The Mighty Avon Jnr – Undeground

The Mighty Avon Jnr

Underground

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100 years, a century, 5 score. This is a decade of centenaries for this island of ours and beyond.

It is a manifestation of history that events will be celebrated and when the anniversary has a zero at the end they become bigger. When they move into three digits for the first time they take on even greater imaginary proportions.

And so we enter into the year that signifies a centenary since what is generally know as the Easter Rising. The time when a group of people got together and decided there was a better way for this island nation, one of self determination that cherished all the people equally.

We are a divided nation and much of todays politics stems from whatever side people were on in 1916 and the events that proceeded this. It is the one thing we haven’t been able to shake off and hence the make up of Irelands political system, we are different to so many others in that our general election competition doesn’t pit one ideology against another, rather than one colour of capital against another. Of course there has been people scratching at this for years and it is starting to change, slowly. It all harks back to which side were you on though.

Emer Martin has writtten a remarkable novel called Affection if a Hag which details where this country has gone in those years. Darragh McCarthy has taken this and set it to music. The music being a haunting collection of sounds providing an almost conematic feel to it all. For 12 minutes we are treated to a reflection of our nation.

“Which way now” he proclaims as we have a chance to reflect on the nation that has evolved in those 100 years. Darragh, of course, is the person responsible for the Stars Are Underground film which chronicled the underground music scene in parts of Ireland in the 90’s. Darragh’s heart is with those Stars, in the Undergound hoping to shake common sense and decency into the establishment.

niallhope