Last Willie Clancy broadcast for Seán Dubh

SINCE the start of the Willie Clancy Summer School in 1973, Raidió na Gaeltachta has been to the forefront in supporting the festival and the musicians, singers and dancers who participate in it each year.
For many years, popular broadcaster Seán Bán Breathnach has been the voice who shared the music from the summer school with the country on the airwaves but behind the scenes, another Seán Breathnach has been a crucial part of that team since 1977.
Last Saturday, he was involved with his last broadcast from the Willie Clancy festival, as he retires from his outside broadcast engineering post with Raidió na Gaeltachta later this year.
Seán Walsh (Breathnach) from Feenagh, Quin, has been a sound engineer with Raidió na Gaeltachta since 1975, after spending almost 10 years working as a radio ships officer with the Marconi International Marine company, which brought him all over the world on British ships.
He began working on outside broadcasts for Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ Radio 1 in 1978. “There would hardly be a village in Ireland that I haven’t been in as the job took me the length and breadth of the country,” he said.
Raidió na Gaeltachta started broadcasting from the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay in 1977.
“Initially we recorded recitals and concerts and they were played later on Raidió na Gaeltachta. From 1979, we started broadcasting from Rockmount School, on the hill overlooking Miltown Malbay. Obviously, technology in those days wasn’t what it is now, so we needed to set up all of the usual radio station equipment in the school and broadcast from there,” Seán explained.
As technology improved in the 1980s, they moved the broadcasts into Miltown and went on air during Willie Clancy Week from a caravan outside the community hall. Then in the late 1980s, RTÉ Radio 1/Raidió na Gaeltachta acquired their first mobile radio station – the OBU (Outside Broadcasting Unit), as it became known, or as Gaeilge, the ródaí. “The ródaí has been a constant at the Willie Clancy Summer School for the whole week every July since then. We always park in the same place and I guess it is very much part and parcel of the whole event at this stage,” Seán added.
He was also very involved in the building of the new ródaí, which went on the road for the radio station three years ago. Over the years, Seán has worked with many of Raidió na Gaeltachta’s presenters, including Seán Bán Breathnach, Meaití Joe Shéamais Ó Fátharta, Mícheál Ó Sé, Peter Browne, Ciarán Mac Máthúna, Séamas Ennis and Áine Hensey at events all over the country.
Since 1980, Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcast at least one programme every day from the Willie Clancy Summer School.
“At least one programme a day from then on went out live. We would record all of the recitals and concerts and broadcast them later. Nowadays, we broadcast one or two programmes most days during the Willie Summer School live and still record all the recitals. In latter years, we’ve been broadcasting for RTÉ Radio 1 from Miltown Malbay during the Willie Clancy Summer School too,” he added.
He said that the shows from the week are seen as key broadcasts for the radio station every year.
Apart from the busy job of recording all of the concerts at the summer school and looking after all of the broadcasts during the week, Seán goes to almost all of the sessions.
“I love the music and the atmosphere down here. There are brilliant memories from over the years. People talk about the talent here every year but to be honest, most people don’t have a clue how good it really is. My best memories would be of great performances by the likes of Martin Talty and Breandán Breathnach, to name just two,” he said.
He says all of the people he has worked with over the years have made his job very enjoyable. “I’m firm friends with many of them now. Seán Bán Breathnach and me have a great working relationship and I’d say we’re a great team alright.”
He also mentioned some of those he worked with over the years who have now passed away, including the late Tony Byrt from Ruan, who was an assistant engineer with Raidió na Gaeltachta, as well as Michael Evans, area manager of RTÉ and Raidió na Gaeltachta.
Seán is retiring in December but Saturday was his last broadcast from the Willie Clancy Summer School. However, he will still head to Miltown Malbay every summer to enjoy the music and craic.
“Next time I’ll be coming to relax, so it’ll be different. I definitely will be tempted to pop into the ródaí but I won’t make a nuisance of myself. There comes a time when it is time to wind down a bit and stop thundering up and down the country,” he commented.
Of all of the places Seán has travelled for his job, he says there has always been an “absolute abundance” of talent and Irish speakers at Willie Clancy.
“We’ve never had a shortage of what to cover at Willie Clancy. We really had our pick of people to cover on the shows, which was great always and made it even more enjoyable,” he said.
His colleague of many years, Seán Bán Breathnach also paid tribute to his “right-hand man”. “Over the years, we became known as Seán Bán and Seán Dubh and we’ve had many good times together and worked hard together too. Seán has always been a great person to work with. He is very strict in terms of standards, but also very fair. He has also believed in doing the job right, no matter what. I worked at so many different events with him, including sessions, festivals, fleadhanna and matches,” the presenter remarked.
He said that he will miss working with him, particularly at Willie Clancy Summer School next year and in the years to come.
“The show will go on but it won’t be the same. It has been one of the great highlights of the year for many years. Technology has enhanced what we do so much and Seán has kept up with all of the advancements that have come in technology. He loves technology and all of the gadgets and different kinds of microphones. He has given me great advice on what equipment I should use for discos. He is so helpful,” he added.
Being from Clare, his local knowledge of musicians was also a great asset to him. “He knew almost everyone and who they are related to. His knowledge of all the local musicians is immense and he kept me very well informed always,” Seán Bán said.