Longford country music legend Mick Flavin first started singing into a bucket!

Longford's Mick Flavin remains one of the most respected singers on the Irish Country scene over the decades, but when he started out he wasn’t singing into a microphone, but into a bucket!

At a time when Country fans have so few new albums to choose from, Mick has all of 17 tracks on his new one titled 50 Years in Country Music. The songs range from traditional American Country to originals specially written for him.

Mick’s voice was always unique among Irish Country singers, as the six foot four Longford star stood head and shoulder above most other singers. His towering vocals is a style similar to American greats like George Jones, Charlie Pride, Buck Owens, Alan Jackson or George Strait.

Those styles are reflected in almost all 17 tracks on this new album, which is a very professional production. It’s a far cry from when he started out singing as a schoolboy into a bucket while drawing water from a local well.

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With his loud Longford laugh Mick recalled his early singing exploits: “I used to walk a mile and a half to my local school in the 1950s.

“The trek to and from school morning and evening also involved crossing a little river where there was a spring well and I would bring a bucket of spring water on my way home in the evenings.

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“But before I would fill the bucket with water I used to sing into it as I would have it over my head and there was a lovely reverb sound from singing into the bucket! Of course I didn’t sing 'There’s a Hole in the Bucket', because if there was none of the water would reach home,” roared Mick.

Most songs on this new album are in that Traditional pure Country vein but Mick hasn’t any aversion to singing a new song about the condescending attitude that still, albeit covertly, exists regarding illegitimate births in the Ireland of the past.

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PJ Murrihy wrote that track for Mick called Jack the Sailor. It’s about a young man driving a top of the range SUV who arrived in a little rural village in Ireland one day looking for information about the father he never knew.

He asked various people if they ever heard of a man named Jack the sailor who left that area and went to work at sea after his girlfriend, also from the village, became pregnant. She was sent off to a mother and baby home never to return to the area either.

“Finally, the young man was directed to one of the eldest local residents who was able to tell him that Jack came back at the end of his days, but sadly was long since laid to rest in a grave in the local cemetery,” says Mick.

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“The young man says a few prayers in the graveyard for the dad he never knew and he is spotted by the local gossip or busy-body who informs everyone within her earshot, in a condescending way, of why the young man was there. It’s a strong, yet sad story that’s related in this song which PJ wrote for me,” says Mick.

But of course there are plenty of fast-paced light-hearted songs on this album too, including Mick’s current single 'Ladies Man' and a fine rendition of the Alan Jackson hit Livin’ on Love.

There is also another original on this album which pays homage to the former late greats of American Country, George, Charley, Buck titled They Don’t Make ‘Em like You Anymore.

It was written by James McGarrity who is a singer-songwriter as well as a leading promoter of the more Traditional Country acts here and in Scotland. It’s a very well-written song about home. Most of the modern Country singers coming out of Nashville today aren’t Country at all and will all be forgotten when a new crop of similar hat acts emerges next year.

On this track Mick is joined on vocals by Joe Moore who is another Traditional style Country singer who never really made it on the Irish scene but has a fine voice and the two work well on this song.

You Still Love Me is another original song penned by James McGarrity.

“It’s all about a boy who is on the booze and he is trying hard to give it up so that he can make a better life for his woman and himself and their family.

“That song was also recorded by Joe Moore in the past but I felt it needed to be revived as the message about giving up the booze in it is a strong one and still relevant today and always will be,” says Mick.

That song could be autobiographical for him as Mick gave up alcohol almost 40 years ago and you know from listening to him sing this song that he is living every line of it.

“I crashed a lot of cars into ditches and piers and poles in those times but it wasn’t me that was driving, it was Arthur Guinness and thanks be to God I was able to change my life around,” says the big man from Ballinamuck in Longford.

No doubt it’s probably due to his life-changing decision to give up the demon drink all those decades ago that has enabled him to still stay touring – even a punishing Scottish tour that he did recently.

“I went over to Scotland last month and did ten night of shows there with James McGarrity and his band plus guests,” he said.

The others on the show included John McNicholl, Shawn Cuddy and young singer Owen Mac but Mick was the headline act. He has always been popular in Scotland since many years ago when Terry Wogan was playing some of his songs on the BBC and for a time it looked likely that he might make a similar breakthrough in the UK similar to Daniel O’Donnell.

While that didn’t happen on that same scale for Mick he still has a loyal cult following especially in Scotland.

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Back home in Ireland the fans are still travellin’ to Flavin at the selected dates, mostly on concerts and in cabaret that he still plays at. Mick has also organised a Home to Donegal Country Music Weekend in The Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran from Friday April 4 to 7, 2025. He will have eight special guest on the shows there that weekend including Philomena Begley and Brendan Shine.

This weekend he plays Backstage in Longford.

His new album Celebrating 50 Years in Country Music is now available in all shops that sell CDs or on all digital platforms such as Spotify etc. or the CD can be or from his new website mickflavinmusic@gmail.com and it’s also available via PayPal.