Frank and I were in Ireland last summer playing with a fine crew of musicians (Pamela Morgan, Anita Best, Rob Brown, Michelle Brophy, Greg Walsh and Graham Wells) as part of the entertainment for the Fleadh Cheoil Na hEireann in Clonmel (C. Tipperary). The crowds were big and welcoming and more than the odd pint was consumed. After four days at the fleadh Frank and I were treated to four days of sightseeing by a lovely couple from Carlow and this included a pilgrimage to Ring (Co. Waterford) to visit Mooney's Bar, recognized in 2002 by the Irish Pub Guide as the Traditional Irish Music Pub of the Year. Mooney's is also the home pub for the well-known band DANU and is owned by Anne Mooney, the mother of bodhran player and piper Donnchadh Gough. We had the pleasure of playing with DANU in 2000 when MAHERS BAHERS played a few festivals in western Canada and have been friends ever since, so we had to see Mooney's.

There weren't too many people in the pub when we arrived, but there was no lack of good conversation. Anne welcomed us with some fine pints and a tub of the best orange ruffi imaginable which we cooked and devoured later (the pints were dealt with immediately). After a while an elderly gentleman at the bar gathered that we were from Newfoundland and got extremely excited as he had a story to tell us. He related that some years back his son was out fishing for oysters in the bay by Mooney's, discovered a bottle floating in the water, picked it up and saw something inside - a message saying it had been tossed in the ocean by someone in Newfoundland. At that point, the man said that he had to go back to his house to find the message and soon returned with a piece of cloth with words indicating that the bottle had been thrown in the sea 450 nautical miles southeast of Newfoundland on December 5, 1990 by C.W. Pretty of the Outer Battery in St. John's. His son found the bottle more than six years later on March 16, 1997.

"Now, do you know who this C.W. Pretty is, then ? "

"Indeed, I do !" says Frank. "He's the husband of my first cousin!"

Sometime later, after considerable discussion on what a coincidence it all was and back again for a short trip back to the man's house for a few photos and a generous glass of whisky, the man's son joined us. We got the story again firsthand from him, and he pointed out where on the bay he made his discovery. It was all agreed that the bottle used must have contained rum at one time.

Sadly, Mr. Pretty had just died a month earlier. He would have gotten a great kick out of knowing that Frank had met the man that found his bottle.