Ronnie McGinn's Poetry Page

Seems hard to believe, but it's a year since Brendan O'Brien passed away. Brendan and the Dixies were part of a new generation of Irish people who got up off their knees and believed in themselves. They saw more in the future than the boat to America and England. They believed we could do it at home and be just as good as anybody else in the world.

Brendan was the perfect example. His fine rich voice, his good looks, charming personality, charismatic stage performance, his modesty, his confidence and his gentlemanly manner made him a world class entertainer.

Brendan joined the Dixies in 1961 and three years later they were playing Carnegie Hall. And the rest as the cliché goes - is history. He wasn't just a Rock 'n' Roll singer, Brendan could switch to country or Irish music at the drop of a hat and be equally at ease with an up tempo tune or a slow romantic ballad.

Brendan's generation all have fond memories of the good old days but their memories of Brendan are pure gold.

Those Were the Days

The queue was formed from far and near,
With couples young and old.
At nine the doors would open wide
'Twas time for Rock'n'Roll.

The people milled around the stage
Enthralled with every glance,
When Brendan grabbed the microphone,
The world became a dance.

John Sheehan played the trumpet hard,
And Theo blew trombone,
Sean Lucey's magic fingers hit
The tenor saxophone

And Finbarr keyed the tune with ease
Big Steve strummed the guitar,
Christy doubled thumbed the bass
Joe Mac became a star.

Those were the days, those were the nights
When dreams might still come true
There was no one like The Dixies
In Nineteen sixty-two.

© Ronnie McGinn