The reason why Tyrone folk know how to shake it all about

WHEN Red Sails in the Sunset is sung, people usually assume it’s about some sunswept beach in the Bahamas or Hawaii or the like. But the lyrics, written by Omagh songwriter Jimmy Kennedy, were inspired by a sunset in Portstewart. And let me tell you, the light on the Derry coast would kick-start the muse in anyone — poet, artist, songwriter. No wonder so much of Game of Thrones was filmed here.

Jimmy Kennedy was a prolific lyricist, and had already written the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, South of the Border and the Isle of Capri.

There’s more. Should you have occasion to buy the sheet music of The Hokey Cokey, you’ll note that Jimmy is credited with the lyrics. Copyrighted in 1942 it’s published by Campbell Connelly, agents for Kennedy Music Co Ltd.

Jimmy, like many from Tyrone, had an eye for a bargain. He could have gone the Seamus Heaney route and perhaps avoided authorship issues (which are still a live issue), Seamusing up the lyrics along the lines of:

“Oh the hokey, the warm thick hokey

Which fluttered like a fritillary in our Bellaghy turf

Welded to the Cokey with unbridled threnody

The right leg would jut out in nimble flight. . retreat, to be replaced by an eager left limb. . . .” and so on.

But none of that for Jimmy. He merely added a dance and an instruction book, and bagged the royalties for a song that still makes any party.

Some years ago I needed to do further research on the topic, so presented myself at the British Library in London.

Back then you filled in your request form then waited for the books to be delivered to your desk. There were ten related to the Omagh man.

I was told they’d be delivered in dribs and drabs over the course of about an hour.

I found space beside a woman translating a book written in

Cyrillic script. As far as I could see she was touch-typing into her laptop as she translated. A remarkable feat of scholarship

I was tempted to ask her about her Old Russian studies, when a librarian arrived with my first Kennedy book.

It wasn’t what I expected. The large picture book of the Teddy Bears’ Picnic was aimed at 10-year-olds.

The Russian lady glanced over, then quickly glanced away.

On balance, I decided against asking her anything.