No Journeys End
The story of Irish musician Michael O’Shea, who played an instrument made from a door that he called “Mo Chara” (my friend). His 1982 album, is regarded as a landmark cult classic. The instrument was inspired by the Hammered Dulcimer, but Michael added amplification and effects lending it a strong sense of otherworldliness. Its sound is steeped in Celtic undertones but also resonant with the cultures Michael had absorbed on his travels in the East. This is a portrait of a musician who went AWOL from the British Army, spent time as a relief worker in Bangladesh, supported Ravi Shankar at the Royal Festival Hall and played with some of the biggest names in jazz including Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry and Archie Shepp. First broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, 25 August 2019.
No Journeys End has Paul McDermott retracing the picaresque life of innovative street musician Michael O’Shea to great effect — Michael Heaney (The Irish Times)
Fantastic radio documentary about the musician Michael O’Shea — Stuart Bailie (Trouble Songs: Music and Conflict in Northern Ireland)
No Journeys End
Presented and Produced by Paul McDermott
Producer for RTÉ Lyric FM — Eoin O Kelly
Interviewees
Rita O’Shea — Michael O’Shea’s sister
Tom Johnston — political cartoonist/former member of The The
Graham Lewis — Wire/Dome/co-producer (with Bruce Gilbert) of Michael’s album
Gavin Friday — Virgin Prunes/musician/artist
Stano — musician/artist
Larry Burns — poet, musician and friend of Michael’s (PKA Larry Cosgrave)
Mark Prendergast — journalist/author
Jim O’Mahony — DJ
Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost — A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Éamonn Ó Catháin — author/broadcaster
Readers
Brian McMahon (voice of Michael O’Shea)
Garrett Kernan (voice of Will Sproule)
Simon Spencer (voice of Record Business reviewer)
For further reading:
Oral History
A comprehensive longread Oral History featuring extra interviews, background information, photographs, ephemera and cultural and historical context.
18,200 words (70 minute read)
Paul McDermott’s brilliant, sprawling oral history of O’Shea — Harry Sword (Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion)
by Paul McDermott
RTÉ Culture - 26 August 2019
The Sunday Time (26 April, 2020)
Moo Kid (9 September, 2019)
Paul McDermott interviewed about the documentary.
Michael O’Shea: passing out with the Royal Irish Fusiliers in Enniskillen (date unknown); in Dacca (Dhaka) Bangladesh, Summer 1972 and London, 29 July 1981 (Michael describes the photograph as: “Taken on the day Prince Charles and Di got married. This is my Country Squire image, you can show it to your friends!!”). Photographs © O’Shea Family Collection
Michael O'Shea - Oral History Playlist
A playlist of music referenced by contributors to "No Journeys End - an oral history of Michael O'Shea by Paul McDermott".
No Journeys End — the story of Michael O’Shea
a series of articles about the research process and production of the documentary
Danny McCarthy photographed at the HearSay International Audio Arts Festival 2019.
Irish Traditional Music Archive, Merrion Sq, Dublin. Photograph by Paul McDermott.