Tag Archives: P Joe Hayes

A CLARE version of the first folk song to ever have been mentioned in literature is included in a new illustrated songbook of traditional Irish songs for children. The song ‘The Frog and the Mouse’ also provides the title for Wexford traditional singer Aileen Lambert’s book, which features the lyrics of 14 songs accompanied by suggested activities, fun facts and other information. Activity pages include word-searches, a crossword and music notation, all linked to the songs. Primary school teachers will be interested in the curriculum links section so that they can integrate the song into various subjects they are teaching. The book features a few well known songs such as the Rattlin’ Bog, I’ll Tell Me Ma and Colcannon, however the rest are not so well known. They consist mostly of songs which Aileen has been singing with children across the country and beyond for the past 15 years as part of the Heritage-in-Schools Scheme and Music Generation. However, Aileen …

FROM Camden Town to Carnegie Hall and from the Fleadhanna ‘down in Ennis’ to the Body and Soul stage at Electric Picnic, the Tulla Céilí Band has captivated audiences of all kinds for the last three-quarters of a century. Over the course of its illustrious history, the band has brought the tunes of East Clare to prominence in Ireland’s musical repertoire. It has also fostered some of the country’s finest traditional players, including West Clare legends like Willie Clancy and JC Talty. At one point, it even counted a TD as a member, in the person of the long-serving Fianna Fáil representative, Feakle’s Dr Bill Loughnane. The story of the Tulla Céilí Band is closely woven into the history of modern Ireland. It was formed in March 1946, in the lean times after ‘The Emergency’, when the bicycle was the dominant mode of transport and social life didn’t stretch far beyond parish boundaries. Chris Keane, in his book on the …

FEAKLE native Kathleen Snavely (nee Hayes) became the State’s oldest ever living person when she turned 111 and 327 days last year but, having reached her 113th birthday this week, she looks set to become the island’s oldest living person. Annie Scott was the oldest living person from the island of Ireland. She was born in Northern Ireland on March 15, 1883, living to be 113 and 37 days, having died in 1996 in Scotland where she settled. Kathleen was born in Garraun, Feakle on February 16, 1902. Indications are that she is in good health, so she looks set to make history once again on March 24 of this year, which would make her the oldest person born on the island of Ireland. However, she has a long way to go to outlive the longest living person in recorded history, who was French woman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122 years and 164 days in 1997. The current oldest …