I was so sorry to hear about Nanci Griffith’s death recently. In the ‘90s her albums accompanied me across Ireland when I was the Youth Development Officer for the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Ireland. A trusty portable CD player was my dearest friend.

Songs like Trouble in The Fields, Once In a Very Blue Moon, and Love At The Five and Dime, particularly the storytelling introduction version on the live album One Fair Summer Evening - a wonderful talent!

However, there was another reason that I was drawn to Nanci. She loved Ireland. On Grafton Street gave a seasonal feel of cold Dublin streets at Christmastime and even had U2’s Larry Mullen Jr playing drums; It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go had us in the car of Séamus O'Neill on the Falls Road dealing with our divisions; and I Would Bring You Ireland where she wishes she could bring a very dear friend the gift of Ireland.

I played I Would Bring You Ireland a lot when she died. I was holidaying in Ballycastle, listening to it as I drove out of Ballycastle Forest, across Glenshesk’s 40 shades of green with Rathlin out in front of me, the Fair Head to my right and Scotland beyond. 

I realised that I was driving across the very Ireland that Nanci wants to send her friend. To live on this island of radiant beauty and to enjoy it day after day. I felt the blessing of God’s creation.

But just as in the Genesis story of Eden we humans can ruin God’s creation. Driving across Glenshesk I was also feeling the news of bonfires when in either July or August we burn the flags and photos of each other.  Gifted this incredible beauty, some of us want to poison it with the hatred that Griffith sang about in It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go. 

I love this place so much. Yet at times it abuses me, hurts me deep. When it hurts I’m glad to have Nanci Griffith reminding me of my love and the wonder of this island gem of God’s creation, set in the Atlantic waves.