The strong thread of Irish heritage and music "just happened by accident" on Safe in the Harbor. Two traditional tunes are featured from the Irish fishermen who settled on Beaver Island, Michigan, "Yankee Brown" and "The Gallagher Boys." The immigrant's longing for home are beautifully expressed in my cover of Andy Mitchell's "Indiana." I've tagged this with another O'Carolan tune, "Eleanor Plunkett." Milwaukee's first Irish immigrants are remembered in the classic song by Henry Clay Work, "Lost on the Lady Elgin," with singing by Phil Cooper, Margaret Nelson, Jim Terry and Tracey Lee Roberts (of The Gaping Maw). Hundreds perished in this 1861 shipwreck of an excursion boat which was carrying Milwaukee Irish men, women and children back to their home after a Chicago debate by the candidates, Mr Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas. The tribute to Stan Rogers can be heard in Lee's cover of "White Squall" and Eric Bogle's song, "Safe in the Harbor," which was written as a eulogy for Stan. Above the sadness, I hear the great hope and spirit of the sea in this song -- a song I still sing to close many of my concerts. Not to take anything away from any of the other fine writers and songs on this CD ... I still get frequent requests for Kevin O'Donnell's "Downtowner Motel," Larry Penn's "Watching Lake Michigan Roll" (from the South Chicago Lighthouse), and rarely-heard tunes by Chicago favorite Jim Craig ("Joshua Johnson") and Craig Johnson ("You Damned Old Piney Mountains") of the Double Decker String Band. Finally, for lovers of the Big Top Chautauqua and Tent Show Radio, here is my cover of Warren Nelson's "Keeper of the Light."