Séamus Begley R.I.P.
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Steampacket
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Séamus Begley R.I.P.
Just heard that Séamus Begley has passed away. R.I.P. Séamus
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Mr.Gumby
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Re: Séamus Begley R.I.P.
Sorry to hear that. It's only a short while wsince I found myself holding a copy of the 1973 An Ciarraíoch Mallaithe , the lp he did with his sister Maire, while doing a trawl of a Galway secondhand record/book shop. In the end I left it there. I remember another occasion in 1996, during a festival in Tulla. We had moved into the house in Clare, a virtually semi-derelict cottage without water and one electrical outlet a few weeks earlier and I was still firmly dedicated to taking in all music I could get. I had just spent an hour photographing Paddy Canny and Peter O'Loughlin, who were giving a fiddle class and we walked into the hall of the local school for a dance/concert. Seamus Begley and Steve Cooney were playing, at that time they were the flavour of the month and they were flying. Our three year old hopping around the hall on the rhythm they put across. He wasn't the only one on high spirits, feeding off all that energy.
Many other occasions too, I remember one afternoon in the middle room in Friel's around the backend of a Willie week, Maeve Donnelly was playing, Eithne ni Dhomnaille, John Weir, Seamus Begley and probably others I can't quite recall. Seamus was filling the place with energy and fun, keeping things going. I was trying to get a snap or two, wishing for a larger wide angle than I had.
Here he is, pictured last summer:
Earlier this morning I was driving home along the backroads of a very wet, windy and overall miserable West Clare. On the radio Claire Byrne was talking to Philip King who spoke about the sadness that had fallen on Baile na bPoc when the news of the death arrived. Recordings were played Begley and Cooney ofcourse, all rhythm and fire, Seamus singing Bruach Na Carraige Báine. He was a very fine singer but I sometimes feel some of his recorded songs are just that bit too slow and drawn out for my liking. His version of Willie Clancy's 'the gander', sung at Peter O'Loughlin's graveside, brought a much needed moment of levity at a sad occasion though.
Philip King spoke of one night he was recording his radio show in the Corca Duibhne studio, looking out on the warm summer's evening when he saw Seamus, who kept the family farm going and worked as a silage contractor as well, driving through the field on his tractor. King sent a message asking him to come in and sing a song. Begley duely arrived, said he was very busy doing the silage but sang his song and went back to the tractor. King summed it up 'a hero has left us'.
RTE news item
And here's an episode from 2021 of the Tommy Tiernan show where Tiernan interviews Seamus and Brendan Begley. And during which they give a couple of toy accordions a good lash.
Many other occasions too, I remember one afternoon in the middle room in Friel's around the backend of a Willie week, Maeve Donnelly was playing, Eithne ni Dhomnaille, John Weir, Seamus Begley and probably others I can't quite recall. Seamus was filling the place with energy and fun, keeping things going. I was trying to get a snap or two, wishing for a larger wide angle than I had.
Here he is, pictured last summer:
Earlier this morning I was driving home along the backroads of a very wet, windy and overall miserable West Clare. On the radio Claire Byrne was talking to Philip King who spoke about the sadness that had fallen on Baile na bPoc when the news of the death arrived. Recordings were played Begley and Cooney ofcourse, all rhythm and fire, Seamus singing Bruach Na Carraige Báine. He was a very fine singer but I sometimes feel some of his recorded songs are just that bit too slow and drawn out for my liking. His version of Willie Clancy's 'the gander', sung at Peter O'Loughlin's graveside, brought a much needed moment of levity at a sad occasion though.
Philip King spoke of one night he was recording his radio show in the Corca Duibhne studio, looking out on the warm summer's evening when he saw Seamus, who kept the family farm going and worked as a silage contractor as well, driving through the field on his tractor. King sent a message asking him to come in and sing a song. Begley duely arrived, said he was very busy doing the silage but sang his song and went back to the tractor. King summed it up 'a hero has left us'.
RTE news item
And here's an episode from 2021 of the Tommy Tiernan show where Tiernan interviews Seamus and Brendan Begley. And during which they give a couple of toy accordions a good lash.
My brain hurts
