Music with Eddie Rowley
FORMER Longford County Council carpenter Mick Flavin is celebrating 30 years as one of the leading stars of Ireland’s thriving country music scene.
For three decades Mick has been filling the shoes of American legends such as the late George Jones, Conway Twitty and Porter Wagoner covering their songs among his extensive repertoire.
Big Tom was also one of Flavin’s idols in his young days and he reveals that he once did a 20-mile (32km) round trip “on a bad bike” from his home in Ballinamuck to see Big Tom and The Mainliners peform at a carnival dance in Cornagheeha on the Longford-Leitrim border.
“I’ ll never forget that night and it’s a great memory to have,” Mick says. “I was only 16 or 17 years old at the time and myself and a few friends rode our bicycles to that carnival to see Tom. The Mainliners were performing in a huge six-pole marquee that night and the atmosphere they created was just unbelievable. I had been a fan from the moment I heard him singing ‘Gentle Mother’ on the radio.”
Mick went on to carve out his own career on the Irish country scene in the 1980s, quickly winning fans like Daniel O’Donnell who had then established himself as a major star.
In 1989, Flavin had the thrill of sharing a stage at the Wembley Country Music Festival with American stars like Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings and Boxcar Willie.
Today, Mick is celebrating his three decades in country with the release of a Country & Gospel album that includes the Big Tom hit, ‘Old Log Cabin For Sale’, and a duet with Mary Duff on ‘Size Seven Round’. Other standout tracks include ‘Who Will Pray For Me When Mama’s Gone’ and ‘The Fireman.’