Although 1988 saw the continued assault on discerning sensibilities in the shape of SAW, there were (surprisingly enough!) one or two reasons to be cheerful.

Probably the most encouraging aspect of the year was the emergence of New Country as a fully-fledged musical force. Randy Travis and Lyle Lovett consolidated on their successes of last year, with the latter also releasing one of ’88s finest singles in ‘She’s No Lady’. Elsewhere, lesser-known artists like The O’Kanes went from strength to strength while Philip Donnelly proved that not all Irish country musicians are squirm-inducing sad cases. And it all culminated in the month of November when, over two nights in The Point Depot, the cream of country artists came and made the place their own.

And seeing as we’re talking ’bout matters domestic … one of the major triumphs of the year was the sublime ‘Irish Heartbeat’ from Van Morrison and The Chieftains. The mating of traditional music and themes with the man’s powerful and soulful vocals made for some spine-tingling moments, especially at the Stadium in early September when the sheer majestic resonance of the music left few dissatisfied.

Meanwhile, newer artists like Michelle Shocked were making serious inroads – but 1988 was very much a year (again!) for comebacks and re-releases. The Stranglers had a bash at Ray Davies ‘All Day And All Of The Night, The Commodores resurfaced with 977’s ‘Easy’ and The Crickets released a fine new single called ‘T-Shirt’. Sadly, however, it was the untimely death of one of rock’s most influential artists Roy Orbison, just as his career was enjoying a rejuvenation that brought the year to a close.