Shawn Cuddy has admitted the things you thought were important become less so as you get older.
The country music favourite turned 60 recently, and hitting a milestone birthday was a time of reflection for him.
He also revealed what makes his marriage to his wife Roberta work so well.
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Shawn told RSVP Country: "I recorded a song called The Older I Get and it’s very popular at the concerts. The 40s, 50s and 60s are big milestones and you realise that the things you thought were important become less so as you get older.
"Life is all about your family and your close friends. It’s important to be nice to people and not to worry. I used to worry about getting work and keeping my band going.
"Now, I do the work that comes in and I feel lucky to still be performing at this stage of my career. I hope to stay on stage for another few years. I toured in the UK recently with Philomena Begley.
"She’s 82 now and she just wants to plough on because she doesn’t know how to do anything else. I hope I get to do the same thing and I hope I’ve the health to be able to do it."
Daniel O’Donnell rang him the day of him birthday.
Shawn recalled: "He said, ‘Welcome to the club’. He asked if I felt any different and I said, ‘Not a bit’. The hair has just got grey, that’s it [laughs]."
Shawn is from Laois, but he's based in Donegal with his wife Roberta and their kids, Sean and Aimee, now.
He said: "I’m from a little village called Camross and I’m the eldest of 11, seven boys and four girls. I remember being absolutely terrified crossing the border in the early days of my career.
"We were so afraid of being searched at the checkpoints and it was a huge deal because we had nothing like that at home. You had to travel home after the gigs and you were stopped by police and soldiers.
"It was a very different time and you had to be switched on and have your wits about you. Then I met a lovely woman called Roberta and we got married and I ended up moving to outside Strabane.
"My parents used to be so worried. Roberta and I got married on Valentine’s Day 1992 and Fr. Brian D’Arcy married us. All the crowd from Laois came on buses and they couldn’t wait to get the Mass over so they could get out over the border into Letterkenny.
"The police barracks was right beside the church in Sion Mills where we got married. There were barricades and wires everywhere and that was alien to my people, they had never seen anything like that before."
For Shawn and his family, the plan was to move to the Midlands, but then things changed and they bought a house in Donegal.
He said: "I’m very lucky to have the best of both worlds now. Back then, the dances in Northern Ireland were absolutely fantastic.
"The atmosphere was electric and there were so many amazing jivers and waltzers. I made so many friends over the years."
Does he feel like a Donegal man now? "Donegal County Council threw a civic reception for me here in Lifford for my contribution to charity. All of my friends and family came along, it was a great night.
"It was a great achievement for me.
"I know I’ve been living in Donegal for 28 years, but I never thought I would be honoured by Donegal as a Laois man."
Shawn and Roberta are 32 years married, and their secret to a long-standing marriage is being flexible with each other's schedules.
He said: "When I was away on tour, Roberta single-handedly looked after everything and reared Seán and Aimee. But when I was at home, I was home to be with them and help out as much as I could.
"I don’t play golf and I don’t have any other interests. I would get home at five or six in the morning and she would be going out to work as the terminal manager at the City of Derry Airport.
"She did that for 20 years before going into hotel management.
"We always worked it out between us. For us, we love each other and we trust each other.
"It isn’t easy being an entertainer’s wife. As a family, we always tried to get two holidays together and get away each year."
On a personal level, Shawn wants to see his children happy as he looks forward to the next decade.
He said: "Seán bought a site a couple of miles away from us and he’ll start building in the New Year. I want to see Aimee settled.
"I’d like for Roberta and I to work away until we retire. I intend to record and tour while people want me to. I want to enjoy life.
"I’ll stay going as long as my health prevails. I remember when I was in my 30s I asked someone about their retirement and they told me to be happy with what I had and not to worry about what anybody else had. She said to do my own thing and be happy with my lot."
Shawn love to see people doing well.
He said: "I love when somebody buys a new car or gets a new house because they work so hard. People shouldn’t be jealous or begrudging because nobody gets it easy and we all have to work.
"It’s nice to be happy for people and if you adopt that attitude in life, things will fall nicely for you. If you’re happy yourself, you’re a better person."
Read the full interview with Shawn Cuddy and see all of the fabulous pictures in this issue of RSVP Country - on shelves now
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