Íoslódáil (PDF) - Comhaltas Archive

TREOIR
Irish Music Club coming to the village.
This announcement hit the right note
with the all Irish Community of St
Bridget's where even the taxi service
was Irish. It was operated by Dan
Spillane from Kerry.
After a great welcome from the late
Monsignor Coad, the music
commenced and the night was great.
JXmong the forty or more musicians
was the late Charley Mulvihill,
accordion player and composer of
tunes. His ancestral home was Clare.
His father was a concertina player
from near Kilmaley. Some of the
other musicians present like Charley
Mulvihill and Louis Quinn had put in a
long day, having played at the Michael
Coleman Club in the early afternoon.
During the tea break. National
President Louis Quinn addressed the
meeting. After a short time another
traditional Irish Music Club was
formed. This one on Long Island. It
would in future be known as the
Louis E. Quinn Club. Frank Clarke a
well known fiddle player from
Longford was elected President. There
were no Chairmen in those days. The
Club continued to meet on the 4th
Sunday of every month. This has not
changed in 43 years.
Through the mists of time we look
back and recall the memories of
those early days. The opening night in
particular was Significant. There was
enough currant bread and tea to feed
an army. all of it provided by Irish
women from the parish of St
Bridget's. they came from every
county in Ireland. I can still hear their
voices. and their laughter in the
kitchen as they prepared the tea and
cake. Voices that are long since stilled.
but what a legacy they left us through
their friendly greeting, their happy
smiles. and pleasant disposition so
much a part of life in those days.
In later years the Club moved to the
K of C Hall in Westbury before
moving to its present location at the
Irish American Centre Mineola. The
Club became a branch of Comhaltas
in 1973.
Over the years, the Club/Branch has
had two Presidents and three
Chairmen the latter under
Comhaltas. Jack Reynolds RIP, Dublin
succeeded Frank Clarke. then came
the popular Colum Mulligan RIP,
Leitrim. When Colum returned to live
in Ireland in 1988. the late Hugh
Smith of Cavan took over and served
as Chairman until he passed away in
January 16. 1999. The present
Chairman Pat Kearey is the second
Longford man at the top. He is doing
a fine job in these challenging times.
Over the 43 years of its existence.
some of Ireland's greatest musicians
performed at the monthly sessions.
master of tradition such as Louis E.
QUinn.Armagh. fiddle; Larry Redican.
Dublin, fiddle; Martin Mulhaire.
Galway. accordion; Sean McGlynn.
Galway. accordion; Martin Wynn. Sligo,
fiddle; John F. Vesey. Sligo. fiddle;
Michael Preston, Sligo, flute; Charley
Mulvihill, USA, accordion; Andy
McGann, USA, fiddle; Paddy Reynolds,
Longford, fiddle; Matty Connolly,
Monaghan, uilleann pipes; Joe Madden,
Galway, accordion;Joanie Madden,
USA, whistle/flute; Brian Conway,
USA, fiddel; Pete Kelly, Galway, fiddle;
Mike Flynn, Sligo, flute; Catherine
Brennan-Grant, USA, fiddle; Gene
Kelly, Kilkenny, accordion; Pat Murray,
USA, accordion; Owen Thomas,
Donegal, fiddle;John Lavin,
Roscommon, fiddle;Tommy McCarey.
Fermanagh, fiddle;Jim Mullan. Derry.
fiddle; Gus Collins. Clare. flute; Joe
Coleman, Sligo. fiddle; Tommy Glynn.
Mayo, accordion; Paddy Kelly. Clare.
spoons; John Fitzpatrick, USA,
accordion/flute; Maureen Fitzpatrick,
USA, fiddle; Felix Dolan. USA, piano;
Tony Smith. Cavan. fiddle; Eddie
McKenna. USA, piano; Pete Reilly,
Longford. tin whistle; Dan McSweeney;
Sligo. tin whistle; Sean Ryan, Laois,
fiddle; Paddy Carty, Galway, flute; Frank
Clarke, Longford, fiddle; Johnny Cronin,
Kerry, fiddle; Pat O 'Sullivan, Kerry,
fiddle; Mike Rafferty, Galway, flute; Billie
McComiskey, USA, accordion.
As we look back now and recall from
memory those early years, and the
great music sessions that took place at
the Quinn Family Home in Flushing,
Long Island. The Quinn Home was a
University of tradition, Tig an Cheoil,
House of Music to all who came the
way. and there were very few who
missed the great Sligo fiddle player,
James 'Lad' O'Beirne was a personal
friend of Louis Quinn. as indeed were
many others of equal fame.
The monthly session at St Bridget's,
Westbury and later at the Irish
American Centre, Mineola, was
something very special in those days.
The session usually attracted the
greatest and best, all of them masters
of tradition who came from far afield
in all kinds of weather conditions to
be part of that great circle so well
known to all.
In addition to the sessions there were
other special events, such as the
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