There is a lot of stuff in my attic. I realised this when I went looking for some old photos of my dear lovely dad who died suddenly just before St Patricks Day this year (2011). Thats him in the pic above, with my Mum.
I’ve loads of old newspapers, music mags, fanzines, records and photos of groups I was in. Most of it is rubbish, but there is some good stuff in there. The focus of this blog will be to scan and publish material that I have, which may have interest to others and which isn’t already available on the web.
NRG, l to r, Me, Paul Gilmore, Brian Vernon, Ciaran Vernon
Dougie Devlin is my nick name from school, named after an exciting attacking English imported midfielder who played for Dundalk FC in the 70s. I was happy to take that name…. when you consider what some others ended up with.
The Dundalk years were good. I was bass player with a number of groups in Dundalk, including one of the country’s seminal punk groups NRG, which laid the foundation for subsequent groups, Scheme & Choice. Red the spine, 33 Not Out & Fitzcaraldo came later.
DJ’d in Dundalk bars & clubs through the 80s. The music crowd liked their indie but I fitted (forced?) in as much funk, soul & disco as possible. Also had a weekly show on Telstar and N.E.R local pirate radios.
I played football & won FAI intermediate cup football final medal with Leinster Senior League Dundalk team, Bank Rovers in 1985. In the same year we lost to Cork City in the FAI senior cup at Flower Lodge. Terry McDermot (Liverpool, Newcastle) played with Cork City that day!
Living in Dublin since 1990. Was one of the first DJs on Dublin’s late Jazz FM presenting the weekly Soul Cookin’ show from July 1995 for over 4 years.
Hope you find some of the scans and stories interesting.
great stuff Dougie, love the Dundalk colour scheme too!
“DOUG DEVLIN: Ex-Scottish Youth midfielder who was a Wolves reserve before moving to Walsall in July 1972. He made 18 League appearances prior to joining Dundalk in July 1973, then played for Raith Rovers, Telford, Tamworth, Alvechurch and Rushall. Now running Douglas Publicity Ltd. in Walsall.”
from http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/SaddlersAZ/0,,10428~936599,00.html
Looking good Dougie! Do you still have that skinny tie?
I still have the skinny tie, but not the skinny frame.
Great stuff. Great pic of your folks.
Thanks Brendan, very fond of that snap!
HI Dougie – Great Blog! Heard about this all the way across the pond. Wondering if you’re still wearing your gutties?? Cheers, Noeleen
Hi Noeleen, great to hear from you. Hope all well in the Big Apple. Yes, still loving my gutties & plan to do a post on them along with skeething guns some day soon. Thanks for the shout!
Left the big Apple in 87 Dougie! Up in the sticks of Connecticut now
Your pic appeared tonight on a page I belong to on FB Dundalk Northend and friends.Check it out when you get a chance.
Fame has arrived!
you’re named after my dad!!
Hi Hayley, lovely to hear from you. Yeah, schoolboy hero he was! Great player. His pic is in that 70s collage on the blog! Hope he is keeping well + has good memories of the town!
Nice one Doug(Brian). Enjoyed reading and listening. Talk soon, Ted.
Nice one too Ted (David)
I must say this is fascinating. I volunteer with The Little Museum of Dublin. It’s a civic museum for the city and they are looking for exactly the type of things you are talking about to be loaned or donated to the museum to tell the story of Dublin in the 20th Century.
I would really appreciate it if you could get in contact with me 01 661 1000
Hi there. Wonderful site, great to see so many memories. I’d love to do an article about this if you could give me an email I would be delighted. All the best
Anne
Love retro adverts and magazines. Wonderful stuff, keep it up!
great site. sort out a twitter account to alert people to new posts
Thanks Willie, Twitter is a good old friend of this site…my twitter a/c is @dubdoug
Great site Brian,read about it in the Argus this week,some good memories there,especially the Dundalk cup win of 88.Was in Dalymount that day with Dad and Liam.
Well Done
Niall Mc Mahon
Great to see my our old Gakbag comic. Brilliant site!
I have a copy of that nuclear booklet too.
- Arthur Mathews
Thanks very much Arthur! Glad you like and delighted to get your comment. Gakbag was one of the early posts. Great strips which still look good today.
I stumbled upon this site while checking out the Thin Lizzy Dundalk gig dates on Google. Brilliant stuff. Love all the DFC memories of the cup final in 1988 – I was there!
I think my brother Paul Lee was involved with Red the Spine. I was at Art College at the time and remember taking some photographs of a gig (poss in the Cellars)…my memory sometimes does not serve me well…
Best Wishes
Patrick Lee
Hi Pat. Paul was Red the Spine… with me. I have no photos at all but have a decent demo tape. Do you still have the photos? Would be good to get some up on this site. Thanks for all the comments
Hi Brian
Ah, not too surprised that Paul was Red the Spine, he has a big personality! He’s in the States these days.
I’ll have a look for some photographs next time I’m home in Dundalk (I’m in London). Is there any way of uploading the demo? Would be good to hear it.
I really like the stuff you’ve done with the site, Dundalk (and Ireland) had a lot going on in the 70s/80s and I have nothing but good memories. So it’s good to remember and celebrate it.
The photo of your parents is great too. A nice tribute to your dad.
Cheers
Patrick
Great to hear from you Pat and thanks for support. I plan to digitise the demo soon. I’ve misplaced the cassette but I know its here somewhere. Will put it up on web especially if I can get your photos to go with it!
Hey Dougie – great site. A right little treasure trove!
By any chance were you at an infamous punk gig at St Anthony’s Hall in Dublin circa 1977/78? The Virgin Prunes, Skank Mooks and Berlin were among the bands on the bill.
I remember talking with a very enthusiastic lad from Dundalk afterwards as we headed back up the quays, and when I saw the young you in the above snap of NRG it brought me right back.
I could be wrong, of course. It was a very long time ago . . .
It was a long time ago, John and I wasn’t at that gig BUT my brother was! It may have been him! He actually wrote a review of the gig which he published in his Too Late fanzine. I will post this review on the blog very soon.
Hi, i have a box full on National Geographics ranging from the 60′s to the naughties. They are in good condition and im looking to sell them. Any of you retro bloggers interested? Im based in dublin.