Danny O'Mahony
O'Mahony has traditional Irish music running through his veins as well as in his DNA. It was an honour and a privilege to sit and listen to his playing. .
My first visit to the Spiegeltent at this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival is to hear legendary Irish folk musician Danny O'Mahony, the button accordion player from Ballyduff in County Kerry who has already performed one show at this year's festival. On Friday and Saturday he had joined forces with experimental theatre company Brokentalkers, and performed a biographical show, 'Bellows', about his own life and musical heritage. Many who saw that show are (judging by a quick show of hands) are back at the Spiegeltent tonight for another helping of O'Mahony magic.
He welcomes his audience to the Spiegeltent in both English and Gaelic and, seated at the microphone with his mug of tea, and with his vintage Italian Paolo Saporini button accordion strapped and ready over his left shoulder, shares the news that Charlie Harris, his accordion tutor and friend of 30 years, had passed away earlier in the week. Today was his funeral. The opening two jigs of O'Mahony's set, 'Hardiman The Fiddler' and 'The Drum Raney Lass' are then dedicated to the memory of Charlie Harris.
Danny O'Mahony comes from a long lineage of traditional Irish music, going back to the 1800's. His grand aunt on his father's side, known as Mary Orne O'Mahony, played accordion all her life, even entering and winning the Over-18 category at a local music competition at the age of 82. A pair of polkas and reels, including a version of 'Paddy Gone To France' that she had renamed 'Into The Room, I Want You', followed by a version of 'Sailing Into Walpole's Marsh' are played in her honour.
His great-uncle on his mother's side, Tom Carmody, had emigrated to New York and became accordion player with the James Morrison Instrumental Quartet. When they cut a record for the Columbia Music label in 1935, he became the first traditional Irish musician from County Kerry to be commercially recorded. 'That Cup of Tea' and 'Tunes From Youth' are dedicated to him. And it is his original black Hohner button accordion, emblazoned with both American and Irish flags, and with a proud orange bellow, that O'Mahony plays in the second half of the set, an instrument that been discovered back in County Kerry, and was lovingly repaired and restored by Charlie Harris.
Surrounded by a seated audience that clearly knew and loved their Irish traditional music, I did almost feel like an imposter, sat in my front row seat in the Spiegeltent, but it is an experience that I will remember for a long time. Danny O'Mahony has traditional Irish music running through his veins as well as in his DNA, and it was an honour and a privilege to be able to sit and listen to his playing in the Norfolk & Norwich Festival Spiegeltent.
