. He did not 'take it for granted'. He
sold his last remaining house which was featured in the
Parade of Homes here at Hemingway Place and took the
position of advisor to his son Keith who has not taken it
for granted. He recently built the nine million dollar
Naples Big Cypress Market Place at a time when the
market for homes is at an all time low. Being resourceful
and Irish, he has found a new way to earn his living.
Anita, Larry's wife sat very quietly all night probably
remembering her husband's mother from Mayo that
she once told me she loved so much.

Shirley Fox does not take it for granted either. Fox development
have built magnificent million dollar homes in Quail West and other
places in Naples and are now out in the Bahamas building Ginn Sur
Mer which promises to be the largest and most beautiful development
ever on theIslands with a two story waterfall in the lounge area
of the Club House. The Fox family originated in Ireland.

With us in the same row of seats was a man who is building a very
special house, a House of Worship, at the Assembly Center. Pastor
Mallory provides a home for the destitute of Naples who inhabit our
woods in their hundreds. Pastor and his wife are new Irish Tenor
fans since I gave them a copy of We Three Kings some time back.
They were amazed and delighted. They had brought their son
and his wife with them too. Pastor's wife howled with laughter
when tenor antics took place. This was one of their quieter nights,
so one can imagine how much she would enjoy an Anthony solo
concert when Paddy and the Voice start teasing each other in Friendship.

Shirley Fox and I traveled together to the concert. We work together
at the beautiful Serano at Hammock Bay which boasts of a great golf
course and the Marco Island Airport two minutes away. Shirley had
never been to a tenor concert before and kept saying to me 'Oh Mer,
they are beautiful, they are angels, the voices of angels'. I brought
Shirley back stage to meet her new heroes. First stop was Anthony's
dressing room where he declared 'come in Ladies, I am hearing
confessions'. He posed for some photos and actually took a
photo of the two Serano girls himself.

Karl Scully appeared. He was jumped upon by this scribe who
hugged this gorgeous teddy bear and was raving 'Oh my gorgeous
little darling'.

Karl's facial expressions were amusing, "Gorgeous," well yes,
maybe, "little," definitely not, and with the word 'darling' his
eyes drifted over my shoulder to the sign on the dressing
room door that read 'Anthony Kearns'. The raised eyebrow
said "not a hope, we know who your darling is."

Karl may be the new cuddly kid with the tenors but somehow
some of us ladies are unable to shake the pull of AK from our
maternal heartstrings. Karl has been a great choice for the Irish
Tenors. He now blends perfectly with the two others and is no
longer scared and ill at ease. The audience loved him and loved
his little dance at one point during the night.

Automatically Karl's' arm was around Shirley's shoulder for a
photo. Joel from the Philharmonic Center arrived on time to take charge
of the camera as Finbar emerged. Finbar's eyes lit up when greeted
in Gaelic and it seemed a treat for Joel too to hear the native Irish
Language spoken. Automatically Finbar drops his bag on the floor
and yet another lovely photo is secured. The boys needed to get
on the bus for their long drive to Sarasota for the concert the next
evening, so there was no time to discuss Irish music since the
time of Turlough O Carolan.

Finbar was a huge star even before he joined the Irish
Tenors and is adored as a wonderful and saintly human
being by all who know him. We did not remember to ask
him if he saw the beautiful Ms. McGrath of the Royal Irish
O'Briens in the audience or indeed how much, if any of
the audience the tenors can see from the stage. There
might have been many O'Briens in the audience who sadly
might not have known the first tune played by the Orchestra
was so special for them.

In our Irish History we heard about the Nine Years War, in
Naples our Nine Year's Wait to hear the Irish Tenor's was
more than well worth it, definately want Anthony, Finbar and Karl
back in Naples SOOOON again.