By Paddy O’Brien, foreword by Martin Hayes
www.orpenpress.com

The Road from Castlebarnagh covers the many adventures of Paddy O’Brien, Irish traditional musician, composer and collector, as a boy growing up more than half a century ago in the midlands of Ireland. Paddy grew up in a small thatched house without running water or electricity, near the town of Daingean in County Offaly. It was a time when the social life of the Irish countryside often took place around the fireplace, where stories were told and music was played. In his book he writes of the many colourful characters who shaped his perception of Irish life and culture. Showing Paddy’s flair for storytelling, The Road from Castlebarnagh is the story of how a young musician absorbed his surroundings while developing his own distinctive musical style.

Unionised musicians in Ireland are, of course, an integral part of the national and international trade union movement and the issues that affect them are essentially the same as those of other workers. Striking a Chord is the first comprehensive history of unionised musicians in Ireland.