By Gemma Brosnan 

It may have been more than 20 years since Irish folk icon, Christy Moore, appeared at Festival Hall, but there was no doubt he is still the performer after his appearance on Tuesday night.

For those that had come to hear the classics, Moore generously succumbed with ‘Missing You’, detailing the heartbreak and homelessness of an Irish labourer adrift in Piccadilly Circus, who is so worn down by life he can’t afford a flight home and a rousing rendition of ‘Ordinary Man’ sounding as apposite as ever during these desperate times, as Moore sang about factory closures, fat cats and those left broken and battered by circumstances.  

Moore was accompanied by Declan Sinnott of legendary Horslips fame, who gently wove in and out with precision and style and on one occasion took the spotlight to showcase his own majestic voice.

The hauntingly iconic ‘Ride On’ drew the required silence from the crowd, who sat mesmerised with emotion and was hugely contrasted with ‘Don’t Forget Your Shovel’ which started off in its usual lively fashion making digs about how the Irish were treated in London in the ‘70s, but morphed satirically into Daniel O’Donnell receiving an MBE from Prince Charles and an hilarious suggested antidote about the Duchess of Cornwall recalling a night of passion with Declan Sinnott at Glastonbury.

Along with the necessary crowd pleasers, Moore had opportunity to showcase some newer material, including ‘The Magdalene Laundries’, highlighting child abuse in Ireland and the darker side of the church and proving that, despite being around for much longer than he’d care to admit or remember, Moore still very much has his finger on the pulse.