J 1 - Comhaltas Archive

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LITREACHA
"Lister House",
6 St, Andrew's Street,
Blackburn BB 1 8AE
It was with great pleasure and not a
little pride that my wife and I heard
over Radio Eireann of Josie McDermott's
recent success. His must surely be the
classic lesson of the ability . to triumph
over adversity. And what a triumph his
story has been.
I felt that I knew Josie even before
I had the pleasure of actually meeting
him. My late in-laws extolled the virtues
of this highly talented gentleman so
vividly that I felt that they must be
exaggerating just a little! How wrong I
was ..
It is only a short time ago during one
of our many visits to the Boyle area that
we were privileged to have a 'private'
hearing of Josie's wonderful flute playing.
All in that room sat enthralled as the
music flowed, seemingly effortlessly .. .
the hall-mark of genius. It is an evening
we shall nevet forget.
It appears that his talents have no
boundaries and give the appearance that
they arrive as if by magic. But, of course,
they don't. They must surely come by
hard and diligent work, and that deep
conviction to succeed evenin the face of
visual loss.
We shall now await further success to
flow from J osie ...... and I'll wager we
won't have to wait long.
D. M. SOMERVILLE.
MICHAEL HORAN
It is often the case that great men are
neither recognised nor appreciated properly
until they have departed this life.
Although Mikie Horan was loved, respected
and widely known throughout
West Limerick, it is only since his sad
passing we have realised the great asset
he was to the community life of Teampall
a'Ghleanntain.
He was one of the founder members
of the local Comhaltas Craobh which
came into existence in November 1971.
He served as its Leas-Cathaoirleach for
a number of years but he much preferred
to play his part in the propagation of
Irish music and dance from behind the
scenes. He had a great love for his native
Parish, for its music, dance, folklore ,
history, songs and pastimes and he was
a tireless worker in the promotion of
these aspects of our culture.
He acquired his great love of traditional
music from his mother Maenie Dee
who played the fiddle , melodeon and
concertina. But Mikie was much better
known for his dancing skills. He attended
the local dancing schools in his young
days. These were held in local houses
all during the winter months, and Mikie
picked up many dances which he retained
in his head until the end. Two of these
dances, "Hurry the Jug" and the "Jig
Set" had not been danced in the locality
for forty years until revived by Mikie a
number of years ago. But there were
many other dances which he took to the
grave with him because we all thought
that Mikie being such an active pensioner
there were many more years left for
reviving and recording these rare and
ancient Irish dances. Ach ni mar a siltear
a bitear; sciobadh uainn e gan coinne.
Mikie had a vast knowledge also of
local folklore which he had heard from
his mother and from neighbours who discussed
it round the fire in winter time. He
took a special interest in old stories and
he could name for you the great storytellers
of the locality over the past
hundred years. He was considered an
expert on folk cures of the area.
There was certainly a note of sadness
at the local Comhaltas A.G.M. on
October 23rd. The staunch supporter of
Cornhaltas, the man who was present at
every Craobh event, was missing his first
A.G.M. since the foundation of the
Craobh. Ni bheidh a leitheid in ar measc
aris : i bhFlaitheas De go raibh a anam
Gaelach.
T.O'M.
Michael Horan pictured with an tAth. 0
Fiannachtl at "OUscoil Scante" 1976.
LIXNAW COMHALTAS WRENBOYS
LlXNAW COMHALTAS WRENBOYS at the
recent annual Dinnear of the Lixnaw Branch at
the Manhattan Hotel, Tralee, with Chairlady -
Hanna O'ConneU presenting a cheque for £200
to Co. Board Cathaoirleach - Seamus 0
Conchubhair.
Seated L. to R. Nora Falvey, Rosaleen
Collins Kitty Lenihan and Denis Lenihan.
Stan~g - Sonny Keane, Diarmuid 0 Cathain,
Seamus 0 Conchubhair, Hanna O'ConneU,
Eamonn 0 h-Argain and Danny O'ConneU.
Absent from photograph: Bemie O'ConneU,
Kathleen Scott, Ian Scott and Michael Guirin.
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