Sidharta Books & Print

Although born and reared in Ireland, Seán spent his mature life in Australia. He has undertook quite a few adventures in his time including a horseback trip through far north Queensland, even though initially afraid of horses. He is a church-going, thrice married ex convict, who honestly believes he's got a good chance of getting to heaven. A poet and songwriter from whose pen has come the most haunting of love songs, these emphatic messages of love, sorrow, loss and joy are very inspiring. While additionally he has to his credit works of short stories, poems and plays.
Tyrone born Sydney resident Seán Hampsey has more claim to fame than the fact he is the eldest of the largest family to emigrate to Australia from Ireland or Great Britain in 1960. Fourteen children in total 7 boys and 7 girls. Seán's mother Molly used to refer to Seán as The eldest in age but the youngest in sense, especially after he undertook a horseback trip to ride around Australia. Although he didn't get to fulfill that ambition, he did manage to ride from Rockhampton to the far North Queensland town of Cairns. A journey that took up 18 months of his life and covered nearly a thousand miles, utilizing six horses, (3 pack, and 3 saddle horses)
It was during a rodeo ride in the North Queensland town of Ingham that events went badly wrong. Seán's first horse selected to ride merely Pig-rooted, (meaning the horse didn't buck hard and vicious enough, merely attempted half heartedly to throw the rider off, meaning no point score.) So Seán was awarded another ride. This horse not only disposed of Seán well within the 8 second time, but trampled all over him before the Rodeo clown could get to his assistance. The end result was, multiple fractures, including a broken collar bone, three busted ribs, severe bruising and a smashed hand.
While laying up recuperating, he taught himself how to play an old busted three-stringed guitar which he eventually got a tune or two out of. This led to Seán later on in life being referred to as 'The Master of the three-stringed guitar?
It was also during this time that due to the publicity of his horseback trip that Seán got to meet the 'Original Author' of the Australian classic 'The Pub With No Beer', an expatriate Irishman from County Cork by the name of Dan Sheahan. Dan had first wrote the song as a poem when his favorite pub ran out of beer. The Americans were on manoeuvres in the district and had drunk the pub dry, so he recorded it for posterity and had it published in The North Queensland Register on January 1st 1944. Years later the wandering country minstrel singer Gordon Parsons discovered Dan's poem, set it to music, gave the song to his friend fellow country music singer Slim Dusty, and so the legend was born. Seán was privileged to meet up with Slim while he was staying with Dan. He had visited Dan for some fresh singing material. Dan and his family hospitably looked after Seán until his full recovery from his episode with 'Thunderclap.? He then continued with his ride Northwards eventually reaching Cairns where by now the only horse he had left, a skewbald named 'Daphne? refused to move another inch, and so ended the horseback trip, though he did get up to The Cape in a four-wheeled drive utility.
Seán, who recently returned from Ireland where he recorded 22 original songs, has just released 10 of those songs on a CD titled 'The Rebel Within' featuring on the front cover a portrait of Michael Collins whose image Seán's relative Sergeant Major Johnny Rooney acquired while Stationed in County Cork, (Michaels birthplace and where he was ambushed and killed) during the civil war years 1919 to 1923. This latest CD, incidentally is the 10th album of original songs Seán has recorded and produced. He is involved in the Real Estate industry for the past 20 years, and resides at St Mary's, at the base of the Blue Mountains. His songs 'TAMWORTH', 'Country Boy', 'Song of Australia and VIETNAM' have all won awards with 'TAMWORTH' taking out the title of 'Best new country song' at the recent Red Gum musical festival at Swanhill.