Munster Express Online

Congratulations to the Sea Shanty group Hooks and Crookes who have been invited to participate in a major maritime festival to be held in Germany in early August. The ‘Festival Maritim’ is unique in Germany and is held in Bremen-Vegesack. Although about 60 km from the North Sea, Bremen is a port city, situated along the river Weser. Hooks and Crookes are the only Irish act to perform among thirty international groups performing on 6 separate stages in addition to numerous street performances,

Originally formed for the Tall Ships Race in 2005, Hooks and Crookes have travelled far and wide promoting the maritime musical heritage of Waterford and the South East. As the only Irish Sea Shanty group they have represented their country with distinction at numerous international maritime festivals including the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in the UK and at the Festival du Chant de Marin in Paimpol, Brittany.

In late June they joined-up with a Danish group Stork Ejlaender Shanty Choir, from Fanoe, to sing farewell to the ‘Sea Stallion of Glendalough’, as it departed from Dublin docks on its voyage back to Denmark. This reconstructed Viking longboat spent the last 12 months in the National Museum in Collins Barracks. A few days later they hosted this Danish shanty group at Waterford Treasures Museum where they explored their shared Viking heritage.

A number of CDs recorded by Hooks and Crookes are available in Waterford Treasures Museum Shop and at Ben O’Neills in Dungarvan. Tracks from these have been played on radio stations including RTE’s SeaScapes, Lyric FM, and Radio Ridderkerk in the Netherlands.

Hooks and Crookes promote the maritime heritage of Waterford and we look forward to hearing more from them as they prepare for the next Tall Ships visit to Waterford City in 2011. The members are Colm Long, Tony Barden, Declan McGrath, Olly Lupton, Tim Sherman, Pat Sheridan, Joe Phelan, Eddie Deevy, and Pat Hennessy.