Notes & NarrativesA presentation given for Na Píobairí Uilleann, covering the background to a historic, first ever tour by Irish traditional musicians, singers and dancers through six major cities in America. The principal musicians were Peadar O’Loughlin, Sean Ryan and Paddy O’Brien (from Nenagh) and the presentation includes recordings from the official concerts on the tour as well as session recordings with local Chicago musicians which include Johnny McGreevy, Eleanor Kane Neary & Jimmy Neary.
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In Search of the Taylor BrothersEarly in 2018 I travelled to Philadelphia in search of the final burial place of the celebrated uilleann pipemakers William & Charles Taylor. After finding the exact location of their graves, I made this short film to officially record the location for posterity.
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In Honor of Capt. Francis O'NeillSince the early 1960s, Kevin Henry made an annual visit to the graveside of Capt Francis O'Neill in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chicago, as a mark of respect and to honor O'Neill's incredible contribution to Irish music. Over the last decade, prior to his death in 2020, Kevin was accompanied by a host of local and visiting friends and fellow musicians and I made this film to document the event held in 2015. Among the musicians attending that morning were Sean Cleland and his students of The Irish Music School of Chicago; Frank Burke and Tim McGinness of the Chicago IMA; the wonderful piper and flute player Sean Gavin, originally from Detroit and the renowned tin-whistle player Mary Bergin, who was on a visit to Chicago from Ireland. Also in attandance that morning was John Lesch, great-great-grandson of Francis O'Neill, who kindly opened the O'Neill Mausoleum for all in attendance to get a close-up view of the graves therein.
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The Wrens Day in DingleFrom the early 1900s , my maternal grandfather, my uncles and my father were very involved in teaching the fife & and drum music of the marching bands in Dingle, Co. Kerry and in maintaining the tradition when interest was at its lowest ebb in the 1950s and 1960s. This tradition is thankfully now thriving in Dingle today and this film captures the highlight of the marching calendar in Dingle - The Wrens Day ( St. Stephen's Day, December 26th) in 2016.
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Paddy O'Brien in New York City
When I was trying to identify an accordion player on the recently gifted acetates, I reached out to Eileen O’Brien to see if it might be her father, as I was aware Paddy immigrated to New York in 1954. To my great surprise (and delight) Eileen not only confirmed the musician was indeed her father but she also told me she had the video recording of what I was playing down the phone to her (The Sally Gardens). It turns out my acetate was a recording from a hugely popular TV show in New York called The Ted Mac Amateur Hour, where various acts, including singers, musicians, dancers and jugglers performed in front of a live audience who voted the winner. Paddy was in New York only one month when his friend, Steve Quinn, entered his name into the show. He won three shows in a row and qualified for the final, to compete against the popular singer Pat Boone (the eventual winner), which was recorded in Madison Square Garden.
Eileen, thank you for the above information and for sending me two video recordings of Paddy appearing on the show to include in my Archive. I’m sure all of my viewers will enjoy these recordings of Paddy’s amazing playing. They are, without doubt, an important historical record of early traditional Irish music performed on American television.
Eileen, thank you for the above information and for sending me two video recordings of Paddy appearing on the show to include in my Archive. I’m sure all of my viewers will enjoy these recordings of Paddy’s amazing playing. They are, without doubt, an important historical record of early traditional Irish music performed on American television.
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