It was an opportunity to have met Paddy- a middle aged street guitarist- while he prepared for his next performance on O’Connell Street at Dublin city Centre. As soon as he switched on his speakers, people gathered round him defying social restrictions making him the light of a city darkened by Coronavirus.
“Street Music has a beautifying effect on the audience and the musician- at least; it was on this street I won over my stage fright. The street is different from the stage, people are watching but they did not pay to watch or expected to meet me singing” Paddy explained after a six minutes performance to a thousand passersby.
Why O’Connell street? O’Connell Street is located on the north side of Dublin city, and runs northwards from O’Connell Bridge towards Parnell Square. The street is approximately 1,980 feet (600 m) long and 150 feet (46 m) wide, with two broad carriage ways at either side of a central pathway occupied by various monuments and statues. It has previously been part of the N1, a major road from Dublin to Belfast. There are two Luas tram stops along the street, O’Connell GPO and O’Connell Upper. The street has a number of bus stops for Dublin Bus and other bus companies, with many cross-city and north-bound services stopping there.
It was shocking to realize that Paddy do not charge money for taking pictures of him, all he is interested in is that his songs are being publicized. In this video, he makes a cover for the song “Hold Me While You Wait” by Lewis Capaldi.
