Today, February 22-2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the death of one of the most influential, inspirational traditional Irish musicians of the 20th century.
The coming October bank holiday weekend will see the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding and staging of the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival in 1993.
In the meantime, to mark the 60th anniversary of his passing, there’s a gathering of musicians and friends for tunes and a small drop by the grave of the great man in Kilmurry at 5:30pm on this Wednesday evening.
Con Houlihan and Radio Éireann
Con Houlihan often wrote of how he contacted Andreas Ó Geallachóir in Radio Eíreann on hearing of the death of his fellow school teacher and drinking companion.
Con said in a Radio One interview with Peter Browne that he and O’Keeffe shared a very similar sense of humour – and he said: “We used to laugh as the same old foolish jokes.”
News wasn’t run through the community or the country at the faster than lightening rate that it is today.
The Kerryman took its time reporting on the loss of Patrick – but it was worth the wait and well worth repeating here on this special occasion.
Pádraig / Patrick
Don’t worry about the Patrick / Pádraig bit as the latter came from the Dublin collectors’ influence whereas the former was conferred on him here around his own locality.
In the issue of The Kerryman on Saturday, March 2nd the unaccredited report went as follows:
Death of Exponent of Traditional Irish Music
“With the passing of Pádraig O’Keeffe, the storied country-side of Ciarraí Luachra has lost one of its best-known and best loved exponents of traditional Irish music.
As a violinist, his talent was of the highest order and won countrywide recognition for itself through his numerous broadcasts.
But one imagines that it is as a teacher of, and crusader for Irish music, that he himself would prefer to be remembered.
He was its loyal advocate in days when it was very far from being as popular as it has now become.
But Pádraig didn’t preach Irish music. His playing did that for him – and did it so effectively that his ex-pupils, whose style is easily recognisable as his, are to be heard today in person and on records not only in Ireland but wherever Irish musicians and their friends foregather.
It was, however, typical of the man that those who knew him best remember him not for his musical genius – he always made light of that – but for the cheerful outlook that always saw the bright side, the droll story, the quick-witted answer and the optimism which he so often expressed in his pet phrase, “all good things come slowly.”
His funeral to the family burial ground at Kilmurry was an eloquent testimony to the high regard in which he was held by all.
Suaimhneas Síoraí d’a anam.”
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