Fenians: Pump your fist if you love Freedom, Fenians: Pump your fist if you love culture

For 150 years you been creating us, Be hating like Satan by berating us, In Punch cartoons you depicted us as swill, And wack TV shows like that dead fool Benny Hill, Amazing you never came to your senses, Figured out you'd have to face the consequences, Sent us across the water but you didn't stop the tide, And now the tide is rising worldwide

Fenians: Pump your fist if you love freedom, Fenians: Pump your fist if you love culture

From Devoy to O'Neill and John O'Mahoney, To Joe McGarritty and Michael Flannery, Sedition's our tradition and it won't just go away, Say it loud, say it proud that I will stay an,

Unrepentant Fenian Bastard, Unrepentant Fenian Bastard, Unrepentant Fenian Bastard, Respect to all who refuse to be mastered

Chris Byrne is Seanchai, lead singer, musician and songwriter of the band of the same name. Chris is also a member of the New York Irish band, Black 47. Regular readers of TAL will know that we are great fans of both bands and it was a thrill for us to meet the man in person and interview him. It might come as a shock to our readers, but Chris is a former Captain in the New York Police Department. However, this unconventional ex-cop is a rebel rouser who now owns Rocky Sullivan's Bar in New York City. O'Malley welcomed Chris to Scotland recently and then fired a few rapid shots from the hip which Chris parried well...

TAL: First up Chris, what's the score with Black 47 and Seanchai. Does the emergence of Seanchai mean that Black 47 are finished?

Seanchai: No, far from being finished, Black 47 has two albums ready to be released. It's only a matter of fitting it all into a schedule that we can all work to.

TAL: Given the political content of your songs and the detail and knowledge of Irish history in them, which I might add is spot on, what is your own background.

Seanchai: My family hails from the west of Donegal. I still have lots of relatives there. In fact I'm heading there for my holidays tomorrow.

TAL: We are sorry to hear that due to a busy schedule you will be unable to see any Celtic games this trip, not even a tour of Celtic Park, but I understand that you now have a Celtic Supporters Club based at your bar, Rocky Sullivan's in New York.

Seanchai: The New York Fenian Bhoys CSC now runs from Rocky's. In the past, at the local Celtic Club, there used to be a bit of a dispute about what the music should be at half time when we were watching the games. Our crowd wanted Eire Og, the other lot wanted more traditional folk stuff, so we decided to start our own club in Rocky's for like-minded people. So, if you're in New York and you like watching Celtic and listening to bands like Eire Og, come to Rocky's and be with people like yourself. If you like the traditional folky stuff, go to the other place.

TAL: Why the New York Fenian Bhoys CSC?

Seanchai: The lads named it after "Fenians", a track on our last CD, 'There Will Be Another Day', and it suits them just fine.

TAL: Is Rocky Sullivan's likely to be full of cops?

Seanchai: The bar is popular with some local cops. I just hope it will be full!

TAL: And will visitors get their pints pulled by Chris Byrne? Is it a hands-on type of pub?

Seanchai: Yes, it's a small bar. A hundred people and we are packed, but it all lends to a great atmosphere. And, yes, I will be behind the bar unless I'm somewhere else like off on tour with the band. But I'm not going to let it give me a heart attack. The bar is looked after when I'm not there and I don't phone up to find out what kind of crowd is in.

TAL: Your new CD, 'Rebel Hip Hop' has just been released. Rachel Fitzgerald singing "The Ballad of Mairead Farrell" is the highlight for me. Are you getting a good reaction to the new bigger band?

Seanchai: Yeh, Rachel is very popular and a great talent. The new enlarged band is going down a treat. Every time I turn around someone else is in the band! The bigger the better!

TAL: What kind of music do you listen to yourself if you're, say, driving around in the car?

Seanchai: Without a doubt, Bob Marley and, at the moment, The Boys of the Lough. I'm also really looking forward to getting hold of Bob Dylan's new CD as it has been highly recommended to me.

TAL: You were over at the West Belfast Festival again. You seem to be in residence in Ardoyne come August. Is this going to be a regular part of your diary now? Are you coming back again in 1999?

Seanchai: I hope so. When I play the West Belfast Festival, it's not work, it's my holidays. I like the travelling and meeting people, so yeh, I will definitely be back.

TAL: We recently watched the new Arthur Mac Caig film, "War and Peace in Ireland". I was pleased to hear that Seanchai's music was used in the film as it really adds something to it. I also heard that. along with Brush Shiels, you gave a lot of support to the film. Bearing in mind that Black 47 did the soundtrack for 'The Saint of Fort Washington', is there any chance of Seanchai doing the score of a mainstream film?

Seanchai: It is great to be associated with the films of Arthur MacCaig. I am a great admirer of his work. We are showing the film in New York with Art MacCaig as special guest. As for films, if someone liked our sounds that would be great, but we are not going to hold our breath waiting for it!

TAL: Finally, any last words to TAL readers?

Seanchai: Yes. If you're in New York, look us up at Rocky Sullivan's Bar. It's at 29th Street & Lexington Avenue. Seanchai are on most Sunday nights and the first beer is on Rachel!