A FEAKLE publican is to be remembered in song and story later this month as the community mourns his passing. Michael (Mickey) Naughton passed away, suddenly, at his home in Kilclaran on February 18, bringing a cloud of sadness to his local area and beyond.
Broadcaster Paula Carroll paid tribute to the late publican and farmer on her Wednesday night edition of Clare FM’s ‘The West Wind’, recalling his great hospitality and warm personality. On her show on March 9, she will broadcast excerpts from a live-music programme recorded 15 years ago in his popular pub. Mickey hosted one of Paula’s now famous ‘Kitchen Sessions’ live shows in his much-loved premises. The programme is part of a series broadcast live from the homes of music lovers across Clare and featured the best of song and dance from East Clare and North Galway, including Charlie Harris, Des Mulkere and Tom Neilan. The event saw Naughton’s packed to the rafters and full of craic and humour.
Last Wednesday, Paula recalled some of the events leading up to the live radio broadcast, as well as the personality of a highly-regarded neighbour. She also extended her condolences to Mickey’s wife, Pauline, and all of the family.
“I was really saddened to learn of his death,” Paula told her listeners to The West Wind. “Mickey was one of those rare characters. He was a pub owner, a shopkeeper, a farmer, a highly intelligent man, a great conversationalist. He ran one of the loveliest establishments in all of County Clare, and possibly in the country. It was one of those old-style country bars that was also a grocery shop and it was no bigger than your sitting room. It’s on the side of the road as you’re driving from Feakle to Gort.
“We had the great pleasure of recording a Kitchen Sessions in there 15 years ago and what a night we had. I remember so many special things about that night, but I also remember the preparation for that night and several meetings with Mickey and the conversations with him, as we prepared for the show and figured out how we were going to do it in such a small space and get all the crowd in that we wanted and yet keep it comfortable and intimate. Throughout all of that, I learned so much from him, so many great stories. I hadn’t seen him in a long time, probably the whole duration of the pandemic and then I walked into Smyth’s in Feakle… and there he was. We had a lovely chat down in the lovely coffee corner in the back of Smyth’s Shop. I remember leaving the shop that day, delighted that I’d bumped into Mickey and thrilled, as you always would be after a conversation with him. In less than a week, he was gone.”
Mickey Naughton is survived by his wife, Pauline, daughters Carol Nugent, Marie Gallagher and Cathriona Ryan, his brother Donal, his grandchildren, sons-in-law Tom, Martin and Patrick, and a wide circle of relatives, friends and neighbours.
The special edition of The West Wind, which will include material first broadcast as part of The Kitchen Sessions in Naughton’s of Kilclaran, will air on Wednesday, March 9, between 7 and 9pm on Clare FM (96.4FM and Clare.fm).