Niall Bulligan Power

Niall Bulligan Power became interested in the guitar after listening to Martin Simpson playing at some local gigs. Niall

approached Martin who was living in Portally at the time and Martin showed him a few basic chords which started

Niall on his musical journey.

Niall was also very interested in The Lonesome Hobos and country music in general. He began learning songs by

Nancy Griffith, R.E.M. and Neil Young and soon became the guitar player and singer for another generation of young

Dunmore locals, much the same as Gerry Power had been in times past.

His first gigs were in the company of Jimmy ( Og ) Power from Portally and they performed for Kieran O'Dwyer who

owned Murphy's bar in Clournagh. Niall also performed at The Anchor and Powers Bar in Dunmore East. In the

winter's of 1993 and 94 Niall travelled with Ringo Regan and played at some sit down Folk sessions in Waterford and

Tramore.

He was also a talented song writer and his song ‘'Back of the Wall'' was often requested whenever he played. This

was a tongue and cheek song about life as a commercial fisherman, the punch line being that the singer would prefer

to be occupied at the mundane task of lobster fishing at the “back of the wall” meaning just a few metres from the

harbour wall at Dunmore East, rather than the perceived glamour job of the day which was spending some weeks

away in a modern deep water trawler in order to earn a living.

Niall had a dry wit and was a funny character with a distinct view on life. He had fished for lobsters with his father

since he was a child, and lived at the family home at Coxtown Cross with his parents Kathleen and Dick. His other

great love was music and especially the guitar and story songs. Niall was tragically drowned while fishing from

Dunmore on 11/2/1996. His loss was deeply felt by all in the community and especially by those who had forged a

musical partnership with Niall during his short life. It was hard to imagine a Dunmore East without him.

In conclusion here is a verse from a song that Niall often performed;

The finest hour that I have seen

Is the one that comes between

The edge of night and the break of day

It's when the darkness goes away. Ringo Regan.

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