Noel Hill: Here's Hoping For Full And Speedy Recovery

Was a bit weird being at a gathering of Irish traditional musicians this evening. With seven of them there jigging and reeling quite beautifully.

Their take on the hospitalisation of one Noel Hill after a session somewhere or other, with their traditional gallows humour and anti-accordianism, was life affirming.

Though not perhaps for poor Noel, who is "stable" after an apparently well deserved; and rather popular among fiddlers, pipers, banjoists, dobro players, bodranists, all other accordianists; good kicking.

Noel is tonight "stable", hurrah; but also "very unpopular", boo boo. Meanwhile, renowned accordianphobe Steven Gerald was cup tied, and in fact incarcerated, in Southport.

UPDATE Wed 12:19: The assault was in the loo of a Connemara pub on Boxing Day. He'd obviously played the wrong arrangement for somebody's liking. Noel actually plays and teaches Irish Concertina, not accordian. He has been released from hospital. IrishTimes.com