Stop the world as Declan remembers Abbeyknockmoy ham and tomatoes!

SINGER Declan Nerney says that he was 'just a boy' but he still can vividly remember the great tasting ham and tomatoes that he got as a meal in Abbeyknockmoy when he played his first professional date there as a musician back in 1973. Now as he prepares to return to the Abbey Inn next month, in the village where it all started for him, Declan says he still has vivid memories of his first dance date there as a member of the showband Paddy Hanrahan and The Oklahoma all those years ago. 'We arrived in the village at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon for that date and I can still taste the lovely ham and tomatoes that we got for our meal in a large two storey yellow painted house beside where the marquee was located. (Abbeyknockmoy native and Tuam barber Val Dolan says this was known as Treacy's House, owned by the O'Donoghue family) 'Later that night I made my debut as a professional musician in a showband and our special guest on the night was Brendan Grace who was enjoying success with his first hit Cushy Butterfield,' says Declan. All those years later both Declan and Brendan have become established stars and they may be getting together again in the near future in the recording studio. 'Brendan and myself have been talking about doing a duet and while it is in the very early stages yet I hope it happens,' says the Longford star who will be forever remembered on the music scene for hits such as Stop the World and Let Me Off and of course The Marquee in Drumlish about his home village. Those two songs will be among many others on a new album of his greatest hits, to which he is currently putting the finishing touches and which will be released along with a DVD in time for the Christmas market. 'We have not yet finalised what will be on the DVD and it may be a combination of on location filming as well as some material from our live shows. 'It is now down to final decision time whether we will use live footage from a concert setting or from one of our dances, perhaps some footage from the occasional marquee gigs that we have done in recent times,' he added. Declan has strong family links with Galway as his sister Ann is married to Dr John Healy from Athenry who is a GP in Thurles and they are the parents of singer Una Healy of the internationally successful UK-based Pop group The Saturdays. Another Athenry cousin is Irish Olympic athlete Paul Hession. Una Healy's marriage, to top English international rugby star Ben Foden, and the reception in Bansha, Co. Tipperary made media headlines some time ago as did her gig with her singing uncle in The Marquee in Drumlish last year. Declan says that Una and Ben are a great couple and she enjoyed singing in The Marquee in Drumlish too, even if it was a very different scene for her. 'I am happy that the song has perpetuated the memory of the marquees and carnival dancing in Ireland for many. Marquee dancing was part of what we were in Ireland before the boom and bust times. 'Many of the those who were teenagers in the showband era are now telling their grandchildren about what the live music scene was like in the carnivals and dancehalls and it was a scene that is part of what we are as Irish. Even the summers seemed warmer and brighter back then,' says Declan. He is ever an optimist and Declan believes that the good times and the brighter summers will come again. But right now he feels that music is the only thing that is giving people a bit of lift at present. 'We have to make the best of what we have right now and the dancing and concerts help people forget their cares, even for a few hours, he says with a smile. But he was not smiling about the lack of support for the live Country â€Ëœn' Irish music scene by the tourism bodies here. 'Our section of the music scene attracts a lot of visitors from overseas and this in turn helps the economy but we get no promotional or financial support from either the arts or tourism authorities. 'It seems that Country â€Ëœn' Irish is not considered for support in artistic circles yet our music is not very different from Traditional Irish music and as part of what we are as Irish are I think we deserve more support. 'But the powers that be don't sit down with our part of the industry to encourage airlines and others to promote what Country â€Ëœn' Irish music means to tourism. We have to do it all on our own,' says Declan. He added that one case in point is his own annual fan club gathering in The Arklow Bay Hotel in Wicklow later this year. 'Fans travel from different parts of Ireland for this annual gathering of the fans and this year we will have 74 fans coming over from Scotland. This is just one example that we are doing our own small bit for tourism yet it goes unnoticed by the tourist and arts authorities,' he added. The success of his hit Stop the World and Let Me Off, especially with young people, has been a pleasant surprise for Declan. 'We were delighted that this song hit a chord with the young as well as with our dancing fans of more mature years. 'It is strange how one song can reach out to so many different fans and we know that very often young people come to our live gigs specifically to hear us play that song. Once we play the first few bars of the tune they are out on the floor dancing,' concluded Declan. Declan Nerney and his band play in The Abbey inn, Abbeyknockmoy on Friday September 7. â€â€ T.G.