A couple of weeks ago I was in Donegal on the west coast of Ireland with my partner and daughter for a bit of a holiday.  We visited a place called Maghera caves just west of a town called Ardara. While we were getting ready to leave the caves and continue our journey to Rossnowlagh for a swim, I got into a conversation with a local man (he actually ran the car park) about the history of the caves... beautiful tidal access caves, that you have to walk a mile or two over glorious sandy landscapes that can only be described as ‘lunar’, to get to – also you can only see them properly when the tide is out. 

Anyway... enough ‘scene setting’... The car park man and I were deep in conversation regarding the history of the caves and he was telling me of a massacre of people hiding (probably living off the abundant waters) in those very caves by English soldiers sometime in the 12 Century. I mentioned a song that I had written about people throughout Ireland’s history having to ‘hide in the night’... I told him how the song’s theme stretched way back to his story and right forward to the intimidation of Romanian Nationals in Belfast recently.  And we discussed soutterains and caves and early Christian raths, drop-bars, round towers, bawns etc.

There were some women there too and we got talking... invariably... there were two sisters and their mother... who was 82.... it turns out they were a musical family, the girls all sang and played music together. One of the women regarded my hair and said she really liked it... at which point I felt the need to explain that I just ran it under a tap and shook my head every morning and that was that.  I then felt the need to explain why I grew it... Ie: I stopped working the 9-5 so that I could concentrate on playing and writing music. So therefore I didn’t have to be clean shaven, wear a suit and a noose and keep my hair short... and anyway... I like my hair like this!!

As I got up to leave the ladies were leaving too and the same woman who commented on my hair said “You’ve just had a shift in your paradigm”... now....??? at this point I said “sorry, what did you just say???” I was totally dumbstruck as the incredible truth enveloped me.  She repeated the statement and added... “it’s for your soul.. you need to look after  your soul don’t you?.” I may have slightly paraphrased that last little bit but it’s as close as I remember it.  Well, Mairhi and Banbha were waiting in the car so I said my goodbyes... I offered a couple of my Myspace cards and told them that they could hear ‘Hide in the night’ on my page if they wanted. So that was that.

Later we left Rossnowlagh after our swim and headed back to the house we were staying at in Bundoran... I then parked myself in the porch with a couple of candles and my favourite pipe... and of course my guitar (I always take it on hols).  I was strumming on something for a while and then all of a sudden... Splat!!! A song from nowhere (at least I thought that until I got to the middle and realised exactly where it had come from) I was in the middle of writing ‘A shift in my paradigm’.  I was feeling the waves of Rossnowlagh pushing me on the body board, I could feel that I was travelling towards a new destination at an incredible speed and that my axis had totally shifted and things were definitely going to change – for the better.  This was how I wanted to live from now on... assisted by the waves and the wind, writing music for my soul and for the souls of others.  I couldn’t wait to get the song jotted as I had no recording gear with me... except my phone which is crap and, statistically, if the idea had went on the phone it would have stayed there – haha.  So as soon as I got home I recorded it on my laptop and breathed a sigh of relief as I caught the ethos of what I felt as I was writing.

Well... you’d think that was it. Not so... 

I was playing at the Kilbroney Bar in Rostrevor on Monday lunchtime as part of the Fiddlers Green Festival, sharing a one hour slot with a lovely lady called Loretta Phillips.  I had played here last year and was quietly confident in my ability to ‘engage’ a superbly behaved ‘listening audience’ – the venue holds about 45-60 people comfortably – and it was well packed.  I played all original songs and was even able to have the space to tell the stories behind them... a real treat for any songwriter.  I decided that my new song was ready to do as my final number... so I told the story... all eyes were on me and everyone was hanging on my every word as I told them about leaving work and seeking a life less ordinary etc and about my meeting at Maghera Caves with this woman who inspired me to write the following song... and as I introduced it as “No title yet”... they laughed.

When I had finished there was a warm applause the like of which I hadn’t heard in a few years... since my days with the Bush Turkeys in a packed Errigle Inn in Belfast... I was tickled alright.  So I left the stage area and sat down with my daughter Banbha for a few mins... then Loretta P{hillips asked me if she could borrow my music stand “Yeah sure” I said handing it to her... and as I did, a hand touched my shoulder... and so I looked round to see this woman who said “I’m glad I inspired you to write that song”  WOW!!! It was her... I couldn’t believe it!  “My mother and sister are over there” she added, pointing across the room.  I was slightly gobsmacked and said so... she then said “ I told you I was going to come along to this gig”  I didn’t remember that bit.  She then told me the most wonderful thing... and I must at this stage refer you all to my poem ‘Ode to the lost ones’ (I have posted it just below this) Referring to the ‘shift in my paradigm’ statement at Maghera She said...” I wasn’t telling you something... I was channelling it to you – do you know what channelling is?”  I told her I thought I did alright.  The message was from someone/somewhere else and it seems maybe wasn’t a suggestion... but more a statement of fact!  So that night I went home and got Audacity (recording software) onto my laptop and made a rough but sweet multi-track recording of the song and popped it up onto the myspace player.

An interesting turn of events!

And i still don't know who this woman is... i'd like to stay in touch there i reckon!... and I hope she gets to read 'Ode to the lost ones' (below)

Ode to the lost ones - Ludwig O'Neill 2008

All the ghosts surround me now

Those gone while I remain

You’re all in my thoughts… I promise

til I meet with you again

My heart is with your spirit

As astral winds they blow

Our merging dreams and visions

Until I too must go

I feel you in my days and nights

When I am lifted high

Above the dangers of this world

As guardians you’re close by

I work the daunting inspiration

bestowed as falling stars

your whispering translations

fill the empty hours

I know you watch the things I do

I’ll never let you down

You made me who I am today

Singer, poet, clown.

My deepest fear you swift dispel

My dearest loved old friends

We’ll meet again, I know we will

The circle never ends.