Singing the praises of the town

Gerry Henderson creates a modern day image of Frank Rice in his song ‘The Unforgettable Wanderer’.

The song encapsulates the life of the late Frank Rice and gives listeners an image of him alive today wandering along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Capturing the life and heritage of Belturbet is something singer songwriter Gerry Henderson is keen to do. Songwriter Gerry is renowned for ‘The Lady of the Erne’ song, which he performed annually at the Lady of the Erne contest until it ceased.

“I’m always trying to put Belturbet on the map in some way if I can as a writer,” he told The Anglo-Celt.

Born and raised in Belturbet, having spent a 14-year stint in Canada which enhanced his musical career, Gerry recalled growing up in Marion Square across from the shed which Frank Rice inhabited. ‘The Unforgettable Wanderer’ is a memory of the late Frank Rice.

Gerry’s voice, shrill and clear is accompanied by a video of Frank rising from a bed of hay and heading on his way to a Fleadh. The acoustics are sombre as Frank walks the unknown.

“Farewell my friends I’m leaving,” Gerry sings.

Frank thumbs a lift from a local lorry driver as the song picks up tempo - guitars, bodhráns, tin whistles and mandolins in full swing now as he embarks upon his adventure.

The song is a tribute to times past, a memory for some and a new piece of history for others. Gerry recalls growing up across the road from Frank.

“He was our hero when we were kids,” he remembered, adding that “he was known everywhere”.

“He was born out of wedlock in Belturbet and he was adopted by people called Rice in Belfast.

“The couldn’t handle him,” he said, explaining how he was sent back to Belturbet when he was around 14 years of age.

“They couldn’t put him up in the convent... So the nuns ended up putting him in a hayshed,” he said, adding that the barn was across the road from his house in Marian Park in Belturbet.

Gerry has a memory of being out in the field picking mushrooms as a young boy when he came across the famous Frank on route to a Fleadh in 1963.

“Frank came walking towards me brushing the hay off himself and he said he was heading to the Fleadh up the country.

“That’s what the song is basically about, me meeting him early in the morning and sure enough a truck came along and picked him up.”

He fondly recalled how he would come to Marion Park where he would always get a sandwich and a cup of tea in whatever house he chose.

“All kinds of tricks he’d do, a cigarette he’d flick it into his mouth and it lit, all kinds of crazy things he did,” he laughed.

“But we were only kids at the time so we loved it.”

The 73 year old hopes to compile his songs about the town in a leaflet that will be something colourful that people can keep as a reminder of Belturbet’s past. The leaflet will have barcodes which will bring readers to a youtube clip of the song.

“There’s a lot of things in Belturbet that they haven’t recognised, Belturbet could be a Westport,” he said.

“What I’m doing now is just putting these songs out as feelers,” he said.

The flyer is currently a work in progress, however Gerry encouraged people to listen to the songs and welcomed feedback.

“People can have a memento on Belturbet.

“If you’re writing songs it’s a great pleasure if somebody comes up to you or sends you a text that they really liked the songs.”

You can listen to the rest of Gerry's playlist here.