BEEB PHIL LYNOTT DOCUMENTARY
Nov 4th, 2008 by Sean Baite
During a rare attempt to listen to a few tracks from one of Marc Riley’s programmes on BBC Six Music (or whatever it’s called) I got sidetracked onto a Phil Lynott documentary they’re currently broadcasting : Phil Lynott docu. Part 1 of 6 Narration is by that Nordie actor that once did voicovers for BT ads so I kept feeling I was in an ad break. An annoying editing style and a fairly cursory approach to the subject had me thinking it was a half hour one-off but on going back to find the link, I notice it’s the first of six parts. Worth the listen, I suppose, if only for the bits of interviews giving a fleeting insight into the Dublin ’scene’ in the late 60s / early 70s. Happily, for once the Beeb have not let the studio be taken over by boozed/coked up idiots with their mental age reverted to 15 and a mobile phone in their grasp…
Lynott and Lizzy featured, logically enough in one of Conor’s Great Irish Bands slots a while back : GIB N° 23 - Lizzy / Lynott
Relevance to the US election day :
1/ Pretend Obama is the re-incarnation of Phil Lynott
2/ Some Dub in the backarse of France commenting on the US election seems to me a bit like a liver fluke in a heifer somewhere in Meath commenting on the Common Agricultural Policy.
BTW did anyone else notice this very lucid article in the New Statesman, penned by a certain L. FLUKE, somewhere in..
Just listened to the BBC radio documentary, which was professional and informative. His mother speaks well about the difficult early weeks after birth in Britain’s West Midlands and gives excellent information about Phil’s great upbringing by his adoring grandmother, and how the growing youth through force of personality integrated himself into his Dublin southside surroundings. This speaks well for southsiders in the Crumlin area (and incidentally puts paid to the myth that ‘real dubs’ mainly live in a northside epicentre) and should serve as an inspirational story for those concerned about ethnic integration in Dublin’s working class areas.
Didn’t Behan (whose family was re-housed out there from near the North Circular) have a witticism about Crumlin ?? Something about ‘atin’ their dead’ or the like ? Then again, he had one about just about everywhere.
I don’t like to go near that ‘Rale Dubs’ territory - usually ends up as a comparison of inbreeding credentials. I’m just a blow-in meself BTW.
Not too sure about the ease of integration though, Gar. Can hardly find his grannie pretending she’s looking after the kid for a certain black lady to the neighbours on his arrival as proof of the open arms of Crumlin extended to all races.
There are a lot of anecdotes on his force of personality winning people over alright. Liked the friend recalling him saying often: ‘In England, I’m Irish; In Ireland, I’m from Dublin, In Dublin, I’m from (certain road in Crumlin).’
Of course - big barrier to his integration was that Brush Shiels fella - but then he was a Ballyfermot head :-> Kicking him out of Skid Row - de cheek !!
Right Sean, let’s compromise and say the main ethnic problem in Dublin is between northsiders and southsiders. For many decades there was employment discrimination against southsiders with Fatima addresses. Is this still true? As a ‘blowout’ I’m kinda neutral in this.
For decades there was employment discrimination against any number of places/pockets - north and south-side - just like anywhere else in the world.
Here in France, it’s usually when the employers can draw the conclusion an area has a majority of immigrant origin. In Dublin it was probably more of a warped class judgement. When it comes to stupid reasons NOT to give someone a job - employers seem to have no end of them.. :-<
I just discovered Phil Lynott through the statues in Dublin: http://www.awaycity.com/wiki/Dublin/Tourism/Statues I never heard about him before, but thanks to youtube, I listened to his songs, and I like him. Furthermore, it’s so cool to see Dublin through the clip