Drove to Buncrana via Derry over the Foyle.
Up till late talking, and drinking in Roddens' bar with Hillary. Politics, the 'Peace talks' Cease fire, decommissioning of weapons etc. Dogs racing, Olympics and sponsorships. Listening to Stan Freberg's records, laughing with tears rolling down. I was discussing/talking about the fascist parade in Southalls' Asian area, and in the late 1920s against Jews in Cable Street, comparing these marches with the orange parade in Derry etc. all have provocation in common. Hilary said, that if the Catholics waved union jacks and didn't display anger, fear etc. Maybe the protestants wouldn't march? A session in Roddens' bar. Buncrana Donegal, Dinny (McGlauchlan) played sober on orange juice, he hasn't played for a while, and he enjoyed my trombone with his fiddle dancing in the tune. The characters in the bar came and sat with us two, miming guitars, and vocal encouragement, Jack in the wheelchair borrowed my guitar for a song. Dinny doesn't like foremen asking, ordering tunes from him like a jukebox. "Ignorant fuckers, noisy the lot of them". Cathal is home from Aberdeen, to see his mum who is dying of cancer in Dublin, he visits her there some days. Others home from New Zealand, decision-making time trying to start a new life.
A few nights later. Everyone came out of the woodwork for a last-minute arranged gig (by Hilary) at a pub called the halfway house, between Derry and Buncranna, never used as a venue before, Hillary told folks at Rodden's bar, the word was passed mouth to mouth by phone, rumour in Derry and Buncrana. 20 folks showed up, a bus was arranged at a pound per head bringing folks. Some only heard about it an hour before, the venue was only secured the night before, with no hire fee. The buzz was created by the session at Rodden's bar with Dinny and me. Dinny was now off the drink, he had been barred from most pubs around, and we had to verify and be responsible for his behaviour, friend Mickey was just back from Marrocco visiting with his kids and wife Pascal.
The network of drinkers, chancers, and party animals, old and young arrived, Dinny and I played tunes together, trombone and Fiddle, Bodhran and spoons, Lawrence brought his drums, bongos etc. A visitor from Brooklyn got up and jammed along. I invited anyone, Kathy who teaches Irish dance, danced, arms straight down as if tied to the sides and others boogied along. The owner of the pub was happily surprised at the attendance.