My old friend John "The Yank" Harrington died in Butte last week. He was 5 weeks shy of his 101st birthday. Check out his obituary.
I spent many happy hours playing and learning tunes from him.

John ˜The Yank' Harrington, 100



John "The Yank" Harrington, a Butte historical and musical icon, died peacefully in his sleep early Monday morning, Feb. 2, 2004, just five weeks short of his 101st birthday. The silencing of his accordion and his Irish laugh will echo resoundingly in St. Patrick's Days to come.
John was loved and cherished first by his family who enjoyed not just his music, but his wit and his love. In his late 80s John took his music from the living rooms of his family and friends to the stages of Butte with his young friends in the local Irish group "Dublin Gulch".

A kind and gentle soul, John "The Yank," at the tender age of ninety-five, agreed to sit down and record his music on a CD entitled "A Celtic Century", which was a best seller around St. Patrick's Day over the last 5 years of John's life.

Though a shy man at heart, in later years John "The Yank" was recognized in many special ways. He was Co-Grand Marshall of Butte's St. Patrick's Day parade in 1997. In 2000, the Montana Arts Council and Gov. Marc Racicot recognized him as a "Montana Living Treasure." In 2002, Butte-Silver Bow proclaimed "John ‘The Yank' Harrington Day" and he was awarded a Key to the City. He was the subject of many special media programs ranging from Montana and National Public Radio to Montana Public Television and PBS. His music was featured in the one-hour Butte segment in the PBS documentary "The Irish in America," he will be part of the new film about Butte â€" "From Their Labors," now in production and will also appear in the Desmond Bell BBC film "Blankets, Men and Dreams." John was also featured in the best-selling book "The Road to McCarthy" by Pete McCarthy. His recordings and recollections are found at both the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution.

On his 100th birthday, he received greetings from former President Bill Clinton, as well as Senator Ted Kennedy, Irish President Mary McAleese and Irish Consul General Donal Denham. But mostly, he loved being surrounded by his family and friends.

"The Yank" was a living, breathing repository of the history of Celtic folk music and the history of Butte, the third most Irish county in the United States. He graced the people of his community with his simple honest renditions of the old Celtic tunes, every time he applied his knurled but nimble fingers to his Hoehner button box accordion.

Whenever John was playing â€" whether it was for family or friends, with other musicians, musicologists from the Library of Congress or documentary film makers or performing on stage â€" he was recognized as one who not only learned to play from Irish folk musicians in Ireland, but as one who has lived the Irish and Irish American experience that most of us can only read about. John brought a soulful exuberance and beauty to the music, amplified by a century of life experience.

John "The Yank" Harrington was born the second child in a family of six in Mercur City, Utah, on March 10, 1903. His parents were John Peter Harrington (Caupey) from Claderach, Eskaninane, County Cork and Katie Harrington (Caupey) from Eskavaude, Reentrisk, County Cork, both Irish immigrants and both of whom spoke fluent Irish. Both parents played the button box accordion, or "melodeon," as they called it. John "The Yank" began playing at a very early age.

After the gold mines in Mercur City began to play out in 1911, John Peter traveled to Butte and found work in the underground copper mines. Katie and the children joined him in Butte some months later. John "The Yank" often recalled the journey on the Oregon Short Line Railroad to Butte and, after arriving, the ride through the darkness on Butte's cobblestone streets in a horse-drawn hack.

John often remembered the events he experienced as a youngster related to the Granite Mountain and Speculator Mines disaster â€" the worst hard rock mining disaster in American history. His first cousin Mayme took John down to the Scherman and Reed funeral home to help her identify a friend of hers. The burned and broken bodies, spread out on the concrete floor and covered with white sheets, were a sight John never forgot. During this turbulent period of Butte's labor history, John also witnessed the explosions and destruction of Miner's Union Hall and the funeral procession of Frank Little â€" a union man "killed by the Company." The lessons of those times never left John who, to his final day, remained a stalwart "union man" and a Democrat through and through.

John's father died of the "Miner's Con" (consumption or silicosis) on Jan. 1, 1916, when John was approaching his 13th birthday. His mother and the remaining five children (the eldest, James, had died at age 6 in 1907) were forced to move into a larger place that would allow them to take in boarders, providing them with their only income. Two years later, almost to the day, the influenza epidemic of 1918 brought more tragedy into the life of young John and his four younger sisters. John's mother died on January 2, resulting in his sisters (Catherine, Emma, Teresa, and Rebecca) being placed into the care of St. Joseph's Orphanage in Helena, run by the Sisters of Charity. John moved in with his Uncle Dan and Aunt Julia. Later that year, John and several friends spent the night ringing the bell at Butte City Hall, announcing the end of the "war to end all wars" (World War I), while adults drank, danced and fired pistols and shotguns into the air in jubilation.

In 1919 John received his 8th grade diploma from St. Lawrence School in Walkerville. At that time, after the war, work was scarce in Butte, so Dan and Julia and family took John back with them to Ireland. When he arrived at his grandmother's house in Eskaninane, Reentrisk of Allihies Parish, County Cork, she tagged him with the nickname of "The Yank," for being American. To this day, in a world full of John Harrington's, there was only one John "The Yank" Harrington.

John and his uncle Dan found work in the Allihies Copper Mine. John, then 16, received 4 shillings and 6 pence for a day's work. It wasn't much, but in a time where every little bit helped, it bought tea, sugar and candles for the family. Except for some fish and maybe a pig's head for Christmas (a delicacy most recently immortalized in the pages of Frank McCort's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Angela's Ashes"), John said they "never had any meat while living there under British rule."

It was while working at the mine that John had his first experience with British troops â€" the "Black and Tans" as they were called â€" who occupied Ireland at the time. The Black and Tans would arrive at the mine without notice, round up the workers and march them down the road about a mile to the church fence in Cluin, now known as Allihies, where they would be separated and interrogated. The Black and Tans were looking for information about men suspected of being with the IRA. Upon finding out that John was an American citizen or "Yank," they would leave him alone.

On one of those occasions, a mentally challenged young man was startled by the commotion and began to run away. The Black and Tans, on their commander's orders, shot the boy down despite the desperate pleas and cries of his mother. To his last day John "The Yank" decried the role of the British in Ireland.

While living on the "ould sod" John also worked as a farmer, a roof thatcher and a seine fisherman. On off days and evenings, friends and neighbors would show up at John's place looking for a haircut, as he owned the only pair of clippers in the area. The fact that he never charged for the cut made him a doubly popular character. All of those experiences added a certain "soul" to John's Irish music.

In Ireland, and later in America, John "The Yank" continued to work on his music, learning tunes not only on the accordion, but also on the fiddle and harmonica. To the end, John didn't read music â€" he learned it the old fashioned way by playing with other musicians and "fiddling around" for hours on end by himself. There was never a shortage of occasions for John to play, whether it was at one of the local dance halls or at someone's house. The only drawback to providing the music was that John rarely got the opportunity to dance.

John left Ireland after seven years, looking for opportunity and the rest of his family back in America. He landed in New York at the time Jimmy Walker was mayor and Big Al Smith was governor. Both men, of Irish decent, were eager to help the newly arriving Irish. John was able to find work on the 8th Avenue subway construction and other construction projects. He continued to play the old tunes for all who would listen, at dances and other gatherings of Irish living in the neighborhoods.

After six years in New York, and in the middle of the Great Depression, John "The Yank" headed west to find his family. He ended up back in Butte, where the oldest of his sisters, Catherine, a nurse, had married and was raising her family. John lived in Butte since, except for a brief stint during World War II, where he worked at the Kaiser shipyard in Richmond, Calif. While in Butte, John worked for the Finlen Hotel, Mountain Bell Telephone & Telegraph, Al's Photo Shop and Sears, among others.

Over the years, John "The Yank" was a great source of information for historians and genealogists researching the Butte Irish. He was a great help to many individuals looking for their Irish ancestry, as well. John remained true to, and continued to play, the traditional Celtic tunes the way he learned them so many years ago. "The Yank," in his own way, was helping keep the old tunes and traditions alive for younger generations â€" youngsters who acquired a new thirst for what John had to offer, thanks to a renewed interest in Irish music and culture. For those who were privileged enough to know this remarkable man, and to listen to his music, he provided us with a window to the past and a tangible link to our own Irish heritage.

John, who remained a bachelor, was devoted to the family that his sisters provided to him. He was also a devoted Catholic and longtime member of St. Mary's and later St. Patrick's parish. Beginning with his nephew Tom Mulcahy, he was Godfather to many in his family. He packed Tom up to the altar for his baptism 72 years ago in St. Mary's Church and repeated that many times in later years with a good number of the family members.

We have lost a wonderful man from our midst â€" a kind and gentle person. Butte also lost a "primary source" of local history, as he lived through many of the events that made Butte famous. And the Irish community lost a person who, with an "iron-clamp" memory, attracted people from all parts of this country and Ireland to help them with their genealogy. He was unbelievable with names, dates and relationships. Fortunately, he was also an historian and archivist saving a great deal of material including the written word, old films that he took with a movie camera, still photographs and video interviews. These things are not lost and will certainly be of great interest to future historians.

In heaven today John is taking part in a renewal of a traditional weekly pinochle game with his sisters Catherine (Nana) and Sister Mary along with good friend Tim Dwyer, all who passed before him.

John is survived by his nieces and nephews (and spouses) Catherine and Ernie Seccomb of Whitehall, James "Maury" and Sally Mulcahy of Helena, Tom Mulcahy of San Diego and Teresa and Paul Mailander of Holyoke, Colo. Also surviving are grandnieces and nephews (and spouses) Evan and Gail Seccomb Barrett of Butte, Jim and Sandy Seccomb Regan of Miles City, Gary Seccomb of Metalline Falls, Wash., Brian and Sandy Reed Seccomb of Butte, Paul and Toni Marcis Shaw Seccomb of Butte, Father Daniel Seccomb of San Francisco, Margie Seccomb and Jim Britton of Butte, Pat and Marie Niemi Seccomb of Butte, Bob Seccomb of Portland, Jay and Kelly Seccomb of Butte, Karen Mulcahy of Spokane, Sallyann Mulcahy and John Cassidy of Helena, Connie Gay Mulcahy of Helena, Jim and Rose McNair Mulcahy of Post Falls, Idaho, and Kathleen, Laura, Margie and Mark Mailander of Holyoke, Colo. Great-great-grandnephews and nieces include Brendan and Siobhan Barrett, Kristina and Samantha Seccomb, Emma and Anthony Seccomb, Chaz and Katy Seccomb and Cheyenne Roundtree, all of Butte; Jeff Regan and Patrick Regan of Miles City, Beth Regan of Pocatello, Idaho, Kathleen Regan of Missoula; Jon and Jami Spranget of Post Falls; and Caralee and Sean Kelly of Helena; Kirsten Barrett and Jon Hypes and Eric and Erika Barrett Thompson of Las Vegas, Dylan and Marlene Shaw of Fort Hood, Texas, TJ and Morgan Shaw McKenzie of Wrightwood, Calif., and Jonas and Eric McNair of Post Falls, Idaho; great-great-great-grandnephews and nieces Ivory and Jacen Thompson of Las Vegas, Lucy McKenzie of Wrightwood and Lillia Spranget of Post Falls. The Yank is also survived by his cousins, John "Dublin John" and Margaret Harrington, of Dublin, Ireland and Danny Harrington of Tranferla, County Cork, Ireland, special friends Mary Seccombe and Mick Cavanaugh of Walkerville, Shirley Pemerl Mulcahy of San Diego, Riobard and Joan O'Dwyer of Castletown Bear, Ireland, Jim and Patsy O'Neill of New York City, Tom and Cindy Powers, Kevin and Joan Shannon, Ellen Crain, John and Monica Evans Cavanaugh, John T. and Evelyn Shea, Father Gregory Burke, Father Sarsfield O Sullivan and Veronica O Sullivan Sullivan, all of Butte. Also holding a special place with John were the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Being related to the Mulcahy Clan of Butte through his sister Catherine, John is survived by dozens of Mulcahy family nieces and nephews, and their descendants.

John was preceded in death by his parents, John Peter and Katie Harrington, a brother James and his sisters Catherine Harrington (Mrs. Maurice "Dugga") Mulcahy, Teresa Harrington (Mrs. Joseph) Blickhan, Sr. Mary Harrington and Rebecca Harrington, great-nephew Lee Seccomb and great-niece Erin Mailander.

The wake is scheduled for St. Patrick's Church, Sunday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m.; funeral services at St. Patrick's at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 9; interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, followed by a reception at The Garden, 55 E. Granite St.

Memorials: Highlands Hospice, 3703 Harrison Ave., or the Corktown Irish Dance Troupe, 2634 Edwards in Butte.