Our illustrious bass player Mark McNeilly turned 50 on the 27th so we celebrated his birthday in style yesterday at our regular Bay Hotel gig in Mornington.
Frosty had turned his half century into a week long affair, raising the bat repeatedly to all corners of the ground. He started on Tuesday and continued on through to the time of writing, so needless to say he turned up at the gig looking as white as his hair. A couple of stabilisers, however, and he was in fine fettle.
Mark has played in the Irish scene for 30 years – Dan O’Connell’s gig was testament to that – on that night he played banjo in Tara, bass in Seldom Sober, bass, banjo, whistle and guitar in Shanakee and bass and banjo in Highland Paddy. He needed a bex and a lie down at the end of that little lot!
He is a stalwart, a doyen, an ornament and one of the best blokes you could ever hope to meet. Happy birthday McNeilly!
