Athlone bandmates gather for special 50-year reunion

"In a frame, still and silent/ lives a moment, vivid, vibrant. Through the lens, time is caught / Memories in pictures sought."

The words of this poem came to mind for members of a former Athlone rock group when they gathered for a reunion this year, more than half a century after they first started playing music together.

A black and white photo of the band, Clovehitch, was taken in the town in 1974 and was brought to life once again with a 2024 reshoot by photographer Paul Molloy.

The story began when two neighbours, Andy Kilmartin and Gerry Flynn, began playing guitars around 1970 to '71. They needed a drummer, and long before Linkedin, they heard through a friend named Tom Mannion about Billy Sheriff, and so a trio was born.

Within a few months a singer was needed, and Joe Price was drafted. Legendary were the rehearsals in Price's coal shed in Iona Park, with input from Cyril Dully and recordings by Adrian Black.

Influences in those days were Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Status Quo, Rory Gallagher, Yes and The Doors to name a few, while the band members were also composing original material.

Joe then left the band to form his own, Secundas. Concerts were organised by Andy in the Dean Crowe Hall, stage managed by friend, Fergie O'Rourke, featuring Clovehitch, Secundas, Kathy Maguire, Grumble, Ferdiah, Goldsmiths, Dixieland Jazz, and a host of local musicians.

The band supported visiting rock groups in venues such as the Rugby Club and the Grove.

Clovehitch augmented in in 1974 and 1975 with Frank Kenny from Moore, Florence Bell from Castlemaine Street, and Brian Hunt from the Batteries as sound engineer and road manager.

They played gigs around town in the '70s, and nationwide in dance halls and carnivals, playing support to Ray Lynam and the Hillbillies, Doc Carroll, Danny Doyle, Horslips, Rob Strong and the Platterman, Skid Row, and more.

Throughout the early '70s their nationwide gigs included memorable nights in Limerick, Cork, Kerry, Longford and Offaly, to name a few.

Although they were a full working band playing original songs, it was difficult to break into a niche market without the backing of a record company, and times were hard in Ireland.

So it was to the near-neighbour, England, that the band emigrated. At the time London was one of the centres of a global music industry hub but, after demanding work and little resources, unfortunately, the band folded.

Sadly, Joe Price passed away in 2017 following a tragic accident. Andy stayed in London playing bands in England and Europe, and then went to university, going on to run a successful music project for young people. He continues to play at his music collective in London and beyond.

Billy ended up in Germany for a few years and returned to Ireland becoming a computer technician and quite an accomplished artist, creating many beautiful paintings.

Florence joined the civil service in Ireland and continued playing and singing in local bands, working in recording studios, and featuring in many well-known songs.

Frank still travels, working as a project manager on the construction of power and desalination plants worldwide. He also became an author recently, with his book 'The God of War' being published during the summer.

Brian joined the BBC in England and worked as studio design engineer for 15 years. He then returned to Sligo where he formed the highly successful audio-visual company AVA Systems Ltd.

Gerry returned to Ireland to join a few Showbands and local groups where there was a guaranteed income, while also gigging solo and playing with the blues band in Flannery's pub.

The Jim Croce song 'Photographs and Memories' features the lines: "But we sure had a good time / When we started way back when."

These words were underscored when the band met for their reunion this year, with the 1974 photo recreation being a centerpiece.

That image and the reunion conjured a trip down memory lane. Through examining the emotions, stories expanded, the jokes about passage of time, the long hair and now the longing for hair, the acid rock and now the acid reflux, the rock n’ roll and now the walk n’ stroll, although the shake rattle n’ roll has remained the same!

They also have not lost any of their abilities to sing, play, and simply be happy.

To quote Bob Seger: "I drift back in time and find my feet / Down on Main Street, down on Main".

And that's where, half a century later, these bandmates and long-time friends reunited on Main Street, Athlone, back to their roots to gather, dine, celebrate, reminisce and drink to bygone days and nights.

They celebrated not only the passing of time but the fact that they are still good friends. Later they retired to Flannery's for a quiet acoustic session.

Many of the old favorites were uncorked and were sung without the 100 watts, and it's important to emphasise the bond that still exists between the band despite the members' divergent lives.

Plans are already in the making for another reunion next year.