What a great sorrow. I have the honor (and luck) to be able to say I learned some of my songs directly from him. He was passionate about singing and about songs. He was also very careful about being inclusive in sessions he was involved in. I was feeling a little timid (being a yank just learning the sean nos) in one session during the fleadh (sp?) in Killkenny many years ago. He noticed and asked me for a song.