By the time of his death on October 3rd, 1967, Woody Guthrie was acclaimed as a part of America's folklore. While his own achievements were considerable (a conscientious voice detailing the travails of working class America), his influence reached even further. Naturally, Ireland wasn't unaffected, which is probably why the likes of Andy Irvine, Mick Hanly and John Faulkner were on hand on Monday night in Dublin to, quite literally, sing Guthrie's praises. Supported by American musician Chad Dugi, each of the Irish singers came out individually - Faulkner first, then Hanly, followed by Irvine. At the close of the evening, all four stood on the stage like a middle-aged guard of honour who had checked in their egos at the door, rattling out the narrative yarns with a mixture of insight and humour.

The songs of Guthrie came thick and fast, sung eloquently and diligently: Dugi sang the more obscure songs (many of which this writer had not heard before). Faulkner performed more familiar material such as Vigilante Man and Pretty Boy Floyd. Hanly sang a few plus his own Guthrie-influenced The Golden Quay Bar, and Irvine underpinned the evening with a plaintive selection of some of Guthrie's best known work.