Craic, stories and songs filled the Arboretum for Richie’s book launch
Richie Kavanagh with his wife Nancy and son James at the launch of his new book 'Craic, Stories & Songs'. Photo by Michael O'Rourke.
“MY advice to anyone, is if you have you an idea about something, go for it”, said Richie Kavanagh in an interview at the launch of his new book .
The Arboretum at Leighlinbridge was packed with Richie’s supporters, young, middling and old, on the night of 6 November.
The 150-page hardback book contains some of the Carlow entertainer’s large collection of songs, stories and photographs of family and famous friends.
“They’re all stories about everything,” said Richie, who’s from Fenagh outside Bagenalstown.
Tractors, women, good times and country life are common themes in his music.
His son James, who travelled around the country with his father during his performing years, said: “Ninety percent of Richie’s songs would have been made up on the way home from the gig at nighttime.
“We’d be coming home at three or four in the morning; he’d be in top form after the gig. We’d be coming through Ballinasloe in Galway and by the time we were in Tullamore, he would have a song … it would just flow.” Even though his father now suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and doesn’t drive, he said he continues to write songs.
James Lakes, radio presenter at KCLR compèred the evening, and noted how Richie “has put smiles and laughs” on all of our faces.
A panel of Tony Keogh, Mick Foster, Tony Allen, Eimear Ní Bhraonáin and Michael Moriarty discussed Richie’s long and successful career, and shared stories from working with the man famous for writing and There was a standing ovation from the crowd of nearly 200 people as Richie joined his peers on stage.
“He has promoted Carlow. In the book here, it describes him as a national treasure. I think he is a living legend”, said Mr Moriarty.
Far from being just a local success, Richie has found his songs topping charts around the world. “He’s very popular in New Zealand, of all places. We would get a printout every quarter of where the songs are downloaded. And you wouldn’t even [believe], if you go through it, there’s not one part of the world where his songs haven’t popped up. – that would be popular right across everywhere,” said James.
On stage, Richie’s twin sons James and Richie Jr explained how the book came about.
It was their father’s idea, but an entirely family production to make his dream a reality, they said. His wife Nancy also received recognition for her work “keeping the tae flowing” and being “the backbone of the family” throughout Richie’s career.
His grandchildren were running the show on Thursday, taking videos of the event and selling books, and grandson CJ even got up on stage at the end of the night to do justice to his grandfather’s song .
Richie’s book, , is on sale in all good bookshops now.
