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I’d passed that railway crossing in Co Limerick must have been hundreds of times and always thought “that’s a good arrangement in red & white.” One Friday evening I was later than usual; it was dusky by now. The gates were closed and with the car headlights illuminating the red & white pattern , I said to myself “ There’s a picture there for you Shin.” A few seconds later a dark train zoomed past. It was about a week later that the song Long Black Train played on the radio. It was then that I saw the complete image through a picture frame, as it were. I sketched and drew the gates the next Friday evening and completed a fairly longish canvas some months later. I was fairly satisfied with it and felt I’d like to exhibit it somewhere. Now Ger Kennedy had written to me for some time asking me would I exhibit in the Imagine Festival in Waterford. For one reason or another I wasn’t able to so when she contacted me again I told her I could and would be happy to do so , with the idea of building a small exhibition around ‘Long Black Train’, which I had titled the work. And so it came to be in October 2021 at GOMA During the preparation of the exhibition I was discussing some of the details with one of the gallery staff. I mentioned that I hadn’t been in Waterford for nearly 50 years and the last time I had, I’d returned to Limerick black and blue. I could hear a gasp at the end of the telephone line and quickly explained “No, no I hadn’t been set upon by the peace loving citizens of Waterford”. It was that I’d played a bit of rugby many moons ago and the last encounter with the local side was a bruising affair. There was an audible sigh of relief and the end of the telephone line. The day after the opening of the show, as I was leaving Waterford I was much happier than I was all those moons ago. the Train and entire exhibition was perfectly hung and placed. The lighting was superb, as was Jenna Whelan’s organisational ability. When these factors combine, as they did in GOMA, it. Makes me glad that I do what I do.

Ollie asked me for a little help and I said yes. That was 2007 and the little help turned into collaboratively curating the Imagine music programme for thirteen years! Tasked with getting an indie/rock act, the first artist I booked was legendary Planxty uillean piper Liam Og O’Flynn. Slightly off task, but that’s how Imagine flies, and what I love about it; its unpredictability, lack of boundaries, and intertwining of genres and artforms. Over the years, I made friends for life and the highlights were many, often before or after the gigs themselves. Sitting alone in St Patrick’s Church as Liam O’Flynn soundchecked his famed pipes is to this day one of my all time favourite musical moments. As is witnessing Tim Edey’s mindmelting guitar virtuosity at a post-gig session in 2008. Singing Bob Dylan songs with Sonic Youth legend Lee Ranaldo in my car (2014) and choosing my favourite songs for Ron Sexsmith’s set list pre-gig in The Forum(2008)are happily lodged in my memory bank. I am very grateful to Imagine for giving me the opportunity to bring some of my favourite artists to Waterford: This is the Kit, The Lost Brothers, Steve Wickham, Bill Ryder Jones, Richmond Fontaine, Yorkston Thorne Khan, Martin Stephenson to name but a few. The time and energy it takes is all worthwhile when you see an audience enrapt, sense a connection between performer and listeners, feel the feelgood vibe in a venue, witness music lift people out of the mundane into an altogether free place. It happens every year at Imagine, this Waterford underdog of an Arts Festival always punching above its weight, forever underfunded, never underachieving. Embrace it, it’s yours (ours). Happy 21st Birthday Imagine!