Kíla 'An Ghealach Ar Mo Thóir'

Pat Tierney was a poet who died in 1996. Some of you may remember him from Grafton Street where he recited poetry, both his own poems and poems of others. He also wrote a self-published autobiography called 'The Moon on My Back'. The title was inspired by a dream he had had, as a child, that the moon was chasing him.

He was energetic, joyful, and charismatic but he was HIV positive. The 4th of January 1996 was the first full moon of that year and that was the day that Pat died.

Colm O Snodaigh penned a song about this, as Gaeilge, called 'An Ghealach ar mo Thóir'. Anyone who has been to the The Kíla Sessions at Whelan's, may have heard him sing this.

It is an unreleased song, as yet, but we recorded it while in Paris in March at the Centre Culturel Irlandais. At the moment we are calling these jam sessions, The Paris Demos.

Dave Hingerty filmed this, during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown (social distancing rules were respected) and we think it is absolutely beautiful.

Inspired by Pat Tierney, the song and video brings two virus pandemics together, that each in their own way, brought the world to a halt. Codladh Sámh Pat agus Go raibh maith agat. Copyright Kíla Records

[Jiuhuashan]

Beautiful song, and beautiful cursive writing.

[shaalis]

Sad also: in HIV science, 1996 was also the year the "cocktail" was invented; a method of medication that was customized for each HIV infected patient. It helped give them their lives back.