Well, my review of my time in Dublin has taken a while. Much reflection and recovery from the journey, and then the deflation from the high, and the committing it to cyber paper with the knowledge that that then means it has all ended once again. The concert itself was fabulous, but that was only part of the journey taken.
The flight to Dublin was late – the plane into East Midlands Airport had been late, meaning a lot of standing around and nerves gathering. The time of the flight went passed with the departure board saying “Relax and shop” as the flights before and after mine ticked off announcing gates, then boarding and final calls, whilst I was still supposed to “relax and shop”. Flying Ryanair was definitely an experience, watching the plane arrive, discharge its previous passengers and their belongings and then take on its next charges in about 20 minutes flat. Anyway it meant that I arrived in Dublin, later than planned, in rain. I managed to find the right bus to take me near to the guesthouse where I was staying, but the traffic crossing over the River Liffey was queuing in the rain and so I didn’t have time to go to the National Gallery to see a particular painting for my Art History extended essay – luckily I’ll be back in Dublin to see family in a few weeks time, so can do it then. Found the guesthouse quite easily. Its radiators were on full blast, not so unusual for hotels, but more full on than most, but at least it meant a hot bath, to wash the airport and travelling off: hours of waiting for less than 1 hour of flight.
I had arranged to meet friends who had travelled over to Dublin the day before, for a meal before the concert and to get a final signature to a tag book I had been organising. You see the concert we were going to was to celebrate as the National Concert Hall put it itself - Brian Kennedy will perform a special concert to celebrate 20 years in the music business that will feature all his greatest hits from his whole career including A Better Man, Life, Love & Happiness, Get On With Your Short Life, You Raise Me Up, Get It Right Next Time, Gaye, Brown Eyed Girl and many more. I was a relative “Johnny come lately” having only been a fan since 1996, when I saw Brian as the support act and special guest of Clannad. I had heard of him before then, but his vocal talents had up until then passed me by. I’ve now seen him some 10 times both in England and Ireland, and each time it’s like the first time, the way the hairs stand up on end on hearing certain songs. Since the start of this year, I had been organising some gifts to give to Brian to celebrate his achievement of 20 years, and so the night would also include the giving of these – a Black Cut Waterford Crystal Glass Candle bowl, an arrangement of white roses and a scrapbook containing gift tags with people’s personal message of thanks and congratulations to Brian. I had hoped to get most of his fan base involved, but that wasn’t to be, as most didn’t put their names forward. So eventually it was given as a band of friends and fans, although not all could make it to the final giving.
Three of us met for an Italian meal, chat and wine, and then walked over to the National Concert Hall to met more friends, some up till then known only in cyber land, a few as friends met previously along the BK road. The gift group included fans from Northern & Southern Ireland, from England and Germany, with all but one going to the concert that night. I was very nervous, having nursed the cut glass bowl in my hand luggage. I had also been told that the flowers hadn’t arrived as at 5.00pm but couldn’t get an update, so went to the auditorium, worried that the one thing I’d organised but not personally brought, the flowers, might not make it backstage in time for Brian – much internal wailing and gnawing of teeth. Remember smile…
The flight to Dublin was late – the plane into East Midlands Airport had been late, meaning a lot of standing around and nerves gathering. The time of the flight went passed with the departure board saying “Relax and shop” as the flights before and after mine ticked off announcing gates, then boarding and final calls, whilst I was still supposed to “relax and shop”. Flying Ryanair was definitely an experience, watching the plane arrive, discharge its previous passengers and their belongings and then take on its next charges in about 20 minutes flat. Anyway it meant that I arrived in Dublin, later than planned, in rain. I managed to find the right bus to take me near to the guesthouse where I was staying, but the traffic crossing over the River Liffey was queuing in the rain and so I didn’t have time to go to the National Gallery to see a particular painting for my Art History extended essay – luckily I’ll be back in Dublin to see family in a few weeks time, so can do it then. Found the guesthouse quite easily. Its radiators were on full blast, not so unusual for hotels, but more full on than most, but at least it meant a hot bath, to wash the airport and travelling off: hours of waiting for less than 1 hour of flight.
I had arranged to meet friends who had travelled over to Dublin the day before, for a meal before the concert and to get a final signature to a tag book I had been organising. You see the concert we were going to was to celebrate as the National Concert Hall put it itself - Brian Kennedy will perform a special concert to celebrate 20 years in the music business that will feature all his greatest hits from his whole career including A Better Man, Life, Love & Happiness, Get On With Your Short Life, You Raise Me Up, Get It Right Next Time, Gaye, Brown Eyed Girl and many more. I was a relative “Johnny come lately” having only been a fan since 1996, when I saw Brian as the support act and special guest of Clannad. I had heard of him before then, but his vocal talents had up until then passed me by. I’ve now seen him some 10 times both in England and Ireland, and each time it’s like the first time, the way the hairs stand up on end on hearing certain songs. Since the start of this year, I had been organising some gifts to give to Brian to celebrate his achievement of 20 years, and so the night would also include the giving of these – a Black Cut Waterford Crystal Glass Candle bowl, an arrangement of white roses and a scrapbook containing gift tags with people’s personal message of thanks and congratulations to Brian. I had hoped to get most of his fan base involved, but that wasn’t to be, as most didn’t put their names forward. So eventually it was given as a band of friends and fans, although not all could make it to the final giving.
Three of us met for an Italian meal, chat and wine, and then walked over to the National Concert Hall to met more friends, some up till then known only in cyber land, a few as friends met previously along the BK road. The gift group included fans from Northern & Southern Ireland, from England and Germany, with all but one going to the concert that night. I was very nervous, having nursed the cut glass bowl in my hand luggage. I had also been told that the flowers hadn’t arrived as at 5.00pm but couldn’t get an update, so went to the auditorium, worried that the one thing I’d organised but not personally brought, the flowers, might not make it backstage in time for Brian – much internal wailing and gnawing of teeth. Remember smile…
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