Declan O'Rourke sizzles in Cork

Declan O’Rourke had a full house at The Whitehorse, Ballincollig, sizzling last night. He’s in the form of his life.

Paul Weller, among others, may have sang his praises a few years back, but they should see him live now. This guy was as hot as the food on the barbecue at the opening of the venue’s new beer garden last night, which he gave his impremateur to, off stage, and on stage.

You know you’ve been to another great gig of O’Rourke’s, when the hairs on your neck start competing with the goosepimples.

The Ballyfermot-born, singer-songwriter is as special as his songs, and he delivered many of those last night as if it was his last night on a stage, 'Whatever Else', the outstanding 'Children of ’16', written for the 100th anniversary of that special year in Irish history.

But there were others; 'Time Machine', 'Sarah', the beautiful 'Galileo' (on which he was joined by wonderful support act Jack O'Rourke, watch out for him), no relation, finishing up with the title song from his new CD, 'Gold Bars In The Sun', for which he is about to shoot a video.

Incorporating the songs of his Howlin’ Lowly Moons project, which saw him deliver a new song each month to his fan base for free, it is his fourth studio album and is being released this October. It’ll be worth it’s weight in...

There is magical feeling about ‘upstairs at The Whitehorse’ billed the best small venue in the country by O'Rourke. It has the cosiness of your granny’s livingroom feel about it. Every word in every song is only inches away, and every nuance, movement, smile, within grasp… and how you want to grasp every moment in the company of this curly, wurly, son of a gun who fires your imagination.

For all of this we have a priest, a friend of a friend of his parents, in the Australian outback to thank, he having given 13-year-old Declan a guitar when he lived in Australia for a while.

Divine inspiration may have transformed O’Rourke’s life but we’re in heaven since.