Paddy Goodwin and the Holy Ghosts are a rock and blues band from Drogheda, Co Louth, Ireland, whose first record is a spirited criticism of the Catholic church.
Blues For Fr Iggy was written in support of a local Catholic priest who was carpeted by the Vatican for taking the whole ecumenism business too far; he invited the local Church of Ireland rector to say mass with him.
It seems to be were living in desperate times
When sharing of a sacrament is seen to be a crime
Theyre gonna take this Father Iggy guy
And nail him to a cross
Reaching out to people dont go down well with the boss.
Blues For Fr Iggy is composed by Paddy, a man steeped in the blues. He has been playing for well over twenty years. In that time, he has shared the stage with many great musicians, including Otis Rush, Johnny Fean of Horslips, Shane McGowan..and fellow Clones man Pat McCabe with whom he formed half of that incomparable duo The Buck Eejits.
McCabe, the Booker-nominated author of The Butcher Boy and Breakfast On Pluto, wrote the sleeve notes for the new record - a plaintive cry for sense to prevail in an irrational world. Fr. Iggy ODonovan is currently being investigated by what was formerly known as the Catholic church Inquisition for reaching out to his Protestant friends and neighbours.
We got to Gallileo
Gonna get to Iggy too.
Says Paddy: As far as Im concerned, the Vaticans reaction is the sign of a world gone mad.
The Holy Ghosts are Oisin Dillon on bass and Hugh Friel on drums. The disc also includes several blues classics - The Thrill Is Gone, Little Red Rooster and Need Your Love So Bad. And the proceeds are for a good cause, the Drogheda Rape Crisis Outreach Centre.
