Work underway to mark Patterson’s birthplace

PLANS are in place to mark the homestead of Johnny Patterson, the composer of some of Ireland’s best-known ballads. He was born in a one-roomed tígín in Kilbarron, Feakle in 1840 but was raised by his uncle, Mark, a nailer who lived in the Cornmarket area in Ennis.
Johnny wrote the well-known ballad The Stone Outside Dan Murphy’s Door about a local meeting place, Dan Murphy’s shop in Ennis, which still stands at the corner of Mill Road and is marked with a plaque on the wall. Johnny, known as the Irish singing clown, toured extensively with circuses all over Ireland, Britain and the US. He died, aged 49, in Tralee in May 1889 of injuries sustained after being struck by an iron bar and kicked when a row broke out at one of his shows.
Feakle-based musician and music teacher, Vincent Griffin has assembled a small working group to bring the project to fruition.
Vincent himself has done considerable work on the site, clearing trees and scrub to expose the foundation of the house. He has engaged the help of the local FÁS scheme to carry out remedial work to the existing walls. It is proposed to mark the site of Johnny Patterson’s birthplace with a suitable limestone plaque.
A fundraising concert and sets to support the work on the site will be held in Cois na hAbhna in Ennis on Saturday at 8pm. Vincent’s huge circle of musical friends will join him on stage for what promises to be a nostalgic night of music, song and dance.
“Comhaltas Ceóltoirí Éireann are delighted to be associated with this worthy project,” said Frank Whelan, chairman of Cois na hAbhna.