The pride of Spancilhill honoured by council

CLARE County Council paid tribute to the legend that is Robbie McMahon at a civic reception in the Council Chamber on Monday evening.
For those who know Robbie or who have had the pleasure of hearing him sing or been in his company, he needs no introduction. But for those who haven’t, Robbie is a singer, songwriter and genius for the comic turn of phrase. He is also an entertainer, a great traditional showman and to those in his local community, is a great neighbour and friend.
Robbie, who is now 83 years young, was born in Spancilhill and has lived in the same house all of his life on the family farm. Robbie says he has been singing all of his life.
“As a very young boy, I’d be out on the farm with my father and I’d be singing away making up old songs in my head and humming away thinking of words. I remember a medal at some feis in Crusheen when I was 13 years old when I sang The Boys of Westwood and I treasured that medal. I had a lovely soprano voice back then, which was beautiful but of course, I lost it and it’s far from a soprano voice I have now.”
“I very much grew up with music all around me. My father, Tony, was a noted singer and my mother, Mary Nora O’Donoghue from Crusheen, played the fiddle and the concertina.”
The first song Robbie says he can remember writing was The Old Man in the Hob, which he won an All-Ireland Fleadh with that.
Robbie played the mouth organ too but he explains at one stage, he was playing it so much that his lips got “right sore and they did feel like turnips, so I had to pack it in and just sing away”.
He says he has more songs than he could list but he doesn’t have a favourite because he still comes across new ones. No one seems to mind what song he sings, once he sings.
“People don’t seem to mind what song I sing and I know so many, so I try to sing different ones. But people love The Fleadh down in Ennis, My Home on the Hill and The Red Cross Social. I’m not writing these days but I suppose I should really because I’m fairly good at it. People always say they love my songs and I suppose it’s really the stories in them that they love. I’m a great lilter and I love the sound of it,” Robbie remarks.
He says it was a great honour for him to get a civic reception. “I’m just a normal man who loves singing, so I’d never expect for people to be treating me to a civic reception or anything. I suppose they want to thank me because I’ve made people happy with my songs and singing and I suppose they must like myself too. I’m always up to divilment and I have great fun wherever I go. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t sing. I sing at every occasion I can and people always ask me to sing when I’m at functions or parties. I do because I love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Robbie and his wife, Maura, have four grown-up children, one son, Donal, and three daughters, Dympna, Noeleen and Fiona.
“Donal and Dympna have been living in New Zealand for almost 10 years and Noeleen and Fiona are living close to us on the family land. None of them are musical but I think they enjoy my singing alright,” he adds.
Frank Whelan of Cois na hAbhna describes Robbie as a ballad singer and composer of songs that tell stories. “He likes singing songs that tell stories and the way he sings itself tells a story with his phrasing and expressions.”
He adds that Robbie is most renowned for his version of Spancilhill, which is not one of his own compositions.
“It was written by Michael Considine but Robbie has made it his own and has brought it to a worldwide audience,” Mr Whelan explains.
“It’s hard to say which of his own songs is the most famous, but probably The Fleadh Down in Ennis. He wrote it about the All-Ireland Fleadh of 1956 which was held in Ennis and it mentions many characters and musicians who took part in the fleadh. His great song The Red Cross Social is also very popular and also goes down well whenever he sings it.”
He says there is a great element of fun in his songs, which is so characteristic of Robbie McMahon.
“He has a great turn of phrase too. It’s all part of the appeal of Robbie. He does sing songs that are a bit more melancholy too though, like The Old Man in the Hob, which he wrote as a fairly young man. In it, he describes himself as an old man recalling his youth.”
He describes him as an expert lilter, who imitates various instruments with his lilting.
“You could here a pin drop in a room when he’s lilting – he becomes so engrossed in it and it’s really captivating.”
He describes Robbies as “a very jolly man” who seems to always be in good form. “He is great company to be in and he becomes the centre of any event or occasion he’s at, because he’s so sociable. He’s always cracking jokes and has great stories to share of people he met and things that happened. His stories are almost as good as his songs. He introduces all of his songs with a story about them and adds in so many tales and yarns along the way. That’s the appeal of seeing Robbie perform. It’s such an experience and his songs and stories tell of times gone by and a different way of life,” he says.
Frank continues, “Robbie has given a lifelong contribution to traditional music in County Clare and his name will go down in history for the man he is and his wonderful songs. I’m delighted he is being given this civic reception because he thoroughly deserves it. It further recognises him for his talent and his contribution to Clare life. He is a very humble man and he takes his talent in his stride and is quite shy about people making a fuss about him. His talent has brought him to worldwide renown too, especially in America, and many tourists who come to Clare from America love to visit Spancilhill to see where Robbie McMahon is from.”
He still sings as much as ever these days. He sings in Cois na hAbhna on the second Friday every month and has a session called Robbie’s First Friday in Duggan’s of Spancilhill on the first Friday of every month.
Robbie has only been recorded professionally for one CD – The Black Sheep but he has been recorded at many sessions and his songs have been played on radio many, many times.
Frank says the Cois na hAbhna archives section is planning to bring out an album of his songs to come out with the DVD of Last Night as I Lay Dreaming, which was launched last year.
Meanwhile, speaking at the civic reception on Monday night, Mayor of Clare, Christy Curtin, said the council was delighted to be able to honour an icon of Irish folk culture and one of the most celebrated Clare men.
“His unique rendition of Spancilhill and his extraordinary performances as a traditional artist in his own right have earned him international acclaim” he noted.
“The ballad tradition in Ireland extends back at least to the early 17th century but its history in Clare is known throughout the world. The influence of 20th century culture on Irish society did affect the tradition of ballad singing but Robbie has helped reinvigorate Irish folk songs. In doing so, Robbie has helped preserve a central feature of Irish culture and also has kept alive the traditions and stories of old.”
He said Robbie has a great range of songs and paid tribute to his role in preserving a part of Irish heritage. “The ballads sung by Robbie relate to every corner of the county and aspects of Irish life from days gone by.
“In hosting a civic reception in honour of Robbie, we are also recognising the contribution of other individuals throughout County Clare to preserving a unique part of Irish culture and heritage over the years,” concluded Mayor Curtin.