Clare County Library: Songs of Clare

Other Singers Jim Carroll & Pat Mackenzie
Josie Baker Cahermurphy, Kilmihil	Cahermurphy Kilrush Miss Fanny Parnell Molly Bawn
	Josie Baker was a retired farmer who lived with his brother in Cahermurphy, Kilmihil; he was invited by Ollie Conway to sing for us on one of our first recording sessions in Clare. Despite being very nervous, he sang several songs, including ‘Kilrush’, which we had never heard before and haven’t come across since.

Sean Boyle Mount Scott, Mullagh	Girl From Donegal, The Mrs McGrath
	We regret we know nothing of Sean Boyle of Mount Scott, Mullagh; he was present during singing sessions at the Willie Clancy Summer School.

Mrs Casey Mullagh	Boozers of Ireland, The Georgie
	Theresa Cooney and Mrs Casey, both of Mullagh, were present in Conway’s Bar on an afternoon when we had been taken along by collector friend, Tom Munnelly, to record Mountscott singer, Jamesie McCarthy; at the insistence of Jamesie, they both agreed to sing for us. Mrs Casey staggered us with her rendition of a partial version of the rare Child ballad, ‘Geordie’, or 'Georgie'; as far as we know, it had only ever been recorded in Ireland once previously, from a Mrs Maguire of Belfast, in the early 1950s.

John Connell Miltown Malbay	My Own Native Land Travelling Doctor's Shop
	We regret we know nothing of John Connell of Miltown Malbay; he was present during singing sessions at the Willie Clancy Summer School.

Micheál Conway Mullagh	Bonny Irish Boy Come Home Come Home
	Micheál Conway was a singer from Mullagh, and a brother of Ollie Conway. We stopped to give him a lift on the way to the singing session in Ollie's pub in Mullagh after picking up Josie. He lived in Clonina, Cree.

Theresa Cooney Mullagh	Castlemaine Francie Hynes
	Theresa Cooney and Mrs Casey, both of Mullagh, were present in Conway’s Bar on an afternoon when we had been taken along by collector friend, Tom Munnelly, to record Mountscott singer, Jamesie McCarthy; at the insistence of Jamesie, they both agreed to sing for us.

Paddy Flanagan Inagh	Donkey, The Thousands are Sailing
	Paddy Flanagan lived with his wife and younger brother Michael ‘Straighty’ Flanagan in their farmhouse just outside Inagh village. On the occasions we visited the family home to record ‘Straighty’, Paddy, aged 92, also sang for us.

Tom Flanagan Doolin	Aililiú na Gamhna Idir Chluain Meala is Carraig na Siúire Poor Lone Boy
	On the occasion we recorded Packie and Micho Russell in O’Connor’s Bar in Doolin, a local man came over and offered to sing for us; most of the songs he sang were in Irish. At the time we didn’t take his name but he was later identified as Tom Flanagan of Doolin.

Michael Hehir Tirmanagh Hill, Treanmanagh near Mullagh	Tirmanagh Hill
	Michael Hehir lives with his wife Margaret, half way up Tirmanagh Hill, Treanmanagh, near Mullagh; they are the parents of Brigit Hehir, the owner of The Westbridge Bar on the main street in Miltown Malbay. We met and recorded Michael in the kitchen of their home at a session organized by Brigit.

Tom Kelly Tullabrack, North of Kilrush	Here’s a Health to All True Lovers
	Tom Kelly is the son of the renowned fiddle player, Patrick Kelly of Cree. He is a plumber and Jim met and recorded him while they were working together in Cooraclare.

Martin Long Cloontysmarra, Inagh	Child in the Budget, The Valley of Knockanure, The
	Martin Long was a retired farmer who lived at Cloontysmarra, between Miltown Malbay and Inagh. We met him on just two occasions and recorded him only once, during a singing session in Marrinan's pub in Miltown Malbay during the second Willie Clancy Summer School in 1974.

Paddy McInerney Cree	Kathleen Lochnagar
	While the session in Conway’s bar was in full swing in 1973, a whistle-player walked in, played a few tunes, sang a song or two, then disappeared; we never met him again. We later found that he was Paddy McInerney of Cree, the father of Noreen Marrinan, who ran the bar on the main street in Miltown Malbay with her husband, Jim.

John Joe McMahon Leeds, Miltown Malbay	A Stór Mo Chroí Blackbird of Sweet Avondale, The Flower of Finea, The
	John Joe McMahon of Leeds, Miltown Malbay, is a close neighbour of storyteller, Francie Kenelly; we met him in Francie’s home while were recording some stories.

Marty Malley Miltown Malbay	Lament for Willie Clancy
	Marty Malley, Miltown Malbay (b 1923), a singer, dancer and songwriter, he was one of the familiar figures from our earliest visits to Miltown Malbay.

Micho Murrihy Mount Scott, Mullagh	Galway Shawl, The Young Roger
	Micho Murrihy was the brother of storyteller, Packie; together, they ran the family farm, along with Micho’s wife, Maisie, in Mountscott, Mullagh; they were near neighbours of fiddle player, Junior Crehan.

Stevie O'Halloran Knocknahila	Leon, The
	We met Stevie O'Halloran of Knocknahila when we rented the cottage next door to his home. Originally from Cree, he was a whistle player and, he told us, in his earlier days had been an enthusiastic dancer and had played the uillean pipes. He also knew a few songs, which he readily sang for us, though he said he hadn’t sung them for many years.

Winifred Walsh Killernan, Miltown Malbay	Hills of Shanaway Ireland I love You
	Winifred Walsh, Killernan (1895 –1977). We received one of our earliest experiences of West Clare hospitality from the Walsh family of Killernan; we had been taken to visit them by collector, Tom Munnelly, who had been told some of them had songs. On arriving one sunny afternoon, we were told apologetically that they were all off to save the hay and could we come back that evening. When we arrived, we found the entire family sitting in the kitchen waiting for us in their beautiful old-style farmhouse kitchen. A daughter, a nun on leave from Africa, conducted the proceedings by taking the microphone around and urging various members of the family to sing for us, one of these being Mrs Winifred Walsh.

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