John Spillane: ‘The poorest I ever was? Living in Blackrock in Dublin in 1986 and not having 2p for the gas heater’

My Money

John Spillane

John Spillane, one of the country’s most lauded singer-songwriters, grew up in Wilton in Cork City. After doing his Leaving Cert, he worked at a bank for two years, and then studied Irish and English at University College Cork. He became a vocal advocate for the Irish language and went on to make documentaries with TG4.

The musician performed with bands such as The Stargazers and Nomos before carving out a solo career, starting with his 1997 solo album The Wells Of The World. Spillane, who still lives in Cork, is a two-time Meteor Award winner for Best Folk/Trad Act.

His songs have been covered by performers including Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, and Sean Keane. In 2021, the singer released 100 Snow White Horses, his first independent album in 20 years. A live album, In Another Light, followed in 2022.

Spillane will be performing at 8pm this evening at Sea Church in the east Cork village of Ballycotton, as part of the second annual Folk, Alternative and Traditional Music Festival (F.A.T. Fest). Tickets and more information are available at www.seachurch.ie.

How did your upbringing shape your relationship with money?

My mother told me to never tell anyone how much I earn. She also told me that “with patience and perseverance, you could bring a donkey from Kinsale to Jerusalem”.

When were you most broke?

I was most broke in 1986 when living in Blackrock in Dublin. I was short two pence for a bottle of Calor gas for the heater and the old man in the shop wouldn’t let me off the two pence. Luckily, (singer-songwriter) Freddie White then gave me lots of support gigs with him in the Purty Loft in Dún Laoghaire and in the Baggot Inn in Dublin. That kept me going.

Have you ever seen anyone spend money in a way that shocked you?

Yes. When I wore a tuxedo to work and played sophisticated swing jazz in three-part harmony with my band The Stargazers in the 1980s. We quite often played gigs for the very rich, and saw lots of money wasted on very fancy parties. Oil companies were especially shockingly wealthy as there’s a lot of money in oil and plastic.

What was your best ever investment?

The €300 I spent on my Spanish classical guitar, second hand, in 2005. I then discovered that it had cost £1,000 when it was a new guitar back in the 1970s. It’s by Manuel Rodriguez y Hijos, Guitara de Artisania, Almansa, Espana. The guitar shines and sings and weaves magical spells.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 8th

Do you still carry cash?

Cash is king but I mostly only carry cash these days to pay for the bus and to put air in my tyres.

What was your worst ever job?

Picking potatoes was tough enough old work, bent over all the time and the rain pouring down on top of you in the great muddy potato fields of west Cork.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I’m neither a spender nor a saver but more like a monkey swinging along from branch to branch in a great Irish musical jungle of magical melody.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

My house. It’s a lovely old house and soon it’ll be paid for.

Do you have a pension?

My songs are my pension and I hope that this intellectual property will sustain me against the infirmities of old age.

What three things would you not be able to do without if you had to ­tighten your belt?

My concertina, my Spanish guitar, and my Tibetan terrier.