Lifetime Achievement Award for musician and peace activist

LEGENDARY folk musician and dogged peace activist Tommy Sands has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Irish state broadcaster RTE.

Announcing the coveted award RTE said Tommy was recognised as a "significant cultural voice during the peace process" and his songwriting had often reflected the realities of conflict and reconciliation.

"His acclaimed song 'There Were Roses' remains one of the most enduring musical responses to the conflict," the broadcaster said.

Reacting to the announcement Tommy said he was "honoured" to be the recipient of this national award not only for his own family but the great family of musical friends who travelled the winding roads bringing a little light, neighbourliness and sharing in an oftimes scared world.

The "winding roads" that Tommy himself has travelled have taken him all over the world playing at venues as diverse as New York and Moscow in 60-plus years as a modern day wandering Irish minstrel .

It is estimated that since he first left the family farm on the Ryan Rd outside Mayobridge to take his talent across the globe Tommy has travelled at least

a million miles - with no sign of him slowing down despite the fact that he is heading towards his 81st birthday.

He has just completed a gruelling series of engagements in England playing in cities that included London, Birmingham and Newcastle prior to his planned tour of Ireland when he will be appearing at venues in each of the 32 counties.

Along his remarkable journey he has had many fascinating experiences including teaching hardened criminals in a Nevada prison to write songs - with some remarkable results - a venture which earned him an honorary Doctorate from Reno University.

One of his great friends on his journey was Pete Seeger the renowned civil rights activist who died at the age of 94 in 2014.

He shared Seeger's commitment to the oppressed and persecuted a passion reflected in his songs that include "Children of the Dole" and "Daughters and Sons".

In the early 1970's he wrote his first peace song - All the Little Children - which incidentally went to number one in the charts in the then Communist East Germany.

But it was his song "There Were Roses" about two friends from the opposite sides of the religious divide who were murdered by the opposing forces that had the biggest impact. In the end the only thing that united the two innocents were the roses placed on their graves.

The song captured the hearts and minds of the public across Ireland to such an extent that it became the unofficial Northern Ireland peace anthem. It has been "covered" by a number of other singers, most notably Cara Dillon in 2003.

Tommy was a passionate advocate for peace throughout the Troubles and hosted a series of concerts entitled "Music for Healing" among other initiatives.

He was motivated by his extenisve study of conflict and resolution and admired the work of Martin Luther King Jnr "an eye for an eye until everyone is blind" and Irish playwright Sean O'Casey "take away this murderin' hate"

On one famous occasion he organised a concert in the Great Hall at Stormont where he persuaded the Progressive Unionists - who spoke politically for the UVF - and Sinn Fein to share the bill.

He led a party of supporters to Stormont on the morning of the Good Friday signing of the historic peace agreement. They gathered at the gates of Castle Buildings where the crucial talks were taking place and following his lead performed an open-air, impromptu concert.

The delegates including Secretary of State Mo Mowlam and talks chairman Senator George Michael heard the singing and agreed it was an indication the people of Northern Ireland wanted them to go the extra mile in the search for peace.

Those in the talks described hearing the voices outside as a very moving and motivating experience.

The presentation of Tommy's award will be screened on RTE One and RTE Player onf Saturday November 14.