It would appear that Ireland's best known classical musician, John O'Conor, has a long memory and does not forget old friends, no matter how long the passage of time.
The master musician will give a concert in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on January 26th which will give the people of the midlands an opportunity to hear him perform.
Some in the audience at the Tullamore Court Hotel may remember that they heard him play before in the town but that was when he was a 21-year-old budding musician without even national recognition.
He had been invited to play in the town in March, 1969, and by all accounts those present recognised the star quality which was soon to shine.
That invitation was sent to the young O'Conor by the Gramaphone Society in Tullamore and late last year, to celebrate their 40th birthday, they decided to invite him back again.
"He remembered that he had been here and much to our delight he accepted our invitation to give a recital. We were absolutely delighted," says Kathleen Power, the secretary of the society.
"We were a bit afraid to approach him because he is so busy and is such an international name now. However, he said he would be delighted to come and play," she says, adding that having got the commitment from the musician to play, the society had then to find a grand piano on which he could perform.
"We found that we could get a Bosendorfer from Ciaran Ryan in Spiddal, Co Galway, who specialises in hiring pianos and we are all set for the occasion."
John O'Conor came to international prominence in 1973 when he won the International Beethoven Competition in Vienna, where he was still a student.
He went on to win the Bosendorfer International Competition in 1975 and since then the quiet humorous Dubliner has been touring the world.
For the Tullamore performance, he will play pieces from Haydn, Beethoven, Czerny, Lizstand Busoni and it is hoped that he will encore with some of his Field pieces.
In 1990, O'Conor's recordings of Field's work became the best-selling classical record in the United States.
Bookings for the performance, which begins at 8 p.m., can be made by calling 0506-46666 or 0506-41822.