Du Page County Illinois Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann

2006 Comhaltas Weekend in Chicago, April 20-23, 2006

I was born in Monageer-Boolavogue just outside Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Ireland in March 1954.

My paternal grandfather was from the USA. He was a singer and played the melodeon. My maternal grandparents both came from musical families. My grandfather and his brothers were well known singers while my grandmother was a singer and played the melodeon with a local ceili band, playing mostly for mummers balls and ceilithe in the local parish halls and indeed barns of local farmers where halls had not been built yet.

My mother Mary, (nee Wilson) and her family were well known in the county for their musical abilities. My uncles John and Willie were both celebrated musicians on Fiddle and Flute respectively, while my mother Mary played the mouthorgan. My father and mother joined the Enniscorthy branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann in the early 60s, and went on to promote Comhaltas at county and provincial level for many years. They formed a branch of Comhaltas in their own parish of Monageer in the early 70s and this branch is still going strong thanks to the huge efforts of well known piper Padraig Sinnott.

My mother Mary Brogan won two All Ireland ballad singing competitions in the 80s and three All Ireland Mouthorgan competitions, no mean achievement. She travelled extensively with Comhaltas on tours of  Britain, Ireland and the USA / Canada.

Thankfully, she is still playing and singing.

I, having always been a lover of Irish traditional music, was bitten by the Comhaltas bug in the late 60s and started attending sessions around the county Wexford, where I met up with singers like the late Liz Jeffries and Paddy Power, and the well known Leo Carthy and Paddy and Phil Berry. I started singing in the early 70s and have been going to Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann ever since. I moved to London with my wife Marian and our two daughters Anne Marie and Sinead in 1987 and still work and live there.

I entered my first competition (London Regional Fleadh) in 2000 and went on to win the All Ireland that same year. The following year I got second place and also achieved third place in the All Ireland lilting competition. I have been adjudicating all over Britain and Ireland for a long number of years and have had the honour of adjudicating at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann on several occasions.

I and my family are deeply involved with Comhaltas in Britain. I am Vice Chairman of St. Albans branch, Auditor on London Regional Board (where Marian is Secretary) and Treasurer of the Provincial Council of Britain. I also represent Britain on the Ard Comhairle. My daughters were founder members of the very successful Comhaltas na nOg and are still very much involved.