Mick Mc Loughlin has spent 15 years singing on the streets of Dublin, but the story of Mick The Busker goes far beyond Henry Street.
In Episode 2 of Two Auld Folkers, Gerry Browne and Mick O’Brien sit down with one of Dublin’s most recognisable street performers for a conversation full of music, memories, sharp humour and a few stories that land harder than expected.
Mick grew up in a house where music was always within reach. There were guitars, banjos, mandolins, accordions and plenty of records. His influences came from all directions, from Cat Stevens and The Mamas and the Papas to The Wolfe Tones, Christy Moore and The Dubliners.
Then came Luke Kelly.
Mick talks about the hold Luke’s voice had on him, the connection he feels when singing his songs and why he still visits Luke’s grave. When he sings The Old Triangle, something changes. People stop. They listen.
That connection with people sits at the heart of this episode.
Mick remembers supporting Declan O’Rourke at Vicar Street and watching a man in the front row break down during Love’s Last Time. He tells the story behind the viral Luas video with Edward, a spontaneous performance of You’ve Got a Friend in Me that spread around the world.
Then there is Archie.
Archie was one of the regulars who stopped to see Mick on Henry Street. When Mick told him he was close to giving up busking because he could not afford the equipment he needed, Archie arrived with an amp, microphone, stand, cables and a guitar.
A few days later, Mick was back doing what he loved.
When Archie died, his son came looking for him. One of Archie’s final wishes was for Mick to sing at his funeral. Mick went to the church, told their story and sang Galileo.
It is one of several moments in the episode that shows what busking has meant to Mick over the years.
Henry Street gave him a stage, but more importantly, it gave him people.
He has seen marriage proposals, old friends, tourists, shop workers and regulars who return for the same songs. He has also seen addiction, homelessness, violence, theft and grief at close range.
Mick talks about all of it without dressing it up.
There is plenty of warmth too. He recalls the people who stop for a chat, the strangers who recognise him abroad and the listeners who ask him to video call family members so they can say hello.
The conversation moves into the wider state of Irish music, from streaming income and the difficulty of making a living to the old connection between folk music and drink.
Mick also tells a great story about singing The Contender on Henry Street and looking up to see Jimmy McCarthy standing in front of him. The songwriter’s verdict stayed with him.
That was the way the song should be sung.
For all the years on the street, Mick still has one big dream.
He wants to headline the Olympia Theatre.
Episode 2 also features live performances of The Contender, I Remember You Singing This Song and The Parting Glass.
Funny in places, moving in others, and full of stories you would never get from a standard interview, this is Mick The Busker in his own words.
A singer shaped by Dublin, Luke Kelly, Henry Street and the people who stopped long enough to listen.
Watch the full episode on YouTube:
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Produced By Graco Studios:
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Irish Folk Music, The Music Of The People.
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