 from Sean Cuddy. Now you're welcome back to the program. If you've just joined us it's David taking you through until five o'clock here on the program and lots to come up between now and then and I was walking through Belfast Airport the last day when who did he meet but Sean Cuddy and now here he is in the studio beside me. Sean, good to see you. How are you David? Nice to be here. Well I couldn't believe it. I was sitting, well I wasn't even looking around me. I was on the phone to Sean chatting to him and I was just I was actually talking about you. I had just said to Sean on the phone I think David James changed the car and the next thing you walked over and put out your hand I said talk about deja vu. I know. Isn't it a good job you weren't saying any bad things about me? It was a good job I wasn't saying, well we weren't. Like you normally are. No, she didn't know. Sean, it's great to have you in the studio. You tend to pop into me this time every year and it's always nice to catch up with you and allow me to offer you a huge congratulations on behalf of myself and everyone here at Highland on your recent achievement because I know the Donegal County Council honoured you with your very own civic reception. Oh God I was absolutely thrilled. I couldn't believe it when they contacted me last October and wanted to do something. I had to sort of pinch myself but it was lovely and you know I have to thank so much the charities and you know the different people that nominated me for it and it was a lovely day for myself and the family and for all our friends and we had a lovely day in Lifford and to the councillors and to the Lord Mayor and everybody at Donegal County Council was a lovely day and you know it's unusual Dave because as you know yourself you're the same as myself you're up public speaking you're chatting and you're doing your music all the time but when something like that happens it's a bit different you know it's a little bit different and it was nice to be recognized for because we all do so much for charity and we do so much for things like that and it's it was lovely I really really enjoyed it. It's somewhat of a humbling experience. It is really you know and I sat back and I listened to you know people are sort of saying something about you and thinking well you know it I really was so pleased because when the Covid came and all that sort of thing and no more than yourself and myself we didn't know what to do and I was very fortunate where I started working up in Brentwood in the Alzheimer's unit and I had a lovely time and the staff were so good and John Kelly and Maggie and Linda and and all them people that were there they were so good to me and you know when you're working in the music and all of a sudden you're back working in a nine to five job now it is 12 hour shifts but I loved it and it was lovely to I suppose it grounded me yeah and it made me see reality back again because I did work on a nursing home many many years ago before I put the band on the road yes I worked for the nuns in Mount Malik in County Leash in the geriatric hospital yes when I left school because I had intended to do nursing that was what a male nursing yeah but then I couldn't train in Ireland at that time you had to go away to the UK okay when I heard that I wasn't going to leave home here me now and we're traveling all over the place but to go back and do something like that it was a very humbling experience and I was glad and delighted I was able to do it and I have to say this and I've said it all the time people that work in the health profession and cares especially and people that work so hard to look after people they're not appreciated enough totally totally agree with that honest to God David it's unspeakable the words that you do but listen Sean well done on on that lovely acknowledgement from our County Council and it's not only for your services to music but your services to charity brilliant just a lovely well-deserved recognition brilliant but now Sean you are getting ready to kick off your big weekend which starts when does it start Friday kicks off on Friday night the 12th at the Allingham in Bondorn yes and we're there straight through until Tuesday really looking forward as I do this is our 30 third weekend wow I was the first to actually start bringing over people here many many moons ago our first weekend we had at the Montecou Hotel in Port Lige yes and then we had it there for about two or three years then we went to Kildare we went to County Meet and we've been in Donegal ever since yeah and for the last number of years I've been delighted to be part of it oh yeah you've always been there maybe the last five or six years six years is it six years wow and you know yeah the likes of yourself was there to give me an opportunity back when I you know I didn't have many opportunities to perform on larger scale games so it's always lovely and I always really really look forward to it you have a big schedule across the course of the weekend which we'll chat about but this come in Monday which is the 15th of October or 15th of April sorry October 15th of April in the Allingham there's a big concert and the artist appearing on the night is the lovely Susan McCann Susan a great singer and Patrick love her Patrick Feeney he'll be there to bring the house down with his wonderful ballads Declan Ernie he'll be there to lift the roof of the place with his unmatchable energy and what a vocalist Dez Willoughby is Dez is a tenor and a lovely fellow and Dez is a tenor and I'm a fiver and I'll be there as well Gary Gamble will be there me as I said plus Barry Doyle so that's going to be a great concert I'm really look I always love I love the concert and our dinner dance is a wonderful night as well yes with a galonate on the Sunday night but listen I love the weekend from start to finish and you know touching back on I mean I know you you came into me and we did concerts when you started you would only been the business remember my my son was at a wedding in Harvest Point one night and he had seen you there I think you're doing a spot or something you've done many many moons ago now you're only a young lad at the time and I remember you starting to come on the weekend but I also introduced Owen Mack to this area Nathan Carter uh different people were the first to get spots on my weekend and introduce them to my Scottish and English people and our local people from the midlands and from all over so you know it's lovely to be able to do that and I love bringing in new people I you know I have a great opportunity doing glory here and doing things like that where you meet these new artists and I'd say to them come up and sing a song on one of the nights it's a great opportunity for them to get in front of a different crowd for sure no that's not a way exactly but you know my weekend I couldn't do it without the support you know of artists like yourself the support of Sheila my final secretary for the last she's been working with me now for 35 years Sheila Graham and she's great and she puts the team together and it's it's a hard hard job as you know and she's at the Allingham now today she's checked in from today and she'll be there till next Wednesday and looks after everything so all I have to do is turn up and sing yes and make sure the band's okay and everything like that so it's great when you have a good team behind you but Sean whenever you're there you work so hard because you're never off the batter you're running by chatting to people the full time and it really is a great weekend now the weekend is sold out but uh you do have the option to go along and most nights tell us the schedule for the week yes on Friday night we kick off and you know people are welcome to come into all the shows Friday Saturday you do need a ticket for the Sunday night because it's the dinner dance concert there's tickets available at the hotel reception come along you're very welcome but on Friday night we kick off now I before I go any further I have to say our concert will not be the same this year without poor Seamus McGee Seamus McGee had been on my concert for the last 22 years that we've been at the tannery what a great came along every year he was a lovely singer and a lovely guy for sure and we're going to miss Seamus this year and you know I want to extend my sympathy to to the family and to all the McGee family we will miss him and a lot of my fans have even commented on that so we will be thinking about Seamus on the Monday night such a lovely man I remember meeting Seamus McGee for the first time down at a show in carlo in 1988 Seamus was doing an awards night and him and I have been very good friends and he was very friendly with my wife Roberta and Claire for many years because they used to go and support Seamus all the time so listen I will be thinking of Seamus at the weekend but anyway Seamus or David will move on on Friday night we kick off Curtis McGee opens the show and Curtis will be on from about a quarter to nine straight through till about 10 10 30 and then we have Alistair Spence is coming in to sing a couple of songs on the night and then Tim Divine will be on with me and myself on Friday night on Saturday afternoon by the way if anybody would like to come in to our afternoon show on the Saturday we have Eddie Gallagher is there on Saturday afternoon and then on Saturday night Alistair Coyle will be kicking off the first part of the show and then we have Richie Remo and we have a change of poor Norman Borland can't come Norman hasn't been very well yes and John Glenn is coming in in Norman's in Norman's place yes that's on Saturday night and then on Sunday after Sunday afternoon there's nothing on because we have to get ready for the gala ball and then Sunday Sunday night is our dinner dance and we have the singing chef on with us and we have a celebrity special guest every year and you never know I never know because Sheila says if she tells me I tell everybody so I can't hold my water so I don't know until I walk out to the reception who I'm meeting yeah so it we've had or we've had Margot we've had Daniel we've had Louise Morrissey we've had Trudy Lawler we've had Cornel Gallon yeah we've had so many people over the years so big surprise for me on Sunday night then on Monday night Monday afternoon do you know Monday afternoon who have we oh it's me self on Monday afternoon with John McHugh we're doing a bit of music for the fans and then on Monday night then is our gala concert so we're really looking forward to the whole weekend yes and tickets available for the hotel from the hotel reception yes big concert and you'll be available to pay on the door as well but it's always a huge night listen Sean it's great to catch up with you as it always is just before we let you go please say a big hello to Sean Cuddy can't wait for the weekend from Anthony Downey who's working hard today and asks Sean will John McHugh be in the band with him well that's like asking isn't going to be there without deck exactly John John has been associated with me now for over 30 years so we have John on stage and we have Brian Kerrigan on keyboards Jonathan Milligan on steel and lead guitar and Gary Porter on drums so we've a great lineup of the band couldn't be better before I go David I know I'll thank you for bringing me in today but I will have to say hello to some people Isaac Porter is in Leicester County General Hospital that's Benny's mum oh okay and she's not in the best of form and I just want to say hello to her I know she's tuned in at the moment yes and also to Margaret Breslin that's my sister-in-law and Margaret's not very well at the minute from Port Hall and I want to wish them all all the best and looking forward to seeing now I'm not going to go into names mentioning people but everybody that knows me and Donegal and I'm looking forward to seeing everybody on or some part of the weekend anyway and I'll have to say hello to all the staff down in home instead my wife works down there Roberta so I have to say hello to all the gang down there they tune into home highland all the time and David thanks for having me in and to everybody that knows me come along you're all very very welcome looking forward to seeing you all it's going to be a great one Sean please say good luck to Sean for the weekend hope all goes well lots of love from Ann Doherty and a few more Texas in there too it's set to be a great weekend the Allingham Arms in Bundorn is where it's happening the one and only Mr Sean