25 Songs for 25 Years, no. 17

In the late '80s, we packed up and moved to San Diego for reasons that don't matter, except to say they weren't very good. We lasted about 10 months there before we came back to LA and eventually back to Pasadena. Not very long, but just long enough to lose some tenuous connections to friends we hadn't kept in touch with. Among those friends were the members of Train to Sligo, as the band broke up and the members scattered to the winds.

Some years later, an old friend and fan of the band mailed us a cassette (remember those?) of various artists performing songs we knew from the band and songs written by the band members. It turned out that Train to Sligo had been somewhat influential in Irish music circles; people like Mary Black and Maura O'Connell had recorded some of their songs, and a few of the members had thriving careers as solo artists.

Eventually, through the magic of the Internet, we got back in touch with the band members. The guitarist, Gerry O'Beirne, makes regular tours of the US about once a year, and we always try to catch a show when he comes through town.

Terri's favorite is "Western Highway," but it's not up on YouTube, so I've substituted Maura O'Connell's version.

Western Highway, preformed by Maura O'Connell