Paul Redmond
"It was like entering a dark murky underworld…there was something almost sinister about it…"
The story...
On this day in December 2004 Paul took his family on an outing to the river Liffey in Dublin. What started as a normal day filled with excitement, quickly changed to one of mystery with some strong historical roots…
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Paul is a musician and has recorded several albums. Check out the gallery to see some of his albums covers and click the link below to listen to one of his favourite tracks, Across Blue Waters.
'Across Blue Waters'
from the album Celtic Essence, by Paul Redmond
This track was composed by Paul and inspired by his experience on the Jeanie Johnston famine ship that day
Some of your favourite ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster presenters have been sharing their stories with Days Like This. Click on their picture to go to the story page...
Comment on Paul's story
Name: Brigid Brady and all at Teac Mallon
Date: 19/10/2008
Comment: Bevereley your story has impressed me and indeed all our friends in Teac Mallon. We are very proud to claim Paul Redmond as a friend, both he and his singing partner Karen Lynch have performed many times in Teac Mallon. We have a storytelling session the last friday of each month and Paul always contributes. He is an Irish Tenor and has just completed a musical Across Blue Watters. I'd also like to record your story for Storyfinders please. Congratulations to Paul!
Name: Beverley Davidson
Date: 26/02/2008
Comment: On Saturday the 16th Feb 2008 my hubby and I travelled to a place outside Dublin named Dun Laoghaire.
It was a crisp but sunny day with families out walking along the pier,
as Michael and I walked we chatted and took pictures for our memory book, in the distance we could hear music didn't take much notice we were too busy enjoying our time alone.
As we came to the end of the pier we finally seen where the music was coming from, it was a little bearded man playing a banjo. We climbed the steps to have a look across the sea on the other side of the pier, it was colder here - no sun. Instantly I felt a strange feeling peaceful yet sad heavy and cold, it was unnerving as I sat down on the little bench to take in the view, I felt removed from this time. I turned to my husband who hadn't a clue what was going on and said there is something strange here, I feel at peace yet sad. The coldness I felt was an emotion rather than a feeling, he put his arms around me in reassurance and said "lets get back to the car for a cuppa" as we turned to walk away my hubby took some coins from his pocket and said "Bev since you had a special experience here put some money in the mans box".
Strangely I hadn't even noticed he was still playing yet we were beside him, as we walked past I put the coins in his little box, looked up at his off white bearded face as he smiled at me the coins still jingling as they landed on the others that were already there he began to play Danny Boy, oh how strange that moment was.
We were now back on the sunny side of the pier where the last of the sun was still shinning.
The reflection
spanned across the water, the buildings behind the rays of the setting sun standing like silhouettes with all the knowledge of days past. I looked out across the harbour and beyond, broke down and cried, not knowing what had touched me. By this stage my hubby was worried that people would think we were having a domestic on the pier, he sat me down and held my hand, I could feel his hand on mine, but I was somewhere else.
The air around me was cold and hazy and filled with emotion yet it was from another time, all I could say to Michael was "I feel as if I am in a time were people left these shores in famine or emigrating times - I don't know what it is but it is heavy".
Tears streaming down my eyes, a gloom in my heart, in the background I could sense the hustle of times past, where was I and what was happening to me.
We sat for a while still the music played in the background, as we got
up to leave I felt sad to leave, I wanted to sit and watch the sun set
as if when it did the morning would come and the sadness would be all gone. We left, I will never forget that day, I still feel moved by the experience. A couple of days later my hubby phoned me from work, Bev he said listen to Radio Ulster, there is a guy who had the same experience as you, we sat down at 11.55pm and I waited with some excitement to hear what your story was. I felt cold when I heard it, how strange that a girl from Belfast who knows nothing about history should have an experience like that with someone from 100 miles away and never have met.
I don't know what happened that day or what happened in the past there on that harbour area maybe someone with historical knowledge could let me know, for me it was very strange but lasting.
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