Published: Wednesday, 22nd July, 2009 1:00pm

Yacht Club friends celebrate birthday of music legend Syd Shine

Syd Shine, who is the longest serving member of the Lough Ree Yacht Club, was honoured for his 89th birthday by his friends and former Saints bandmates, last Sunday at the club.

Syd, who is legendary for having lived on the barge, 'The Fox' on the River Shannon since 1957, and on another barge, the 'Chang Sha' before that, dating back to 1942, is a legend on the lakes of the Shannon, for his knowledge of the water.

He was also owner of the Crescent Ballroom throughout the halcyon big band music days of the 1940's to the Showband days of the 1960's.

Syd also built the Jolly Mariner marina and nitespot in the late 1960's.

Throughout those years, Syd as pianist, was also bandleader of the Syd Shine Orchestra big band, and the famous Athlone showband, Syd and the Saints.

Syd spent last winter living in Tipperary with his long-time Athlone friends, Ted (from Glenavon Terrace) and Pauline Knight, (nee Wheatley) and in recent months returned to live in Athlone, in Stella Maris home in Baylough, while he has been recuperating from ill-health. However he was in fine form on Sunday, when he joined Ted and Pauline and many other friends, including Seamus Breen of the Yacht Club, and Lola Leech and Michael and Maureen Doyle at the club to eat his birthday cake.

His former Athlone bandmates, guitarist Pete Keighery, (from the Bawn, and who travelled from Dublin on the day), Frankie McDonald on trumpet and singer, Joe Flynn from his Saints days made a surprise appearance playing a couple of tunes from those days.

The lads were accompanied by local musicians, Joe Glynn on accordion and Gerry Flynn on guitar.

At the close of the celebrations, the gathering of friends shouted - "Here's To Your 90th, Syd!".