Hello again,

It’s getting to be that busy time of year when thoughts turn towards Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season, and once again I marvel at the swift passing of time…another year almost over. The weather here in Savannah is very pleasant indeed; cool mornings, warm afternoons and bright blue skies compliment the gentle pace of life here. Having spent several weeks in Atlantic Canada and seeing the spectacular Fall colours I feel compelled to report that we do get a bit of that in Savannah, albeit it on a much smaller scale than up north. Sometimes while driving or taking a walk I’ll notice a cluster of rust tinged foliage or even a singular tree in the beginning stages of shedding its withered copper or gold coloured leaves, and I think ‘how beautiful’.  Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, if you stop to look around you and I mean really look, you will see things in your neighborhood, street or back yard that will amaze you; how a shaft of sunlight angles through an overgrown bush and dances on a pathway, long shadows cast by old garden tools create a temporary mosaic filled with intriguing patterns, a solitary petite flower that you never noticed before, defiantly growing in an unused bucket, or the sound of a cluster of falling leaves as they land and scrape along the pathway.

 Natural beauty is but inches away at any given time in any given place…the trouble is we don’t take notice because we’re busy important people with lots to do. I would venture to guess that at some point in our lives, we…all of us…would move the earth if we could, for one more look at a falling leaf or a pretty flower or a swaying tree or an ocean sunset. For my part, I’m making a conscious effort to appreciate these things daily in the hope that small things will enrich my journey.

 I didn’t mean to wax all poetic like back there, but hey, I’ve been away for a while.

 I arrived back from my N.C.L. travels three weeks ago and have been trying to catch up since. Before I continue I do want to say hello and ‘thanks’ to my fellow entertainers on the Norwegian Jewel and Spirit. I had a terrific time working with Ross Mitchell, Brenda Kaye, Bud Anderson, Jane L. Powell, Ivan Pecel, Second City Comedy and all the Production and Cruise Staff aboard both vessels.

I met a ton of lovely passengers, slight exaggeration there but you know what I mean, and all in all it was a memorable experience. I continue to learn and grow as my career takes unusual twists and turns and I am thankful to be given these opportunities. Norwegian Cruise Line has seen fit to invite me to perform with them again in 2011 and I will have specific cruise dates early next year.

We have two Ireland Tours in 2011 and briefly the information is as follows:

 

Harry O’Donoghue’s   Enchanted Tour to Ireland
July 17 – 24, 2011

$1,890.00 per person sharing (land only)
Save $100 by signing up before January 21, 2011

 

This year we explore the beautiful Northern Counties: Donegal, Fermanagh, Derry, Antrim, Tyrone and end up in the ‘wee county’, my own County Louth. All hotels are four star, we have a full sightseeing itinerary and we’ll enjoy the usual good times or ‘craic’ as we travel around. As with all our tours everything is included with the exception of lunches and beverages. Go to our Tours Page for the full itinerary and more in depth information and terms and conditions.

Fr. Liam and Mary Collins’ Annual Celtic Spirituality Tour 
with Harry O’Donoghue 
July 26 – August 2, 2011
$1,890.00 per person sharing (land only)
Save $100 by signing up before January 21, 2011

 

On our Celtic Spirituality Tour we will cut a swath across Ireland from the rugged west coast of County Clare out to the barren Aran Islands and through the Monastic Midlands, visiting Clonmacnoise, Clonfert Cathedral, St. Bridget’s Cathedral, Glendalough and more. Fr. Liam will offer his own insightful thoughts along the way and evenings will be filled with good fellowship, song, laughter and discussion. Our hotels are once again finely appointed and we have a well paced sightseeing itinerary in place. 

 For more information please go again to our O’Donoghue Tours page.

 SPECIAL NOTE: We are happy to introduce an early sign-on bonus. Save $100.00 per person by signing on, with deposit, before January 21, 2011.

 I’m thrilled with the buzz coming in for my new recording  ‘A Splash of No Regrets’. I mailed copies to various radio stations, publications and electronic media and the reviews have been very positive. The CD is available here on our website as well as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, cdBaby, I tunes, Saints and Shamrocks (Savannah store) and of course at my shows. The compilation ‘Live and Just as Well’  has also been a big hit. We re-mastered the songs and took out all unnecessary dialogue. It’s time to re-introduce our two Christmas projects; ‘Nollaig’ and ‘A Christmas Postcard’ are available from the aforementioned outlets.

 Speaking of Christmas, Carroll Brown and I are scheduled to begin our annual Celtic Christmas Concert Tour on December 1 at The Villages in central Florida. The full Tour Schedule can be found on our Calendar of Events page here on the website.

 Kevin Barry’s celebrated 30 years in business on October 31. It was quite an event. The pub offered a tasty buffet filled with all sorts of delicious offerings, an engaging stage show featuring Irish musicians who came to town for the evening. Some heartfelt speeches were made and notable personalities showed up for the celebration. Famed Dublin folk singer Danny Doyle chatted with Cahir O’Doherty, songwriter Brendan Nolan wrote a ditty for the occasion and Gabriel Donohue, Frank Emerson, Carroll Brown, Johnnie Kennedy, Colleen Settle, Butch Elmgren, Dr. Paul Jurgensen, Frank Clancy and Vic Power all contributed to the show. 

 There was a line at the end of the bar…not for drinks but to have a photo taken with actor Tom Berenger, who was, I must say, very tolerant and patient. Phil Hadaway taped the performances…up to a point, if you know what I mean, and Donald Carroll (Katie O’Donald’s) and Barbara Smith from Columbine Blue Music were also in attendance.  May I offer a hearty Congratulations to Kevin Barry’s, a one-of-a-kind establishment.

 With the demise of the Irish Pub scene here in America (from a live music standpoint), we touring musicians are always interested in new avenues to promote and perform our music. If you are interested in an O’Donoghue performance for a social event, concert, speaking engagement, festival, singer/songwriter show, library, church or community hall performance, or if you want to plan a tour to Ireland for a large group or a smaller or special interest group please contact me and we’ll take it from there.

 As always thank you for your support and encouragement. Take care and I’ll see you out there. Please leave any comments you might have here on our Guestbook or on my Facebook Page.

 

All the best,