Songs:

Black Velvet Band, The
Blind Beggar, The
Blow the Candle Out
Bold Sinn Féiner, The
Bonny Light Horseman, The
Burke's Dream
Canada I O
Doctor Crippen
Donnelly
Dudley Lee the Blackleg
East Clare Election, The
Érin go Brágh
Fairy Child, The
Girl From Clahandine, The
Golden Glove
Iron Door, The
Jack From Killaloe
Labouring Man's Daughter, The
Loving Sailor Boy
Maggie Malone
Mary Malone
Meet me Love, Say Won't You Meet Me
Mrs Hoolighan’s Party
Mrs McLaughlin's Party
Murder of Mrs O'Mara, The
North Star, The
Old Armchair, The
Pressed Lover, The
Róisín A Stór
Rose of Allendale, The
St Kevin and the Gander
Spanish Lady, The
Vale of Fermoyle
Young Rebel Cut Down in His Prime

Martin Howley was somebody we were able to visit on only three occasions, but each time we received a great welcome. He was a general labourer living in a council cottage in north Clare, on the edge of the Burren.

Martin was passionately interested in songs from a very early age and was more than happy to share them with anybody. He had an excellent memory, not only in being able to remember the songs but also where he first heard them, and he related several anecdotes about learning them. He got a number of them from Travellers, including the extremely rare Fair Margaret and Sweet William, which he knew as 'The Old Armchair'. Our last visit to him, after we had heard he was very ill, was intended to be a short call to let him know we were thinking of him but soon the conversation soon got round to song. On his asking if we had a tape recorder with us, we protested that we were not there to bother him, as he was ill, to which he replied, "But I want to give them to you - I'm a poor man and they are all I have to leave". It was very moving to see the importance Martin attached to the songs he had kept alive for so long, and we proceeded to record him for the last time. As well as being a singer with a large repertoire, Martin was also a fine old-style concertina player.

Taken from ‘Around the Hills of Clare: Songs and Recitations from the Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie Collection’ (2004) Musical Traditions Records MTCD331-2/Góilín Records 005-6.