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Like a classic vintage wine, Christy Moore has improved and gained more body with age.
His Saturday night concert in the National Stadium, Dublin, his first major appearance since his August '87 heart attack, was not just an adequate rendition of the songs that have made him famous but a showcase which should guarantee his folk-world canonisation.
Sweat cascading onto his newly slimmed-down frame, he cajoled, amused, moved and made pure putty of the mainly blue-collar Stadium audience. It was hard to believe that classics such as "Lisdoonvarna," "Cliffs of Dooneen" and "Continental Ceili" could emerge as if newly-minted but in the hands of so consummate a performer they did.
Moore's true greatness, however, lies in interpreting everyday politics without becoming pedantic. No official enquiry could ever move consciences as much as his rendition of the tragedies that were Chernobyl and "The Stardust."
When Elvis Costello and Dónal Lunny joined him on stage for "Don't Go Out Tonight" and "The Dark Side of the Street." It was but the cream on a truly memorable evening for the capacity crowd. Mention must also be made of Hank Halfhead and the Rambling Turkeys who excelled in their supporting role.
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