Browse Items (13 total)

LISTEN to the interviewDes O'Halloran speaks briefly about his youth in Inishbofin, his 22 years in London, his return to Ireland, and his varied musical career. He sings - both sean-nós and more popular fare - and plays the fiddle. He has toured the…

LISTEN to the interview Reg Hall discusses his diverse musical background, introduction to Irish music, and involvement in the Irish music scene in post-war London. He was one of the few English people who participated and also one of the few to…

LISTEN to the interview Vince Milne is at the later end of the post-war generation. His parents were from Co. Sligo, but he grew up in west Cork and migrated to London in 1970. There, he worked in a variety of jobs and played in Irish pubs and social…

LISTEN to the interview Kevin McDermott describes his childhood in Cavan town, joining the RAF, and eventual migration to London to join his family in 1956. Along the way he had an active musical life playing different musical styles on the…

Photographs of Kevin McDermott playing the accordion as a young man in London. The first was taken in a pub on Holloway Road in 1962. The second was taken in the Duke of Clarence pub in Finsbury Park in 1964. Pictured (left to right) are Tony Howley…

The Hijackers dance band playing at The Crown in Cricklewood, London, c.1970.
Left to right: Sean Chamberlain, Tom Godron, Bríd (Sean's wife), and Jack Crowley (from Ardgroom, Cork).

Tommy and the Whelps, playing at the Black Lion pub, Kilburn High Road, London, c.1962.
Left to right: Tom Gordon (from Dromore West, Sligo), Clark Gail (from Glasgow), Pat Brady (from Ballyfermot, Dublin), and Sean Chamberlain.

The Woodpeckers playing at the Cricklewood Hotel in London, c.1960. They started as part of the Cricklewood bus garage social club and eventually ended up playing for social events at other groups too.
Left to right: Jimmy Hanly (from Mitchelstown),…

LISTEN to the interview Sean Chamberlain describes his youth in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, his migration to London, and the many dance bands he played in over the years. He returned in 1973 to help his brother open a bakery. He lives in the house his…

LISTEN to the interview Unlike many post-war Irish migrants, Mick Treacy from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork was more active on the English folk and jazz scenes than in the Irish music scene, though he did sing Irish songs with a group called the Munstermen.…