30 HOLIDAY 2013 boatingonthehudson.com
“The Boys of Wexford” are a musi-
cal group with songs of Ireland
(especially the great music of the
1798 Irish Rebellion), the Erie
Canal, sea chantries, and varied
American tunes. Since 2006, “The
Boys” have traveled from Water-
ford to Buffalo, with simple shows
(Tug boat Festival, canal opening)
to weeklong sieres of performances.
Players and singers come from Con-
necticut, Vermont and New York
State.
However, we have had a dream of
performing all along the canal us-
ing a boat as a base of operations.
We’ve played using the Grand Erie,
and from a rebuilt packet, but to fill
the bill we need a nice size boat to
carry five or six of “the Boys” along
a good portion of the canal. The
boat having a “bit of a deck” and
we’ve got a show! Canal towns love
“The Boys of Wexford” for pavilion
shows, pub sessions, sing-a-longs,
etc.… A dock show would be the
nuts!
The deal is this: We are looking for
somebody who wants an adventure
and is willing to provide the boat
and fuel. We’ll provide the fun:
music, food, drink and great stories
and comradeship. All we need is
five or six bunks. We’d have a chase
van and rent a motel for the chase
van, driver and showers.
The fellows who might come along
include: Don Sineti, chantyman of
Mystic Seaport, Bill Wallace with
his 30,000 song inventory, Tony
Morris with his Irish Pipe’s, Jay
“Bonesman” Kormoski. All fine fel-
lows, and maybe a gal or two. Gen-
erally, we find two gigs a day along
the route- (some from the boat and
some reached by van).
The perfect set up would be a vessel
leaving Waterford on a Sunday and
moving along the Erie for about
a week. We’ve played many of the
towns along the way over the years
and should be able to cover our
costs with fees, merchandise sales
and tips. Never a moneymaker but
always a ball!
If you have a boat and are interest-
ed, Call: Mike Mcgarry 860-422-
7957 email
HOW ABOUT AN ADVENTURE?
By Mike McGarry
HOLIDAY 2013.indd 33
11/7/13 7:49 AM
