Joe O’Connor

Joe O’Connor was born on 11th February 1940 to parents Bridget O’Connor (nee Casey) and Michael O’Connor, a farmer who lived in Garrydine, Kells, County Kerry. Joe was the youngest of three boys. He had a keen interest in music from an early age and would listen to and was influenced by the musicians on the radio shows of the time. He had no formal tuition in music but was able to play by ear. Joe had a great technical ability on the accordion and there was a great energy and variation in his music. When he was about seventeen years of age his brother Michael gave him a mouth organ which he also learned to play by ear. Joe had a big influence on a young neighbour Diarmuid Clifford from Filemore who around the age of nine or ten would visit Joe’s house to hear him play on the accordion. Joe had access to an accordion at home but bought his first own personal accordion from Jim Caball & sons in Tralee in the early 1960s. His ability on the accordion and his reputation of having excellent timing for dancing meant he was in much demand around the area. He played in the bars of Cahersiveen and in Caitín Beater’s, Kells. He once played with the Dubliners in ‘The Towers’ in Glenbeigh, owned by renowned local personality chef Ernie Evans and in ‘The Anchor bar’ in Cahersiveen, owned and run by Paddy and Pauline Maguire. Pauline’s play The Last Move was performed at the Abbey Theatre in 1955. He moved to England in the mid 60s and set up home in Coventry. The week of his marriage to Mary Bowler in August 1966 he bought his second accordion, a v. Soprani button accordion. They had six children together. In July 1968 the family moved back home to Garrydine to take care of the farm after his father fell ill. After returning home he continued playing in the local bars. His early musical influence on Diarmuid Clifford came full circle and they played together at the Oíche cheoil nights held by the Foilmore Comhaltas. Some of these nights were recorded on a Grundig reel to reel recorder in the late seventies and early eighties by Matt Joe O’Neill. On some of these recordings Joe (accordion) and Diarmuid Clifford (banjo) are playing together. Recordings were also made of Joe playing for dancers around the Inny valley on a small portable reel to reel machine in the early seventies. The tunes from these recordings have been transcribed for this publication. Joe passed away in November 2008. He was predeceased by his wife who passed away in 1993.

Rugadh Joe O’Connor ar an 11ú lá Feabhra 1940 do Bridget O’Connor (Casey roimh phósadh di) agus Michael O’Connor, feirmeoir a raibh cónaí air sa Gharraí Doimhin, na Cealla, Contae Chiarraí. Ba é Joe an páiste ab óige agus bhí beirt deartháir aige. Bhí suim mhór aige sa cheol óna óige agus d’éisteadh sé le ceoltóirí chláir raidió an ama agus tháinig a chuid ceoil féin faoina dtionchar sin. Ní raibh aon oideachas foirmeálta faighte aige sa cheol ach bhí sé in ann seinm ón gcluas. Bhí cumas teicniúil thar na bearta aige ar an gcairdín agus bhí an-fhuinneamh go deo ina chuid ceoil agus bhíodh breachnuithe go leor ann. Agus é seacht mbliana déag d’aois nó mar sin thug a dheartháir Michael orgán béil dó agus d’fhoghlaim sé conas é sin, leis, a sheinm ón gcluas. Bhí tionchar mór ag Joe ar chomharsa óg dá chuid, Diarmuid Clifford, ón bhFaill Mhór, a raibh 9 nó 10 mbliana aige agus thugadh sé cuairteanna ar thigh Joe le héisteacht leis agus é ag seinm ar an gcairdín. Bhí teacht ag Joe ar chairdín sa bhaile ach cheannaigh sé a chéad chairdín dílis féinig ó Jim Caball agus a mhic i dTrá Lí go luath sna 1960idí. Bhí tóir mhór ar a chumas ar an gcairdín sa dúthaigh agus bhí de cháil air go raibh sé anmhaith ó thaobh uainiú an cheoil don rince. Sheinneadh sé i dtithe tábhairne Chathair Saidhbhín agus i dTigh Chaitín Beater, sna Cealla. Sheinn sé uair leis na Dubliners sna Towers i nGleann Beithe, ar leis an cócaire cáiliúil áitiúil Ernie Evans é, agus san Anchor Bar i gCathair Saidhbhín, arbh iad Paddy agus Pauline Maguire na húinéirí agus a reáchtáil an áit. Cuireadh an dráma deireanach de chuid Pauline The Last Move ar ardán Amharclann na Mainistreach sa bhliain 1955. Bhog sé go Sasana i lár na 1960idí agus chuir sé faoi in Coventry. Seachtain a phósta ar Mary Bowler i Lúnasa na bliana 1966 cheannaigh sé an dara cairdín a bhí aige, cairdín cnaipí v. Soprani. Bhí seisear clainne orthu. In Iúil na bliana 1968, tar éis gur buaileadh breoite a athair, bhog an teaghlach abhaile go dtí an Garraí Doimhin chun bheith i bhfeighil na feirme. Tar éis dó filleadh abhaile lean sé air ag casadh sna tithe tábhairne áitiúla. Casann rotha mór an tsaoil agus bhí Diarmuid Clifford, a raibh tionchar mór aige air na blianta roimhe, anois ag seinm in éineacht leis ag na hoícheanta ceoil a d’eagraíodh Comhaltas na Faille Móire. Thaifead Matt Joe O’Neill roinnt de na hoícheanta úd ar thaifeadán Grundig spól-go-spól go déanach sna seachtóidí agus luath sna hochtóidí. Ar roinnt de na taifid sin tá Joe (cairdín) agus Diarmuid Clifford (bainseó) ag seinm le chéile. Deineadh taifid de Joe agus é ag seinm do na rinceoirí thart timpeall ar Ghleann na hUíne ar inneall beag soghluaiste spól-go-spól go luath sna seachtóidí. Is ó na taifid sin a tháinig na foinn a tras-scríobhadh don fhoilseachán seo. Cailleadh Joe i Samhain na bliana 2008. Bhásaigh a bhean roimhe sa bhliain 1993