Post by Ptarmigan on May 11, 2008 18:16:41 GMT
Dan O'Loan of Cushendall
This is an article I wrote for my regular 'Moyle Tradition' piece, for the 'Moyle Newsletter'.
Dan O'Loan, a Glensman, was a famous Fiddler in his day. He was not only a fine musician, but he had other strings to his bow, like being a Carpenter and excellent Fiddle maker, who also made Boats and Furniture. At the height of his musical career he also made a radio programme, which is now, unfortunately, lost in the archives. There is also a popular story about Dan, when he famously played down a phone line for an RTE programme in the 1920s.
Dan had nine of a family and most of his sons were musical, playing Fiddles and Banjos, however, as so often happens, the musical genes skipped the next generation, and as Angela Bonnar, Dan's granddaughter so eloquently put it, " ..the most musical thing in our house was a Singer sewing machine! Thankfully, the music emerged again with a vengeance, in the present generation, through the wonderful musical talents of Jayne & Riona Bonnar, great granddaughters of Dan. The girls were encouraged by their parents, especially Dad Danny, who, as a youth, was a member of a local Folk Group 'Fadge', who played the Pub Scene around Ballycastle & the Glens.
Younger daughter Jayne's musical career began at the age of seven when she asked, out of the blue, for a Fiddle. It didn't take Riona long to follow suit, and thankfully Jim McGill was on hand to guide the girls carefully onto the first rungs of their musical ladder. After Jim passed on, the girls had a number of Tutors including Dennis Sweeney, myself, local classical tutors Kate Keenan and Mrs Darling, and finally the one and only Sean McGuire recognised their talents, and took the girls under his wing.
It's a pity Dan hadn't been around to witness the girls musical development, especially as they both now proudly play Fiddles made by Dan himself.
Dan had nine of a family and most of his sons were musical, playing Fiddles and Banjos, however, as so often happens, the musical genes skipped the next generation, and as Angela Bonnar, Dan's granddaughter so eloquently put it, " ..the most musical thing in our house was a Singer sewing machine! Thankfully, the music emerged again with a vengeance, in the present generation, through the wonderful musical talents of Jayne & Riona Bonnar, great granddaughters of Dan. The girls were encouraged by their parents, especially Dad Danny, who, as a youth, was a member of a local Folk Group 'Fadge', who played the Pub Scene around Ballycastle & the Glens.
Younger daughter Jayne's musical career began at the age of seven when she asked, out of the blue, for a Fiddle. It didn't take Riona long to follow suit, and thankfully Jim McGill was on hand to guide the girls carefully onto the first rungs of their musical ladder. After Jim passed on, the girls had a number of Tutors including Dennis Sweeney, myself, local classical tutors Kate Keenan and Mrs Darling, and finally the one and only Sean McGuire recognised their talents, and took the girls under his wing.
It's a pity Dan hadn't been around to witness the girls musical development, especially as they both now proudly play Fiddles made by Dan himself.