J - Comhaltas Archive

WILLIE CLANCY
The death took place recently, in
Dublin, of Mrs. Teresa Fallon (nee
Slein). She was a native of Ballinafad,
Boyle, and was wife of Mr. Paddy
Fallon, a native of Corrigeenroe, Boyle,
well known in Cornhaltas circles.
A friend " L. McG" has written the
following appreciation:
" I read an extraordinary death notice
in the " Independent" one time , a few
years ago. A Carmelite priest phoned
the notice which stated: " Father X and
his brother and sister are so happy to
announce that their mother went to
Heaven last night and we bring her body
to the church this evening. Tomorrow
at 11 a.m. we w ill offer Mass to thank
the Lord for the wonderful gift He gave
us. Praise the Lord" . The quotation is
fairly accurately memorised , because it
madt: a lasting impression on how to
AW onderful Lady
accept death. As I stood at Teresa's
grave on a still peaceful morning the
memory came flooding back and
brought an inner peace to us. Teresa
was just a wonderful lady . One cannot
write volumnes to bear out the wealth
of her quiet kindness, her graceful
demeanour, her welcoming smile and
firm and loyal friendship , but for me
she will always be an example of what
can be accomplished , while remaining
as gentle as a dove and as cheerful as a
lark. The many causes she expoused,
the very many down·and·outs she
sought and helped along day after day,
the lonely people who could always rely
on her kindness and her company -
they will all miss her comforting and en·
couraging smile. Paddy will always
treasure these memories which made
their 33 years of marriage an example
of the way we all should live. In giving
Garret Barry. Garret was a travelling
piper who stayed overnight in the
homes of the people for whom he
played and next day he would be taken
in a horse·and·trap to his next destina·
tion. He was a frequent visitor to the
house in Islandbawn where Gilbert
Clancy was born. The blind piper took
a special interest in the young Gilbert
who was later to become a fine flute·
player, concertina player, singer and
father of Willie Clancy. Although
Garret Barry was 20 years dead when
Willie Clancy was born, the stories of
the blind piper and his music were part
of the Clancy household. Willie's first
contact with a 'real live piper' was when
he met J ohnny Doran in 1934. The
first notes from J ohnny Doran's chanter
would , according to Seamus
MacMathuna, "draw hundreds around
him in any village or town. Horses
stood unattended and even nagging
wives forgot their hurry under the spell
of his reelplaying". When he went to
Dublin in 1951, Willie joined the Leo
Rowsome Quartet with Sean Seery and
Tommy Reck. Three years later he
went to London where he found that
Irish music and musicians were held in
higher esteem in Cricklewood and
Camden Town than in Dublin "where
gombeen publicans were wont to show
the door to any musician who dared to
strike up a tune". But the fleadhanna
cheoil have changed all that and Willie
Clancy would be undoubtedly delighted
to see that piping is now stronger than
ever.
we receive. Christmas was a time when
Teresa "went to town" in her quiet un·
obtrusive way. Each year new "friends"
joined the queue. Nobody saw her list ,
but everyone knew her smile.
As a hostess she excelled in the Cead
Mile Failte given to all their friends be·
cause Teresa valued all their friends
highly. Her neighbours were with her,
night and day , attending her in her last
long illness. The doctors and nurses had
a model patient and as we knelt and said
the rosary at her bedside on the night
she died , we saw her smile , the one she
always gave when she opened her door
to her many friends.
So that Carmelite Father got it right.
His mother was a gift for whom he
thanked the Lord. Teresa Fallon has
left so many treasured memories to us
all and so we say Thanks for the
memory".
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