Welshman in Ireland

My debut record, part-inspired by James Joyce & a hangover

I wrote ‘Welshman in Ireland’ the day upon returning from my stag do in Dublin.

My best men had thought it a good idea to schedule cold water swimming at Forty Foot the morning after our first night of frivolities. After recovering from the shock of the brutal Irish sea water, we ventured into the James Joyce Tower Museum around the corner.

There, we learned about a wild night Joyce spent in the tower, nearly taking a bullet in the midst of some drunken antics. Fortunately he survived, and it inspired some of his epic novel Ulysses.

But what struck me most - as our hangovers were being gradually eased by the dulcet tones of our Irish tour guide - was how well Irish culture seems to embrace its artists and storytellers; as if they recognise a precious lineage worth honouring, respecting, and carrying forward. Also, it reinforced how proudly Joyce leant into locality. His work is full of references to the places around him, not least in Dubliners, one of my favourite short story collections.

Out of these musings grew ‘Welshman in Ireland’; a meditation on Welsh identity and my long-held belief that we can do a better job of elevating our own artists and heritage in service of cultivating a more compelling, aspirational, and self-assured creative culture.

Listen on Bandcamp

Track credits:

Vocals / acoustic guitar / keys: Gene Madoc
Drums: Luke Robinson
Bass: Steffan Pringle
Electric Guitar: Tobias Andrews

Produced by Gene Madoc
Engineered by Steffan Pringle
Mixed by Gene Madoc
Mastered by Charlie Francis

Cover art photograph by Tobias Andrews