"I sadly neglected to mention that Catherine Talty...."
Catherine was a dear friend of ours - shortly before she died I had the privilege of interviewing her on film for a series of filmed interviews on behalf of the Clare Heritage Group 'Oidhreacht an Chlair' one of the most pleasurable weeks I have ever spent.
Hopefully, hers, and similar filmed interviews will be available on the OAC site in the future.
The calendar should shortly include another West Clare woman, singer, Nonie Lynch, who died aged 101, a couple of years ago
Two more women from the area are possibilities, if more information can be gathered about them.
Mary Haren, who lived half way between Miltown Malbay and Inagh, was a magnificent old-style concertina player, unfortunately only a few tunes played by her exist, recorded by Seamus Ennis in the early 1960s
The other lady has, up to now, been a total mystery - Margaret, (Peggy) Downes a piper who lived and worked in Miltown Malbay at the end of the 1940s - early 50s, a pupil of Willie Clancy -
Originally from Kilmihil, South Clare, the occurrence of a woman piper at that time makes her particularly interesting, but we have learned she was a fine piper.
We are gradually gathering information on her - anything further would be very much appreciated
Jim Carroll