Traditional Music in Clancys and Death of Seamus Byrne, Uilleann Piper

Just a day or two after a former classmate of mine died I called into the traditional Irish music session in Clancys. It was there I last saw Seamus Byrne playing the uilleann pipes, accompanying a host of other traditional musicians, including my late colleague Tos Quinn. My visit was a pilgrimage of sorts to recall and remember the wonderful musicians who like Seamus had graced the music room over the years. It was 56 years ago that Tony Byrne, a Donegal fiddle player from Glencolumcille, with Neddy Whelan from Barrowhouse and a young Seamus Byrne came together to play the first music session in Clancys. They were welcomed by the club’s proprietors Jim and Maureen Clancy and those early sessions were held in the small bar. Pub conversations and pub noise generally did not provide the most ideal background for the musicians at play which prompted Jim and Maureen to clear a storeroom for the exclusive use of the musicians. That room is still in use for the Thursday evening Irish traditional music sessions. I first wrote of the Clancy sessions approximately 25 years ago following a visit to hear the musicians, including Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn who were continuing a piping tradition which stretched back through Willie Clancy and Leo Rowsome to the legendary County Kildare piper William Kelly. I also mentioned Tony Byrne who came from Donegal in 1954 as principal of Ballyadams primary school. With them that night was Neddy Whelan, then an elderly man, a notable banjo player who was then playing the thin whistle, accompanied by the banjo master extraordinaire Martin Cooney. Sad to think that on my visit last week so many of the musicians of 25 years ago are no longer with us. The sessions however continue having earned the right to be regarded as Ireland’s longest running weekly Irish traditional music session. The present-day importance of the Clancy sessions is surely confirmed by the wide representation from outlining towns as the musicians from Athy were joined on Thursday last by musicians from Carlow, Abbeyleix, Newbridge, Baltinglass and Ballymount. On Saturday morning 15 members of the Clancy sessions came together at the Parish Church in Ballylinan for the burial of their friend and fellow musician Seamus Byrne. The outstanding piper Joe Byrne led off with a beautiful rendition of ‘Tabhair Dom do Lámh’ accompanied by his colleagues. During the communion the uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne, again accompanied by the other musicians, played Seamus Byrne’s favorite tune ‘For Ireland’s sake I won’t tell her name’ and as the coffin was taken from the church three jigs were played by Joe Byrne with a wonderful expression of the young piper’s skill. At the graveside the Clancy session musicians took leave of their fellow musician and friend Seamus Byrne by playing a set of Seamus’s favourite jigs. We were reminded by Fr. Shelly of Seamus Byrne’s love of Irish traditional piping and how he followed his father, also a piper, who had died when Seamus was just a few days old. Seamus’s first piping lessons were on his father’s uilleann pipes which were repaired by Leo Rowsome and it was the famous Dublin based piper Rowsome who initially taught Seamus. Tos Quinn and Seamus Byrne were for so long leading members of the Clancy sessions, and it was Seamus who for many years was the unofficial fear an tí. He called the tunes and whenever unknown musicians joined the sessions always made them welcome and invited them to play. Uilleann piping has seen a resurgence in recent years, due in large measure to the setting up of Na Piobairi Uilleann in 1968. Here in Athy we are privileged to have a number of uilleann pipers and amongst them two of exceptional ability. Brian Hughes has given us many wonderful recordings of his uilleann piping and whistle playing and most recently Joe Byrne has produced his first piping CD. Seamus Byrne and Tos Quinn, two very good uilleann pipers, with the recently deceased Roddy Geoghegan for so long members of the Clancy music session are no longer with us. The sessions are now attracting a wide range of instrument players and the places of Seamus and Tos have now passed to uilleann pipers Conor O’Carroll and Joe Byrne. This traditional music session, like other sessions around the country, displays a great variety of instruments and a degree of musical competency which is delightful to hear. The Clancy music sessions are very much a part of the cultural reawakening of a town which over its lifetime at different stages underwent economic and social decline. Music is at the heart of that cultural movement and the session players are not alone in helping to recapture the spirit of this age. I was reminded of this during the 12 o’clock mass on Sunday having listened to the parish choir which was in splendid voice, admirably led by Anne-Maria Heskin whose solo singing was quite superb. Athy is the centre of our lives and the contribution that Irish traditional musicians such as the late Seamus Byrne and other musicians and singers make to the enjoyment and betterment of our community life cannot be underestimated.

Maureen Clancy / Irish Music in Clancys

I had intended to write last week of Maureen Clancy, well loved patron of the famous hostelry in Leinster Street who recently passed away. Other commitments however conspired to divert my attention elsewhere so that it is only now that I can return to the subject. Let me first of all make a declaration of interest insofar as I made my first hesitant steps in pursuit of the delights of Eros in the company of a daughter of the hostelry at a time when the young daughter was pushing out the present proprietor Ger Clancy in an old fashioned baby pram. That as they say was in God's own time but I have fond memories from those days of both Maureen and her husband Jim who died 20 years ago.

Clancy's of Leinster Street and O'Brien's of Emily Square are the last of the old time grocery cum public houses which were once to be found in every street in Athy. As other premises were modernised or as someone has said "were demonised", the gentle atmosphere of another age was replaced by the slick but frantic ways of the 1990's and the mock bar fittings of the displaced era. It was only in Clancy's or O'Brien's that the loaf of bread and butter could be ordered for collection after you had slaked your thirst in the inner sanctum where only the male patrons were once to be found.

Since the death of her husband Jim in January 1976 Mrs. Clancy of the small porcelain-like figure presided over the business which prospered under her wise and generous direction. Over the years she had helped many people and Sr. Consillio speaks warmly of her generosity when the first Cuan Mhuire Centre was opened in outbuildings attached to the local Convent of Mercy. In time Clancy's became a favourite meeting place for many and it was in the small back room that the South Kildare Literary Group met for many years. Amongst those who were members of that group were Desmond Egan, now a renowned and internationally acclaimed poet and John MacKenna, a writer who has achieved enormous success to date with his works of fiction.

It is however the Thursday night gatherings of the traditional musicians in Clancy's back room for the past thirty years who have given Clancy's its unique position in Irish music circles. Twice in the last few weeks I have had occasion to bring overseas visitors to Clancy's Thursday night session and on each occasion the visitors have come away delighted and astonished at the quality and virtuosity of the music played there.

Sitting on bar stools in the back room the players and singers alike effortlessly but with enormous skill and talent put on a performance which enthrals their audience and allows one to luxuriate in the richness of our Irish musical culture. On the nights I attended the musicians included two uileann pipers, Toss Quinn and Seamus Byrne who are continuing a musical tradition which stretches back through Willie Clancy and Leo Rowsome to the legendary County Kildare piper William Kelly. After Kellys death a set of Uileann pipes which had been presented to him by King George IV were given to a Mrs. Bailey of Newtown Bert, Athy whose son Sam was also a famous piper. In September 1995 I wrote an article on St. Brigid's Pipe Band, Athy which was formed prior to World War I and I mentioned, amongst others, two members of that band, George Bailey of Oldcourt who later emigrated to Canada and John Bailey, Publican of Stanhope Street. I have often wondered whether these two men were related to Mrs. Bailey who once had possession of William Kellys famous pipes so many years ago.

To return to Clancy's back room other musicians at the Thursday night sessions included Tony Byrne, a fiddle player from Glencolumbkille in Co. Donegal who came to Athy in 1954 as Principal of Ballyadams National School. If that other Donegal man Tommy Peoples and Sean Keane of the Chieftains are regarded as master fiddlers in the Irish tradition, Tony Byrne is not far behind as he bows and fingers his Fiddle with an expressiveness which prompts a desire to hear more of his solo playing.

Jack Dowling of Kilgowan played the Button Accordion with gusto and the retired County Council Overseer now approaching the 10th year of his retirement also regaled the audience in Clancy's with renditions of his comical monologues. Monologues are also the speciality of Ger Moriarty who at 85 years of age is not quite the oldest performer in Clancy's. That honour falls to Ned Whelan, former banjo player who now joins in the sessions on his tin whistle. There are many other regulars including Conor Carroll, Niall Smyth and his wife Mary who as one would expect of a member of the extended Doody clan, has a nice singing voice. Martin Cooney, Banjo player extrordinaire and Dinny Langton are some of the others who regularly take part in what is one of the best Irish Music sessions in the area.

On the last night I was there, the musicians and audience stood for a minutes silence in honour of their patron Maureen Clancy who had passed away the previous week. How the sessions in Clancy's first started I cannot say but no doubt Mrs. Clancy's helpful efficient manner nurtured the quiet respectful pub atmosphere which each Thursday encouraged the Irish Traditional Musicians to give of their best. That the sessions continue so splendidly after 30 years is a fitting tribute to the good lady of the house who passed away a few short weeks ago.