P.V. (Patrick Vincent) O'Donnell, fiddler from Buncrana on Co. Donegal's Inishowen peninsula died early this morning, January 28, 2011, at the hospice unit of Manchester Memorial Hospital, Manchester, CT.

P.V. spent roughly equal thirds of his life in Donegal, Nova Scotia and Connecticut. He is best known for his work with the group Barley Bree who recorded for Shanachie Records, but, later in Connecticut, he was at the core of grassroots interest in Irish traditional music. His list of fiddle students spanned the ages and his weekly sessions in downtown Hartford regularly attract a minimum of 25 players and singers. Despite a tough bout with brain cancer, he played till the end. We sat next to each other at McKinnon's Pub on Asylum Street in Hartford nine days ago. P.V. was a really lovely fellow, the best of good company.

When he was a young man, P.V. spent as much time as he could searching out the great Donegal fiddle master, John Doherty. Recollections of those days and other times in his life were recorded in two one-hour sessions we had together in July of last year. Copies of those interviews are located at the Irish Traditional Music Archive in Dublin, and at the Irish Music Center of the Burns Library at Boston College.

Dan Milner