Mary & Tom Horgan

Mary and Tom Horgan were one of the first people I met with a shared interest in music and song of the area. Both of them have been a force for good, and instrumental in initiating community projects all of their lives. Mary was a tremendous help in the early days of the Binneas. She advised me on who to speak with as well as airs to songs. She had written a dissertation on the English language song of the area titled ‘The song tradition in English of the Iveragh Peninsula’. This document was a extremely useful guide in the creation of a mental road map to the collection. In the early days, with my limited knowledge of the area and people, a conversation with Mary was like strapping yourself into a roller-coaster. A blizzard of family names, sobriquets, Townlands, Parishes etc would whiz past a lightening speed. After time and many chats I was able to weave the threads of these conversations into a web of understanding of the community and its’ musical heritage. Mary was related to Fionán Mac Coluim and inherited some of his material which she made available to the Binneas Collection. I will be forever grateful for the help, guidance and encouragement Mary and Tom have given me over the years. Mary passed away in August 2024, may she rest in peace.