Matt Joe O’Neill

Matt Joe O’Neill (1929 -2018)

Matt Joe O’Neill was instrumental in the founding of this archive and with out him a lot more material would have been lost forever. He had a great passion for local music, song, dance and story from a very young age. He was an all-Ireland set dancer and storyteller. He bought his first reel to reel recording machine in 1967 and from that time up until his death he recorded locally and radio content. He was a man who gathered and valued knowledge and shared it with great enthusiasm and patience.

Over his life time he amassed a huge collection of recorded material of radio shows, local recordings and various musical events he attended. His filing system was unique and uncrackable by anyone else. A scratch on a cassette cover or a bit of coloured tape would mark a piece of particular interest. A shopping bag tied with twine would indicate a special collection. However chaotic the filing system appeared, it worked for him, and he new what he had and what was on it.

I spent many, many hours in his company discussing material in his collection and recording interviews with him. I captured on mini-disc recorder his stories and reminiscences some of which are included below. Other recordings and material from his collection is included in other sections of the website,

Matt Joe O’Neill at full throttle.