Ballina couple honour late son through music

The wheel came full circle for a Ballina couple on June 14, 2007, when their fourth child was born in a car just outside a doctor’s surgery on the outskirts of Limerick.

Almost 10 years earlier, their first baby, David, who was just six and a half weeks old, died suddenly in Derrybeg, Ballina, as a result of a serious heart problem.
Paul Smyth and his wife, Emer, had to suffer the agony of watching David being pronounced dead by their doctor, Robert Magnier.
David was born in September 1997 and was only three days old when he was diagnosed with a serious heart defect. He spent about one week in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin and another week at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
The death of their first child was extremely difficult to come to terms with. However, now they are extremely grateful to be blessed with four healthy children Laura (11), Eva (8), Laoise (5) and Davin (3).
The birth of Davin provided Dr Magnier with one of the happiest days of his career after he was delivered in the couple’s car outside his surgery in Castletroy at 3.55 am. Emer recalled she told Paul she wouldn’t make to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick and once he stopped the car and open the door Davin arrived about five minutes before Dr Magnier arrived.
Despite their brief stint in Our Lady’s, the couple supported various fund raising ventures for the hospital over the years and a conversation between Paul and Rowan Mulrooney, Portroe, one night in Liam O’Riain’s about compiling a compact disc resulted in the idea of a charity production to benefit the hospital.
It is expected the hospital will benefit from an estimated €15,000 once the first 1,000 CDs, which had the production costs covered by five sponsors, are sold. It will be officially launched on Saturday, November 27 at 8pm in Liam O’Riain’s pub.
“This isn’t about our story, it all about raising money to fund operations in Our Lady’s,” explained Paul. Emer noted the technology had been developed, which would have saved David’s life but it can’t be provided in Our Lady’s because of a lack of available resources.
“At least we know there was nothing we could have done to save David’s life,” she said.
Every Tuesday night Paul plays the flute, Rowan plays the djembe while Caitriona Shortt on accordion hit the high notes for a free seisún in Liam O’Riain’s pub.
Over the last four years, a lot of local and international musicians and singers have dropped in unannounced for this ad-hoc gathering without a cover charge.
Paul decided to use all the contacts he had built up in recent years to produce an eclectic mix of Irish traditional music sprinkled with all the magnetism of performing live in a pub seisiún compared to the more formal and somewhat sedate surroundings of a studio set.
A number of musicians and singers who answered his call to contribute to the 15-track 45-minute CD had intimate knowledge of what was provided in Our Lady’s and the importance of fundraising through family members.
Microphones were set up in an impromptu studio in Liam O’Riain’s for the all-important recording on Tuesday, March 2 by midday.
All the performers who played for about 20 minutes were contacted by Paul and Rowan arrived on schedule and the event ran like clockwork. Brendan Hearty was the recording engineer while the producer and floor manager, Ged Foley played a key role in the success of the project. It was mixed and mastered by Joe O’Dubhghaill and Ged Foley at Pinevalley Studios, Killaloe, Killaloe-based photographer, Deborah Dudgeon provided the photographs while artwork, sleeve design and layout was completed by Vincent Coleman.
Singers included Deirdre Scanlan, Niamh Ryan, daughter of Liam O’Riain, and Derek Lyons, who performs in Bunratty, all from Ballina, Anna O’Connor and Niamh Chadwick, Portroe. Leon Agnew, flute, Killaloe; Pat O’Connor, fiddle, Feakle; Katie O’Sullivan, concertina, Murroe; Joe Ryan, tin whistle, Nenagh; Matteo Petitti, fiddle, Paulo Cerato, accordion, who works in Custys Music shop, Ennis; Jim Wenham, bodhran, an internationally recognised reed maker for uileann pipes, Jim Tully, accordion, Gerry Conroy, whistle, Woodford; Michael “Piper” Cooney, South Tipperary; Colman Connolly, low whistle and uilleann pipes, Galway; Dave Flynn, guitar; Lucia McPartland, fiddle, Ballina, Denis Kennedy, keyboard, Boher; Joanne Lonergan, flute, Niamh Lonergan, accordion; Denis Glass, fiddle, Feakle; Vincent Griffin, fiddle, Feakle, Joe Grady, fiddle, Mayo.
Ted O’Connor who runs a business next door provided his premises as a practice room while Bob Bradwell, who runs Liam O’Riain’s provided hot food and was extremely helpful on the day.
Paul hopes the CD will be supported by people who can purchase it in Custy’s Music Shop Ennis and shops in Ballina, Killaloe, Nenagh, Newport and other areas in Limerick.
Anyone who wants to purchase a copy directly can contact Paul at 086 2317080.