Fiona Molloy

Want to hear some real Irish music? Not some guy with a guitar offering free tequila for the kids while mangling U2 songs? There's only one place to go: Finnegan's Wake to catch Fiona Molloy.
Molloy has one of the nicest voices on the island, but isn't quite yet a resident. John Dillon, the owner, flys her down from New York every few weeks so she can play at the bar. "I came here from Northern Ireland," she said, "I came during Poker Run in '97 and fell in love with the place. I've been coming back ever since."
She said she plans to move here permanently one of these days. But until then, she has found a venue that appreciates the sad sweet sound of Danny Boy, and some of the more ribald Irish pub tunes.
Starting the evening with Shel Silverstein's "Unicorn Song," she then played a couple of Irish classics, "Wild Colonial Boy," and "Danny Boy." "Well, let's get Danny Boy over with," she said before starting the song.
Then she got five men on stage for "Sara, Sara." It's a song that if you don't sing the lyrics correctly, you'll end up embarrassing yourself. Try saying these lyrics three times quickly: "Sara, Sara, sitting in a Chevrolet. All day long she sits and shifts. All day long she shifts and sits. Sara, Sara, sitting in a Chevrolet." Or if you get that right, try this: "Sara, Sara, sipping on a bottle of Schlitz. All day long she sips her Schlitz. All day long her Schlitz she sips. Sara, Sara, sipping on a bottle of Schlitz." Then she sang a pretty obscure tribute to the War of 1812 - Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans."
After rounding out her first set with Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt, she sat down to talk about life in Key West. "I was trained for classical guitar and voice," she said. "I've been playing since I was 17. But I switched to folk music and joined a folk band." Like many immigrants from Northern Ireland, Molloy said she had enough of the violence. "I came from Derry to get away from the political strife in Northern Ireland," she said. "When I first got here, every time I heard a car backfire or other loud noise, I'd fall to the ground."
When not playing Finnegan's, Molloy plays Irish pubs from Connecticut to Pennsylvania. "But I've absolutely fallen in love with this town," she said. "I'll move here permanently some day." And chances are, you'll find her at Finnegan's. "I like the atmosphere here," she said. "I like the variety of people. We have an eclectic mix of young and old, military and tourist, university professors and beach bums."
Molloy said her main influences are folk giants like Joan Baez and Judy Collins. "And a lot of Irish music - from "Ghostriders in the Sky" to "Ave Maria," "Maggie," "Come by the Hills" and the Scottish song, "Wild Mountain Thyme."
Molloy's current stint at Finnegan's ends Aug. 14, then it's back to the Tri-State area for a while. But she'll be playing at Finnegan's again soon after. Have a pint and give her a listen. - by Eric P. Larsen for Island Entertainment

Finnegan's Wake is as Irish as Paddy's pig, a great place to celebrate, which is just what we did. It was our fearless publisher/editor Dennis Cooper's birthday, and our girl Fiona Molloy surprised him with "Happy Birthday" and some appropriate comments. Dennis was tickled pink, of course.
Fiona began with a request for what I think is her best song, the haunting "Lili Marlene", which she sings in French, German and English. Her voice is ethereal and her acoustic guitar lovely. This is an emotional number that will get under her skin. She followed it with a traditional Irish clap-along ditty. Fiona always gets the crowd going with stops, starts, and speed-ups, often with everyone jumping in to sing along. Next she sings a ballad followed by a crowd pleaser, "My Irish Molly", which is fun. The customers love the sprightly Irish tunes, and nobody does them better.
"Lord of the Dance" is a beatiful song. Aaron Copeland used the melody in one of his compositions. It was an Angelican hymn in another time with only slightly different words. Ask for it; you'll love it! "Diamonds and Rust" is a haunting minor keyed song recorded by Joan Baez. Fiona does it better.
Next we hear another Baez classic, "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down", which has the entire room singing the chorus. Many of the songs in Fiona's repertoire are old favorites, but they have a new life when you hear them sung by Fiona's beatiful voice.
Fiona sings a song about the town in Northern Ireland she was born in, "The Town I Love So Well". If this one doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you can't have even a drop of Irish blood. "This Is My Homeland" is a charmer. "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" takes us back to a sweeter time.
Does she sing country tunes? John Denver's "Country Roads" and "Delta Dawn" prove beyond a doubt that she certainly does. The set ends with "Amazing Grace", with Shirley Murphy singing harmony. There are no dry eyes in the place, so Fiona lightnens the mood with the delightful "Puff the Magic Dragon". If you want to be really entertained and hear a spectacular voice, go down to Finnegan's Wake when Fiona's in town. It will be an intimate experience that will leave you feeling ...happy! You deserve it.
Stay cool - By Valerie Ridenour, Key West the Newspaper