It is indeed a shock to hear of his passing.

I had the great good fortune to spend a solid week with himself, two summers in a row at Elkins in 1995 and 1996. He was always generous with the songs and all the craic that went with them. He loved the way the best Irish musicians were so accessible to students of Irish music, and he loved being part of the flow between the generations. And he loved to pitch himself into a song, as loud and as high as he could sing them.

Frank, myself and Molly Andrews had a memorable 5 hour session on the Friday night in 1996, sitting on the porch of one of the dorms and trading songs amongst ourselves and with whoever wandered by, drinking some peculiar mixture of brandy and port that Frank was fond of and thought fortifying. It was a rare night, and one I treasure.

God bless you, Frank, you old rascal. You are loved by many and will be missed.

Frank's daughter Sinead Harte lives outside DC - I'm sure condolences would be welcome. 4819 Derussey Pkway, Chevy Chase MD 20815