Just a quick post tonight, but it’s a real treat. Please listen to this. It’s a beautiful song written and performed by Jess. The song is called Christmas’79. It is songwriting and singing at it’s best.
Why you may wonder am I asking you to watch a random singer/songwriter? Well I’m not. This is Jess, who has been a huge part of my 
life since she was a small girl. This Christmas night passed, as we partied, Jess sang this for us. I cannot remember being so immediately taken by a song and as it finished I felt a sting of tears.
It tells the story of an elderly man as he stands by the River Liffey in Dublin, remembering the love of his life. It’s a haunting song which will stay with you long after you’ve listened to it.
‘As the rivers run into the Liffey,
and the brush of your hand my cheek felt’
As I heard these words Christmas night, I thought of my own Dad who never got the chance to reminisce like this and also of my dear friend, Denis, who left Ireland aged in his 80s, to go live with his son. He often spoke of his late wife, always with real tenderness and I could well imagine him, given half the chance, standing by the Liffey and feeling the ‘brush of her hand’.
It is a song which tells a story. So tonight I’ll let Jess guest post and this is the story she tells. Enjoy.
(I’m hoping the link works!! Please let me know if it doesn’t)
photo credit: Ha’Penny Bridge, Dublin via photopin (license)
My thoughts on a page. 
It’s not working for me, Tric. I’m on my kindle, though, so I don’t know if that might have something to do with it although it’s generally fine.
Thanks. I wasn’t sure as it’s a Facebook Link. I’ll see if she’s any other.
I got it! The link isn’t playing for me here but I just clicked the FB icon and it took me straight there. It’s beautiful, Tric.
Thanks so much I hadn’t a clue how I’d ‘fix’ it.
I do love it, as a scot our music is so alike it’s no wonder you enjoyed it.:)
I was just commenting the other day that I was raised on Scottish and Irish folk songs – probably more Irish. I can’t resist a singalong and the camaraderie that comes from the sharing. I’m glad I got to hear her. I hope she does well with it.
It’s a bit of a killer when you give it socks at a singalong but then Jess sings! I hope you find a couple of good singalongs when you make your trip over here.
I’ll be looking out for them! Heading to one next weekend for a Burns’ Night so that should get me into practice. 😉
very beautiful – thank you for sharing this. have you had any contact with denis or his family since his leaving?
Yes indeed. We contact each other by phone regularly. He took a long time to settle but seems to be getting on a lot better now. I still miss him and his wonderful stories.
oh, I’m so glad to hear that, but i’m sure you miss each other terribly –
The song is lovely, Tric. I have 1/4 of 4 heritages: Irish, Scottish, German and Swedish. We have some overlapping ancestors. 🙂
I feel bad when people aren’t able to stay together. Separated by distance, space or death are all sad, just variations of the emotion. My Mom misses my Dad who died in 2001, she “talks” to him every day. I think their love is everlasting. Wishing you a happy new year, belatedly.
What a beautiful song! Thanks so much for sharing it.
(I couldn’t get the link on my Kindle, but it works fine on my Mac.)
Tric, lovely post. I’d only been wondering about your friend who went to England. Glad he’s settling.
The Liffey and her bridges wrench at my heartstrings too !
As soon as I saw you comment I thought of your early love and loss. Dublin is a really evocative city to live in. I’ve been gone from it years but it still gets to me when I return.
Thanks Tric!
Having spent 20 years or so in Dublin, it has a very special place in my heart too.
I was having trouble with it on my iPad, but then I read Scottishmomus’s comment and tried pushing the Facebook icon. That was a sweet song. I wished I’d had a little drink of something to go with it, though.