Text messages last night from Miltown Malbay and closer to home brought another verse of sad news from the world of Irish traditional music.
Brevity is now also the essence of the text message and: ‘Seán Garvey RIP’ told me all I needed to know.
Seán Garvey was one of the many talented people to visit Castleisland over the weekends of the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival in the years when he was able to fit it in.
Seán’s Chat with Danny O’Mahony
During one festival in 2008 his music career was highlighted for us in an interview with Danny O’Mahony from the festival based Radio Kerry programme ‘The Melting Pot’ which launched the weekend event from the River Island Hotel.
Seán dropped in to fulfill an on-air engagement with Danny and had to leave immediately after and head up to Roscommon to pick up an award.
The Annie McNulty award honours traditional singers who have made an outstanding contribution to Irish music at home and abroad. And the 2008 recipient was Seán Garvey the traditional singer/musician from Cahersiveen.
Sessions from the Hearth
I first met Seán Garvey back in January 1998 when he was guesting on a compilation CD , Sessions from the Hearth being assembled by Tralee man Benny O’Carroll.
The entire CD was recorded at Siamsa Tíre and I was asked to capture the proceedings in photographs and I remember Seán warmly from the experience.
In 2006 Seán Garvey was awarded the most prestigious traditional music award, the TG4, Traditional Singer of the Year, and was acknowledged by his peers as much as by his audiences, as being one of our finest exponents of traditional singing.
Praise from Martin Hayes
The acclaimed fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes said of Sean: “it is rare to see anybody perform with so much sincerity and authenticity. Seán believes what he sings and he makes you believe also.”
Seán was a fine guitar accompanist to his own voice, as well as a player of flute and tenor banjo. He studied Irish language and Irish Folklore and obtained a Masters in ethnomusicology at the University of Limerick’s prestigious World Music Centre.
After spending much of his life teaching in Dublin he moved to Kenmare. He was singer-in-residence for the Gaeltacht area of South Kerry, Gaeltacht Uibh Rathaigh and he performed and taught music and lectured.
Kindness to a Fellow Singer
I witnessed a trait of his kindness at the Castleisland festival in 2018. His fellow festival guest, the late Seán Tyrrell wasn’t well at the time but he hid it as best he could and stuck to the performers’ mantra that the show must go on.
During one of his songs he faltered slightly and Seán Garvey reacted in a flash, took up his guitar and, with his fellow gentlemen, Mickey MacConnell and Tim Dennehy, they guided him and his song safely home.
May God be good to the two Seáns now.
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