Twelve years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Shay Healy is still flying the flag as best he can. A recording contract at 73 has raised the spirits of the Dubliner whose philosophical outlook on life seldom fails to raise a smile. Shay belongs everywhere and nowhere. He is, to quote the words of Kris Kristofferson: “A walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction.” He is the pilgrim soul with Ireland carved deep in his heart. Born and raised in Sandymount in Dublin, his father Seamus was from near Belderrig on the north coast of Mayo. He is a first cousin of Prof Seamus Caulfield, former Mayo person of the year and the man who discovered and pioneered the Céide Fields project in his home county.

Shay’s mother, Mairín O’Sullivan from Killorglin, Co Kerry, was a noted singer of traditional Irish songs and also a writer. “I always had a huge respect for rural Ireland as my parents were from Mayo and Kerry. I grew up listening to stories about all the Kerry football legends while my father cherished the Mayo teams of 1950 and 1951. I can still recall so many of them to this day: Seán Flanagan, Padraig Carney, Tom Langan, Paddy Prendergast and others who came later like Willie Casey and Joe Corcoran.

“That tradition seeps into your soul and you carry it with you. Memories can come flooding back out of the blue,” he tells us.

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Turning to theatre

It was from that same fountain of memory that Shay drew the inspiration for his musical, The Wiremen, which had its premiere at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin in 2005. It was produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty and ran for six weeks. The Wiremen is about the bringing of electricity to rural Mayo during the 1950s and those who worked on one of the biggest changes ever to affect the countryside.

In some ways, Shay appears to have been around for ever. He has been a familiar face on RTÉ down the years, featuring as a guest on numerous shows over the decades and presenting the highly acclaimed Night Hawks series from 1988 to 1992.

Shay has a fascination for the written word and penning verses has been a cherished outlet for his many talents. It is hard to believe so many years have flown by since he penned the Eurovision winning song What’s Another Year for Johnny Logan back in 1980.

“It was an amazing era and the song has stood the test of time. I have included it on my new album and DVD that have just gone on release.”

Fate played its part in bringing it all back home for Shay. Thinking he was slowing down and needing to feel the wind on the hill one more time, he organised a show with a live band at the IMRO headquarters in Dublin.

Darren Farrell, who is the pioneer behind the Trad Nua label, was among the attendance at the show and he liked what he heard. Darren, who does a lot of work with Johnny McEvoy, invited Shay there and then to be part of The Stable Sessions.

The Stable Sessions are helping to bring song writing and music back to basics. The studio is a converted stable at the foot of the Dublin mountains.

There are three rules at the Stable. The artist must be a writer, they only get three takes at putting down each track, and no over-dubbing is allowed after the track is recorded. It is old school, organic, live and very honest.

Nothing beats live music

Shay loved the idea and took it all in his stride. “I had several songs left lying around the place for years. Every songwriter has a bunch of songs to the point they feel overlooked because they surely have songs on their shelves that have never been heard before. The Stable Sessions gives the opportunity to the songwriter to air their tunes to a broad audience. There is nothing that beats live music.

“I had a collection of songs hanging around and it pissed me off that they could be gone for ever if I did not do something with them. Then Darren came along and I was given the chance to record them while I am still capable of doing so.

“I really enjoyed being back in the studio again. I love story songs. I like to keep things simple and pared down.”

The title song, Stardust, was performed by Shay on The Late Late Show on RTÉ before Christmas.

“It seems to be connecting with people in a special way. My own version of What’s Another Year is included too. The Shitkicker’s Waltz has a farming theme. Gimme Some Gin has a drinking theme.”

The catchiest title on the 10-track album has to be Making Mountains Out of Mohill. “It is one of my own favourites in the collection and I hope they’ll love it down in Leitrim,” says Shay.

Meanwhile, Shay keeps soldiering on. “The gradual progression of unease and soreness brought on by Parkinson’s takes its toll over the years. But you learn how to deal with it as best you can.

“Many of the simple things I took for granted such as tying shoe laces are no longer possible. Strangely, when I go on stage, the pain seems to leave me.

“My life plan is to wake up tomorrow morning and my business plan is to buy an extra lotto ticket.”