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Free Afternoon Of Music, Talent & Community Spirit In Thurles, Co. Tipperary!

Everyone is warmly invited to come along and enjoy St Angela’s Academy Market Quarter Concert on Sunday next, June 7th, in the Market Quarter, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
This is a free admission event and promises to be a wonderful afternoon of live music, community celebration and family-friendly entertainment.

The programme begins at 2:00pm with the Thurles Community Orchestra, followed by the Thurles Children’s Orchestra at 3:00pm. At 3:30pm, the Thurles Ukulele Band, [featuring 4th, 5th and 6th class children], will take to the stage.
The afternoon continues with The Grapevine Motown Band at 4:00pm, before finishing in style with The Papa Zitas Motown Big Band at 4:30pm.

St Angela’s Academy of Music undertakes magnificent work in educating, encouraging and inspiring music students of all ages. The Academy describes itself as an institution of musical excellence for more than 30 years, with experienced musicians and educators supporting students on their musical journey.
Its Roundabout Programme also provides classical music education for primary school children, helping young musicians access instruments such as Trumpet, Trombone, French horn, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Flute.

This concert is a lovely opportunity to support local young talent, celebrate the arts in Thurles, and enjoy uplifting music in the heart of the community.

Bring family, friends and neighbours — admission is free, and all are welcome!

A Song For A Sunday.

No One Knows My Name.

Lyrics: American singer-songwriter and musician Marc Scibilia and American songwriter and record producer Nolan Winfield Sipe.
Vocals: American singer Marc Scibilia.

American singer-songwriter Marc Scibilia.

The song featured hereunder sung by Marc Scibilia, is about the people who don’t chase attention, don’t make headlines, and may never get a standing ovation, but who quietly leave the world better than they found it. It reminds us that a meaningful life isn’t always measured by fame or recognition, but by love, humility, faithfulness, and the small acts of goodness that often go unseen. So as you listen, think of the people in your life whose names may not be known by many, but whose impact will never be forgotten.

No One Knows My Name.

No One Knows My Name.

This world is a circus and people love a clown,
So you better entertain ′em if you wanna win the crowd.
There’s no parade or protests for callouses on hands,
Sunday attendance and doin′ what you can.

Why do the best men rest in unmarked graves?
Why do the good ones never find the front page?
I can’t help but thinkin′ now if that′s the case,
I’ll be lucky when I go if no one knows my name.

My grandfather was simple, he gave more than he took.
No better man than Jesus, and He never wrote a book.
The odds are when I go, it probably won’t leave much,
But honey, I loved you so, and I hope that′s enough.

Why do the best men rest in unmarked graves?
Why do the good ones never find the front page?
I can’t help but thinkin′ now if that′s the case,
I’ll be lucky when I go if no one knows my name.

Why do the best men rest in unmarked graves?
Why do the good ones never find the front page?
I can’t help but thinkin′ now if that′s the case,
I’ll be lucky when I go if no one knows my name.

END.

A Song For A Sunday.

Heroes and Friends.

Lyrics and Vocals:
American country and gospel music singer, film/television actor and songwriter Randy Travis, (Randy Bruce Traywick) in association with the late songwriter Don Alan Schlitz (1952 – 2026).

Randy Travis.

Hereunder video “Heroes and Friends,” is the voice of Randy Travis with a heartfelt country song about the people we look up to and the friends who stand by us.
With Randy’s warm, unmistakable voice, the song reminds us that heroes can inspire us, but true friends help carry us through life.
From his North Carolina roots to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Randy helped bring traditional country music back to the spotlight with a voice full of warmth, faith, and truth.

Heroes and Friends.

Heroes and Friends.

I ain’t live forever but I’ve lived enough,
And I’ve learned to be gentle and I’ve learned to be tough.
I’ve found only two things that last till the end,
One is your heroes and the others your friends.
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself,
Your friends won’t forsake you for somebody else,
They’ll both stand beside you through thick and through thin,
And that’s how it goes with heroes and friends.
I grew up with cowboys I watched on TV,
My friends and I sometimes pretended to be,
Years have gone by but now and again,
My heart rides the range with my heroes and friends.
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself,
Your friends won’t forsake you for somebody else,
They’ll both stand beside you through thick and through thin,
And that’s how it goes with heroes and friends.
And that’s how it goes with heroes and friends.

END.

Buy A Gun For Your Son.

Buy A Gun For Your Son.

Lyrics and Vocals: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, American folk singer-songwriter Tom Paxton whose career spans more than sixty years.

Folk Singer Tom Paxton

Tom Paxton wrote “Buy a Gun for Your Son” in the mid-1960s at the height of the Vietnam War era. He performed it on Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest in 1965. It is not a song in praise of guns or war; it is pure satire, using cheerful, almost advertising-like language to expose how casually children can be taught to admire violence.
Paxton released it on Ain’t That News with Elektra, and more than half a century later its bite is still sharp.
So before you listen to it, it is worth remembering, that the joke is bitter, the target is serious, and the question underneath it is still with us and asks what exactly are we teaching the next generation to value?

Buy A Gun For Your Son.

Buy A Gun For Your Son.

Hallelujah, Dads and Mommies,
Cowboys, rebels, Yanks and commies,
Buy yourselves some real red-blooded fun.
If you want to make the grade,
You’ve got to have a hand grenade,
And a fully automatic G.I. gun.

Chorus.
So buy a gun for your son right away, sir.
Shake his hand like a man and let him play, sir.
Let his little mind expand, place a weapon in his hand,
For the skills he learns today will someday pay, sir.

Pound that kid into submission,
‘Till he’s mastered nuclear fission,
Buy him plastic warheads by the score.
Once he’s got the taste of blood,
He’s gonna sneak up on his buddies,
Starting his own thermo-nuclear war.

Repeat Chorus.

Buy him khakis and fatigues,
And sign him up in little leagues.
Give him calisthenics as a rule,
Once you’ve banished fear and dread,
Then pat his seven year-old head,
And send him off to military school.

Repeat Chorus.

Once he’s grown to be a man,
He might get tired of blasting Granny,
Then you’ll see a crisis coming on.
Don’t get worried, don’t get nervous,
Send that kid into the service,
Let him rise into the Pentagon.

At the Pentagon he’ll rise,
The President he will advise,
His reputation growing all the while.
With your picture on the wall,
He’ll get that long-awaited call,
And press the firing buttons with a smile.

Repeat Chorus.

END

Rest In Peace, Dennis Locorriere.

The music world has lost yet another legendary voice. Dennis Locorriere, the longtime frontman and founding member of Dr. Hook, has passed away at the age of 76, following a battle with kidney disease.

Late Dennis Locorriere R.I.P.

Before the huge chart success and unforgettable singalong hits, Dennis Locorriere gave Dr. Hook one of their most heartfelt performances with ‘Only Sixteen‘; a tender remake of the classic Sam Cooke song that became a worldwide hit for the band in the mid-70s.
With Dennis’s unmistakable voice full of warmth, emotion, and honesty, the song captured the innocence and heartbreak of young love in a way only he could. Decades later, it remains one of the defining songs of Dr. Hook’s legacy and a reminder of the timeless talent Dennis brought to every performance.

Best known for other timeless hits including ‘When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman‘, ‘Sharing the Night Together‘, and ‘Sylvia’s Mother‘, Dennis helped define the sound of 1970s soft rock and country-pop, alongside bandmate the late Ray Sawyer.

According to his management, Mr Locorriere died peacefully yesterday May 16th 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones, after facing his illness with “strength, dignity, and resilience.”

Born in Union City, Mr Locorriere enjoyed a career that spanned almost six decades, recording more than 18 albums and continuing to perform long after Dr. Hook’s chart success. He had also made the UK his home for more than two decades.
Though his voice may now be silent, the songs he gave the world will continue to live on for many generations.