J - Comhaltas Archive

The unexpected and untimely death
of Peter Kilroe has deprived the
Midlands of one of its great musicians.
Peter will be remembered not only as an
accomplished musician but also as one
of the great characters of the area.
A native of Ballinamona, Durrow,
Tullamore , he was the eldest of a family
of twelve. There was music in his
family on both sides and it's not surprising
that he began playing the tin
whistle at a very early age and began
playing the concert flute at around
eleven years of age. He was also an
accomplished saxophone player and he
was noted for his ability to play reels on
this instrument. Peter was also a member
of Saint Colmcille's Pipe Band, Tullamore
for many years.
Undoubtedly it is as a member of the
Ballinamere Ceil! Band that Peter will
be best remembered . The band under
the leadership of his uncle, Dan Cleary,
was formed in the late 1940s. For over
twenty years it was one of the leading
Ceili Bands of Ireland and was in great
demand at Ceilithe and Maypoles all
over the country. He toured Britain on
a few occasions with the band. The
band also broadcast regularly on 'CeiH
House' and made a number of records.
Peter attended the meetings that led
to the formation of Comhaltas Ceolt6iri
Eireann in M ullingar in 1951 and
remained a life-long member of CCE.
He won the All-Ireland title both for his
playing of the flute and as a member of
the Ballinamere Trio with Dan Cleary
and Mick M ullins of Clara.
With the demise of the Ballinamere
Ceili Band in the early seventies Peter
joined the Sean Norman Ceil! Band and
continued to give enjoyment to many
through his music. It was indeed fitting
that he was playing at a ceili in
Edenderry on the Friday before he died.
Peter was employed by Offaly
County Council for over thirty years.
Before that he worked with the Board
of Works. The esteem in which he was
held was reflected in the large attendance
both at the removal from the
County Hospital to Ballycommon
Church and at the funeral Mass.
The Mass was a fitting musical
tribute to Peter with musicians coming
from all over the Midlands to participate
in the liturgy. At the Offertory his
daughter Mary , played a moving slow air
on the flute. The liturgy was also
gra ced with the singing of Rose Daly,
The Late Peter Kilroe
daughter of his friend and fellow musician
the late Jack Daly of Ballycommon.
At the gr'!veside Dan Cleary and Tom
Nolan began the final musical tribute to
Peter by playing some of the tunes associated
with the Ballinamere Ceili
Band. After an oration by Sean Norman
all the musicians joined together to
play reels that surely must have helped
Peter on his final journey to meet his
Maker.
Peter is survived by his wife Kitty,
so n Christopher, daugters, Lily and Mrs.
Mary Hrennan, son-in-law Frank , granddaughter
Catherine, his brothers Paddy,
and Christy (Durrow), Jimmy (Tullamore),
his sisters Rose Flynn (Wood-of-
0), Lily Maloney and Esther Fitzpatrick
(Portarlington)n, Susan Corcoran
(Daingean), Mary Gorman (Killeigh),
Margaret McCann (Kilcormac), Ann
Daly (Mountbolus), and Kathleen Devney
(Gort, Co . Galway), sisters-in-law,
brotherS-in-law, Aunts, Uncle , Nephews
and Nieces.
May he Rest In Peace.
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