The West

This unique CD features four stories read by Eddie Stack with music by Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. The stories are from Stack's classic collection of short stories,The West. Set in the West of Ireland they reveal the soul of a community - its hopes, dreams and schemes. Stack evokes life in a series of cinematic prose, portraits of people, places and situations. The stories are smooth, each one remarkably different, but they click together to form a pattern.
Fiddler Martin Hayes's music fits Stack's stories hand in glove-their art is rooted in the soil of the same county. Add to this the rich texture of Dennis Cahill's guitar and you have spoken word from another realm: Irish words accompanied by Irish music. The best of both worlds on one recording.

<>"This beautiful spoken-word CD would be worth buying for the backing music alone, which comes courtesy of Stack's fellow Clareman Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill. Hayes' wistfully keening fiddle is a perfect counterpoint to the stories here. Stack's gentle delivery and accurate feel for the rhythms of West-of-Ireland conversation (his rendition of two gossiping old biddies is hilarious) make the experience of listening to them a rare pleasure. One for a rainy winter night in by the fireside."
                                  Sarah MacQuaid, Evening Herald

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Stories: Time Passes; Limbo; The Warrior Carty; Revolution

Music: Johnny's Needing, Old Kilfenora Jig, The West Clare Reel, Astore Mo Chroí, McAlisdrom's March, Malley's Scottish, Christmas Eve, The Gold Castle, Roisin Dubh, Hero Hogan