Christy Moore

Another progressive musician to visit Perth and play at the new concert hall is Christy Moore. During his October 2009 performance at Perth Concert Hall, Christy Moore dedicated his song about the Spanish Civil War - Viva la Quinta Brigada - to James Moir and the other volunteers from Perthshire who served with the International Brigades. Part of the set-list from that night with Christy Moore's notes on the Perthshire volunteers is shown at the bottom of this page.

Click for more details on the Perthshire International Brigade volunteers.

"Christopher Andrew 'Christy' Moore (born on May 7, 1945, in Newbridge, County Kildare) is a very popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty. His first album, Paddy on the Road (a minor release of 500) was recorded with Dominic Behan (brother of Brendan) in 1969.

1970 brought his first major release, Prosperous (named for the village of Prosperous, County Kildare, where the album was recorded), which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed Planxty: Liam Óg O'Flynn, Andy Irvine, and Dónal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty.

After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion (which he has been doing ever since). He also formed the band Moving Hearts with Lunny and five other musicians in 1980. In 2000 he published his autobiography, One Voice.

In October 2004, a story in the Irish Times revealed how Moore had been stopped and detained by customs officers at the Welsh port of Holyhead. The story entitled: "SINGER HELD: Moore stopped at Holyhead" written by Daniel McConnell told of how the singer was stopped in his van with his driver, taken into an office and questioned over the lyrics of his songs. The following day in response to the Irish Times article, Moore released a statement saying: "My driver and I were stopped and held for two hours at Holyhead last Monday, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. My driver and I were held separately in two interrogation rooms. I found the whole experience threatening. I was questioned about the contents of my briefcase." Despite initial reports to the contrary, the singer's van, which was full of musical equipment, was not searched. "I was questioned about lyrics of songs and I was asked a lot of personal questions about members of my family and my children and about my home. At no time was I given any explanation as to why I was being held and interrogated in this manner", he added. He said the fact that Irish people are still being treated this way on their way to Britain is very "saddening". "I had hoped to deal with this matter out of the public domain. But seeing as it has become a news item, I feel the need to offer my side of the story. I found the whole affair quite frightening."

Moore is known for his political and social commentary, which reflects a left wing Irish Republican perspective. He supported the republican H-Block protestors in the 1970s and 1980s with the album H-Block in 1978, the launch of which was raided by the police, and The Spirit of Freedom. He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker Bobbie Sands. However, in 1987 he ceased supporting the military activities of the IRA as a result of the Enniskillen bombing.

Individual songs he has written throughout his career include 'On the Blanket' about the protests of republican prisoners, 'Viva la Quinta Brigada' about Irish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, 'Minds Locked Shut' about Bloody Sunday in Derry, 'El Salvador' and 'Biko Drum'. At Glastonbury Festival in 2005 he sang about the Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie.

In 2005, his "Don't Forget Your Shovel" was referenced in a number 1 UK single "The JCB Song" by Nizlopi: "And the engine rattles my bum like berserk. While we're singin, 'Don't forget your shovel if you want to go to work!'" His solo style includes driving rhythms on guitar and bodhrán as well as slower ballads. On Friday 6 October 2006 Christy paid a surprise visit to the legendary An Góilín traditional singers' club in Dublin. There, before fifty or so people, Christy took out his guitar (instruments are rarely used in An Góilín, it being a singers' refuge) and sang songs reflective of the Irish language and socially radical culture of the club such as Na Conghailigh, about the deaths of Tomás and Seán Ó Conghaile off Conamara, and Viva la Quinta Brigada, about the role of the Irish fighting with the socialists in the Spanish Civil War. With typical Moore social consciousness, he opened the festival marking Ballymun's inception as Dublin's first Fairtrade Town on November 23 2006. Ballymun, once synonymous with social deprivation and drug problems, is currently the largest urban regeneration project in northern Europe. In June 2007, Christy was guest on Desert Island Discs, a BBC programme that is often considered an accolade. He selected mainly Irish folk music that had inspired him and spoke frankly of personal and political issues that had shaped his life.

Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is Luka Bloom, is also a successful singer-songwriter. His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also an accomplished traditional flutist and tin whistle player, with Christy appearing on his Wind Dancer album."

A list of Christy Moore's releases are below:

Solo
Paddy On The Road (1969)
Prosperous (1972)
Whatever Tickles Your Fancy (1975)
Christy Moore (1976)
The Iron Behind The Velvet (1978)
Live In Dublin (1978)
H Block (1980)
Christy Moore and Friends (1981)
The Time Has Come (1983)
Ride On (1984)
Ordinary Man (1985)
The Spirit of Freedom (1986)
Unfinished Revolution (1987)
Voyage (1989)
Smoke and Strong Whiskey (1991)
King Puck (1993)
Live At The Point (1994)
Graffiti Tongue (1996)
Traveller (1999)
This is the Day (2001)
Live At Vicar Street (2002)
Burning Times (2005)
Live at The Point 2006 (2006)
With Planxty
Planxty (1972)
The Well Below The Valley (1973)
Cold Blow And The Rainy Night (1974)
After the Break (1979)
The Woman I Loved So Well (1980)
Words and Music (1983)
Planxty Live 2004 (2004)

Moving Hearts
Moving Hearts (1981)
Dark End Of The Street (1982)
Live Hearts (1986) (Recorded 1983)

Compilation Albums
High Kings of Tara (Christy Moore, Planxty,..) (1980)
Nice 'n Easy (1984)
Aris (Planxty) (1984)
Christy Moore (Compilation USA) (1988)
The Christy Moore Collection 1981-1991 (1991)
Christy Moore Collection Part 2 (1997)
The Box Set 1964 2004 (2004)