Athy's Bill Hughes goes down memory lane in new music show presented by Kildare town native Pat O'Mahony

TV producer and Athy native Bill Hughes is one of the guests in a new For The Record series by Kildare town born broadcaster Pat O’Mahony on RTE Gold.

For The Record is a Pat O’Mahony production for RTÉ Gold funded by Coimisiún na Meán and begins on April 14 at 6pm.

In an era when physical records – mainly vinyl, but also CDs and even cassettes - are making an against-the-streaming-odds comeback worldwide, in the second series of For The Record, a unique format for RTÉ Gold, major music fan, radio and TV producer and presenter, Pat O’Mahony once again visits the homes of a bunch of Irish celebrities – 10 this time round – who, like him, have over the years amassed significant hard-copy record collections.

While rummaging through their variously sized shelves he hears the music from and the stories behind their collections, from their first, favourite and most recent acquisitions, to any regrettable impulse buys and howling misjudgments, all the while discussing the varying importance of music to them at different points in their lives and the joy collecting and playing their records has brought them.

Episode 6 on May 19 features Bill Hughes who buying records in his native Athy - most of his early collection being lost in a family-home fire. Since then, the man behind such music shows as MT USA, Irish Tenors & Friends and Hallelujah Broadway, has amassed a significant collection of vinyl and CDs, pulling out for Pat a sample of his favourite musicals, divas, songwriters, dance tunes and Irish acts.

Pat says about his own record collecting: “Whenever I’ve had the space, my records have always had pride of place. Not only have I been an avid listener to vinyl since I was a kid and more recently to CDs too, especially new or previously missed ones - as well as now streaming music online, obviously - but I also think they look great. I walk into my front room even now and boom, it still hits me. For some people it’s books, for me it’s records.

“But it is only relatively recently that I realised I am an actual record collector. Up until then I always figured I was just a bit of a hoarder who also happened to be a music fan who hung onto, not only records, both vinyl and CDs, but also to gig tickets and laminates, music magazines and other bits and bobs of music memorabilia.

“A couple of years ago, however, I found myself - alongside a bunch of other mostly middle-aged men - at a record fair, flicking through boxes of second-hand vinyl albums in search of a bargain or five. It was time to finally acknowledge it - my name is Pat and I am a record collector.”

Over For The Record’s ten episodes, Pat’s guests are:

Episode 1 – April 14:
Dave Fanning:
Former RTÉ 2fm DJ and now the most recent recruit to RTÉ Gold and host of ‘Fanning at Whelans’ on Virgin Media, as one might suspect Dave has a pretty major record collection, though perhaps not the one most people might suspect. Expect everything from
The Incredible String Band and The Ramones to – unsurprisingly – U2 and – perhaps more surprisingly – Billie Eilish.

Episode 2 – April 21:
Ivana Bacik:
The current Leader of the Irish Labour Party since and a TD for the Dublin Bay South, it might surprise many that Ivana is a huge music fan. With particular soft spots for ‘90s indie and pop, some predictably with a strong political bent, there will be Billy Bragg and The Specials, but also A House, George Michael and Blondie.

Episode 3 – April 28:
Jim Fitzpatrick:
An artist known for his elaborately detailed Celtic-inspired works, his iconic
two-tone portrait of Che Guevara and a bunch of well-known record covers, most notably of
his close friend Phil Lynott’s Thin Lizzy, Jim’s music taste ranges from those he’s worked with
– Planxty, Lizzy and Sinead O’Connor, amongst others – through The KLF, Marilyn Monroe,
Bob Marley and, purley for fitness purposes, you understand, Billy Idol.

Episode 4 – May 5:
Niamh Kavanagh:
Singer of Ireland’s winning Eurovision Song Contest entry in 1993, Niamh is still regularly recording and performing. Her wide-ranging record collection, some of which she has inherited and ‘borrowed’ from various family members, reflects her own
diverse taste, and includes Maria Callas, The Commitments (on which we hear her own dulcet tones), Mary Coughlan, Paul Young (doing Joy Division) and Carole King.

Episode 5 May 12:
Fachtna O Ceallaigh: Best known for managing, amongst others, The Boomtown Rats and Sinead O’Connor at various points in his lengthy music business career, Fachtna has been collecting records since he was a nipper with pride of place now going to extensive sections of reggae, hip hop, Irish traditional and a wide range of rock in all shapes and sizes.

Episode 6 – May 19:
Bill Hughes:
TV producer and regular broadcaster, Bill began buying records in his native Athy in Co Kildare, most of his early collection being lost in a family-home fire. Since then, the man behind such music shows as MT USA, Irish Tenors & Friends and Hallelujah Broadway, has amassed a significant collection of vinyl and CDs, pulling out for Pat a sample of his favourite musicals, divas, songwriters, dance tunes and Irish acts.

Episode 7 – May 26:
Julie Feeney:
A singer-songwriter steeped in classical and Irish traditional music, Julie’s extensive (mostly CD) record collection currently resides temporarily in the family Athenry, Co Galway home. On one of her recent visits, she played Pat everything from modern opera and classic British folk to ‘90’s indie and pop.

Episode 8 – June 2:
Paul Flynn:
Chef and owner of The Tannery Restaurant in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, the majority of Paul’s record collection dates from a specific period of his life with only a few recent discs to his name. And there is cheese, sadly not of the edible kind. Expect the likes of Horslips, The Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave…and Air Supply!

Episode 9 – June 9:
Evelyn Cusack:
Recently retired Met Éireann Head of Forecasting, music has always been an important part of Evelyn’s life and her small but carefully curated collection includes Laurie Anderson, Echo & The Bunnymen, Kate Bush, The Sultans Of Ping FC and more.

Episode 10 – June 16:
Joe Rooney:
Actor, comedian and one-time aspiring singer with 1980’s Dublin post-punk
outfit, Guernica, anyone who’s followed the career of the man most still know as Fr Damo from Channel 4’s Father Ted will not be surprised to learn of Joe’s great love of music. His taste runs the gamut of reggae, punk, pop and beyond.