Jeremiah Coffey

Jeremiah Francis Coffey (Jerh Dinny) was born on the 6th May 1925. He was the third child to Denis and Debbie Coffey of Ballydarrig, Cahersiveen. He remained at home while his sister Mary (later to become Sr Philomena) andhis brother Patrick headed across the pond to England. His mother died at a young age leaving himself, his Father and his Father’s sister Minnie after her. It was from a very young age that music became a love of his. He would listen to his dad play tunes on his old accordion during the evening after the animals were taken care of. He never learned how to read or write music but he could hold a tune in his head all day. He would whistle the tune with all its variations until he could reach an accordion and then practice it until he had perfected it. Jeremiah married Kitty O’Neill from Dooneen in 1958 and they had eight children together; five girls and three boys. His first born child Mary had an interest in the accordion and became proficient on it. Mary and her father would listen to tunes on the radio and try to be the first to be able to play them; ‘The humours of Bandon’ was a particular favourite of theirs. Both Jerh and Kitty were good singers and all the children could carry a tune and song well with or without "a drop of diesel on board". When his father's accordion no longer became playable in the early 70s he received “the gift that kept on giving" in the form of a Hohner, Double Ray Black Button deluxe accordion from his sister and brother from England and for the next six months he never left it out of his hands. He would play and replay tunes until he got them “just right". He played waltzes, jigs, reels and sets as Kitty and the children danced around the floor after the jobs were done for the day and until it was time for the rosary. Many a coming or going away party was held for Sr Philomena and Patrick in Ballydarrig, with music and dancing carrying on through the night until daybreak and milking time. Although Jerh was an accomplished player he never played for money or as part of a group or band, he played for the simple pleasur it brought to people. On occasion he played music with another local accordion player, John O’Donnell of Bahaghs. There is an amusing story of John and Jerh playing music in the car on the way back from a wedding. The stamping of the feet to the beat of the music on the floor of the car led to concerns that the car may not make it home. He worked in the Turf power station at Deelis, until he took early retirement in 1985 due to health issues and it was in 1987 when rheumatoid arthritis took hold he never played again. He passed away on the 26th July 1993 and his accordion was given to his daughter Mary who still has it in Co Clare where she lives. His son Seán said of his father “The only way I can describe him better was he loved what he did and he did what he loved, which was playing music.

Rugadh Jeremiah Francis Coffey (Jerh Dinny) ar an 6ú lá Bealtaine 1925. Ba é an tríú páiste é a saolaíodh do Denis agus Debbie Coffey as an mBaile Dearg, Cathair Saidhbhín. D’fhan sé sa bhaile tar éis dá dheirfiúr Mary (an tSiúr Philomena ina dhiaidh sin) agus dá dheartháir Patrick an bád bán a thabhairt orthu féin go Sasana. Bhásaigh a mháthair go hóg agus fágadh Jeremiah, a athair agus deirfiúr a athar, Minnie, ina diaidh. Thug sé grá don cheol ó aois an-óg. Bhíodh sé ag éisteacht lena athair a sheinneadh ar a sheanchairdín san oíche tar éis dóibh cúram na n-ainmhithe a chur díobh. Níor fhoghlaim sé léamh ná scríobh an cheoil riamh ach d’fhéadfadh sé fonn a choimeád ina aigne ó cheann ceann an lae. Dhéanadh sé an fonn a fheadaíl, agus na breachnuithe éagsúla air, go dtí go mbíodh deis aige lámh a leagan ar chairdín agus ansin dhéanadh sé an fonn a chleachtadh go dtí go raibh máistreacht iomlán aige air. Phós Jeremiah Kitty O’Neill ón Dúinín in 1958 agus bhí ochtar clainne orthu; cúigear cailíní agus triúr buachaillí. Bhí suim ag an bpáiste ba shine, Mary, sa chairdín agus d’éirigh léi an-chumas a bhaint amach ar an uirlis. Bhíodh Mary agus a hathair ag éisteacht le foinn ar an raidió agus bhíodh sé ina chomórtas eatarthu feiscint cé acu ba thúisce a d’fhéadfadh an fonn a sheinm; bhí ‘The Humours of Bandon’ ar na foinn ba mhó a thaitin leo beirt. Bhí glór breá amhránaíochta ag Jerh agus ag Kitty araon agus bhí bua an cheoil agus na hamhránaíochta ag an gclann ar fad ba chuma ‘bainne glas na heasóige’ nó ‘sú na heornan’ a bheith ann nó as. Nuair a theip ar chairdín a athar go luath sna 1970idí fuair sé cairdín de luxe Cnaipí Dubha Dhá Shraith Hohner mar bhronntanas óna dheirfiúr agus óna dheartháir i Sasana. Don chéad 6 mhí eile níor leag sé uaidh an cairdín céanna. Bhíodh sé ag seinm na bhfonn arís is arís eile le go mbeidís ‘díreach ceart’ aige. Sheinneadh sé válsaí, poirt, ríleanna agus seiteanna fad a bhíodh Kitty agus a gclann ag rince ar urlár an tí, tar éis dóibh jabanna an lae a chur díobh, go dtí go raibh am an Phaidrín ann. Is mó cóisir fáilte nó le slán a fhágáil a eagraíodh don tSr Philomena agus Patrick sa Bhaile Dearg, agus bhíodh an ceol agus an rince le clos i rith na hoíche ar fad go raibh sé ina mhaidin arís agus am eadra buailte leo. Cé gur cheoltóir cumasach ar an gcairdín a bhí in Jerh níor sheinn sé ar son airgid ná mar chuid de ghrúpa ceoil nó banna riamh. Ar mhaithe leis an sult simplí a thugadh sé do dhaoine a sheinneadh sé. Ó am go chéile sheinn sé ceol le fear cairdín áitiúil eile, John O’Donnell as na Beathacha. Tá scéal greannmhar ann faoi John agus Jerh tráth a raibh ceol acu á seinm sa chairt agus iad ag filleadh abhaile tar éis bainise. Bhíodar ar a míle dícheall ag strampáil na gcos ar urlár na cairte ar aon bhuille le rithim an cheoil. Ansin tháinig imní orthu go mb’fhéidir nach n-éireodh leis an gcairt bhocht an chuid eile den turas a chur di, dá leanfaidís orthu leis an steipeadaíl. D’oibrigh sé sa stáisiún cumhachta móna i nDuílios, go dtí go ndeachaigh sé ar luathscor sa bhliain 1985 de bharr cúrsaí sláinte. Sa bhliain 1987 bhuail airtríteas réamatóideach é agus níor sheinn sé arís ina dhiaidh sin. D’imigh sé ar shlí na fírinne ar an 26ú lá Iúil 1993 agus tugadh a chairdín dá dheirfiúr Mary, áit a bhfuil sé i gcónaí, i gContae an Chláir mar a bhfuil cónaí uirthi. Is é a bhí le rá ag a mhac Seán faoi ná gurbh é ‘an bealach is fearr le cur síos a dhéanamh air ná go raibh a chroí istigh sa cheol, agus an ceol istigh ina chroí.’

Matt Joe O’Neill made these recordings on a reel to reel recorder in 1978. He described his style of playing as ‘Old Kerry Style’ and said the tunes were some of the ones he remembered hearing as a youth, prior to the influence locally of radio play.