Comhaltas Archive

generation. But unlike his Scottish
disciples the Donegal players of
Skinner's music is much more alive,
and a good dea l less pretentious than
most Scottish players. As w ith most
Donegal players, Doherty plays many
reels not found in other countries'.
But although John had a great affection
for the music of the Scottish maestro,
his favourite fiddle player was his own
father - Mickey 'Simey' Doherty a
travelling tinsm ith from a family of
musicians going back three
generations. John maintai ned that there
were at least seventeen instrumentalists
and singers in the Doherty cla n. His
niece Frances Rohled er of
Ballyshannon who helped to produce
severa l of his records had this to say on
a cover note of a Comhaltas Ceolt6i rf
Eireann record ' Johnny Doherty'
released in Carri ck in Donega l in 1974:
'John began to get the hang of the fiddle
when he was about fifteen years old . In
his earl y th irti es he was probably at his
best, although he fee ls that his style of
fingering and bowing has not changed
since he first began to play. John never
left Ireland but he greatly ad mired the
music and play ing abi li ty of well-known
Scottish musician James Scott Skinn er.
His favourite fidd ler however has been
his own father and the tunes he likes
best are the old reels, jigs and 'pieces'
which have been played in the Donegal
fidd ling tradition for ten generations or
more'.
John Doherty was born in Ardara in
1895 but the fam ily had bases in
Fintown and Stanorl ar. From there they
travelled al l over the Glenfin area from
Ballybofey to Glenties to the Rosses
and over to Carrick and Glencolumkille
in South West Donegal. His four
brothers and at least one sister were
also well known fiddlers. But it was out
in the byre that John Doherty practised
on the fidd le in his youth and it took
him some time until he was ab le to
play 'Bonny Kate' to his father's
satisfaction.
Doherty's valued their art
and they often came together
7;he
with their cousins the
McConnells of Ardara, also noted
musicians to exam ine new tunes and
particular arrangements. It was
understood that any tune fai led to win
their approval would not be played
aga in by any individual member of
either family. When they travelled
around to sell their tinsmith ware they
often sat by a turf stack outside a
friendly house and played until
morning. When the sound of music
echoed through the lonely hills many
of the inhabitants gathered to dance to
the ro ll icking lively music until
daybreak. Not alone did they play
music for a wide ranging farming
community in the shadow of the
Bluestack mountai ns in Central
Donegal but they made inexpensive
musica l instruments such as tin-whistles
and rare tin fidd les and provided
farmi ng in strum ents for the people.
They, in deed, added much to the
cultural and soc ial life of this rural Irish
speaking community.
8th Annual JOEMOONEY SUMMER SCHOOL
of Traditional Music, Song and Dance
20 July - 27 July 1996
Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
Classes & Workshops Daily, Monday - Saturday
This area in the shades of the Bluestack
mountains was rich in fo lklore, music
and song. Many imminent folklore
collectors such as Professors Wagner
and Wollsc hlager from Germ any,
Svei nson from Iceland and Irish
Fo lklori sts, Dr Sea n 6 hEochaidh, Li am
McMenamen and Dr Seamus 6
Cathain visited the area. Their efforts
ensured that an important part of the
area's heritage is safe in the hands of
the Dept. of Iri sh Folklore in UCD.
Dr Seam as 6 Cathain, archivist in the
Folklore Dept of UCD spent a
considerab le period in the Croaghs
(Bluestacks) area and recorded some
ree ls and airs from Joh n Doherty during
the seventies. In an introduction to his
book 'An Hour by the Hearth'
published by Comhairle Bhea loideasa
Eireann, UCD 1985, he had this to say:
'Members of the famous Donegal
fidd ling fam il y - the Dohertys or the
Button Accordion - Joe Burke, Ann Burke; Concertina - Noel Hill; Flute - Michael Tubridy, Joe Skelton;
Harp - Micheal Rooney; Tin Whistle - Sean Ryan, Carmel Gunning, Meabh Ni Lochlainn;
Uil/eann Pipes - Neillidh Mulligan; Fiddle - Ben Lennon, Brendan McGlinchey, Liz Kane;
Piano Accordion - Mirella Murray; Banjo - Tommy Finn; Bodhran - Junior Davey;
Traditional Singing - Rosie Stewart; Set Dancing - Pat Murphy
For information contact: Nancy Woods (078) 41213/ Mary Ooyle (078) 41426