I had the pleasure of seeing The Waterboys at the Millenium Forum in Derry last night. Appropriately, when I was leaving the house, a full moon greeted me when I opened the door, shining down in all its glory, so I took it as a good sign for the night ahead.
Halloween is a big deal over here and Derry revived the spectacle a few years ago so it is the go to place now for Halloween. Halloween is the old pagan festival of Samhain which was a time to remember the dead, and signified the beginning of winter and the end of Bealtaine. If you have never been, you should make an effort to come at least once. You won’t regret it. (See links below)
The streets of Derry were buzzing as the celebrations had all kicked off on Saturday and, luckily, I got a parking space quite close to the theatre.
The show itself was brilliant, the band were electric and so were the crowd. A special mention for Brother Paul Brown on keyboards who absolutely rocked with infectious joy. Mike Scott is not just a song writer and singer but has the soul of a poet. In a past life, he was probably Aengus, a mythic God associated with youth, love, summer and poetic inspiration, from the land of Tir na N’og which translates as Land of the Young or Eternal Youth. WB Yeats also wrote a poem about him, Wandering Aengus.
The Waterboys has to be one of the best shows I’ve been to and I will certainly make an effort to see them again. They will be playing around Ireland this week and, if you get a chance, go see them but, if you can’t, they are headlining the Sign of the Times Festival next year in Hertfordshire, England from 5-7 July.
Ancient Samhain (Halloween) Celebration & Traditions In Ireland (yourirish.com)
Aengus Óg: The Irish God of Love (brehonacademy.org)
Tír Na nÓg - The legend of the land of eternal youth (irishcentral.com)