Item IFSR-257210/3/3/260323 - Interview with Frank McGann in Michael Noon's pub [sound recording] / Frank McGann

Performers:
McGann, Frank, Roscommon/Dublin, speech in English, track 1-11, B1-7
[also present were John Wynne, Roscommon and Paul Doyle, Dublin]

Running Order:
1. Spoken Introduction
2. Speech: born 7th July 1923 in Lisalwey, moved to Kilmurray, Frank's mother and Frank Brown played at the crossroads, 'our house there was music every night in it...', men dancing sets, staying up late
3. Speech: men dancing local sets, `tapping it out...', very poor times, father reared eight on eighteen shillings and one penny, tunes for the sets, mother played fiddle and flute, family played in local schools and at weddings
4. Speech: instruments handed down, Robert Jones a great fiddler (mother's maiden name), drinking first pint in Johnny Casey's, Frank's family originally came from Wales, Frank's uncle Joe McGann a great melodeon player, brought a melodeon back fron Canada
5. Speech: flutes and fiddles played locally, mostly by men, `a man's game...', grandmother smoked a clay pipe but not in public, going to town with her and the ass and cart, smoking at a young age, two old pennies for counting the sheep, eating the meal mixed with sugar, Jimmy Weldon breaking and mixing eggs into a quart bottle of milk, not alot of music in the village, the Carlos family, townland names
6. Speech: local musicians: Willie Rafferty, Frank Brown, Jimmy Gearity, Jimmy's father was a writer and whistle player, loosening the wooden plug with a pen-knife, Paddy Carney, Kilina Ceili Band, Frank Kelly, Mike McHale, Master McHale, Bernie Dobie, Frank's family in a band
7. Speech: tunes played by musicians, never polkas or slides, mostly reels, many tunes from America, tapes arrived home, 78rpm discs, the McNulty family, the Grehan sisters, music always in the house, grandmother had a gramaphone fron Canada, Uncle Peter going to Canada in the 19th century, losing touch when you leave home, Paddy Carney
8. Speech: Frank's mother dying, `things die when the mother dies...', she taught Frank's cousin Martin, she was very interested in Michael Coleman, gramaphone records, McNulty family very popular, local songs
9. Speech: travelling musicians, Johnny Doran camping beside Gearty's house, `like fairy music...', the Raineys, Paddy Rainey lost the tip of his finger, took up the accordion, always camped across from Frank's house, canvas hoop tents, Patrick `Rainey' Madden, tinsmithing, Johnny Doran a `guest', greatest piper, Frank met him and Aggie White in Dublin doing an audition for RTE, Johnny working with Andy Conroy
10. Speech: pipers Pat and Jim Lavin, Dennis McGarry, old John Burke, tunes dancers liked, Frank's father a great dancer, Paddy Lavin a great dancer, made up their own steps, Frank danced himself
11. Speech: John Carlos, Frank's grandfather, Mary Anne McGann, Jim Dowd, John Burke, playing tricks on people [DAT continued on CDRb]
12. Speech: house dancing and playing music, `long' Johnny Moran and Mary, `short' Johnny Moran, Rathmile House, Colonel Erwell, Frank's father a postman, uncle Mick some character, Frank's first job in the bogs of Kildare during the war, first cousin Frank came back from London, took on uncle Mick drinking, `he that grasps at too much shall loose all...'
13. Speech: Tommy and Pat Rodgers, Frank's brother Pat, Frank's father, getting Pat a flute, Tommy Callaghan, The Golden Eagle pub, Martin Lavin, Paddy Carney, Jack Lavin, Paddy Ryan
14. Speech: ceili bands, no Irish music in pubs, May Collins, no women served in O'Donoghue's, Fingal Céilí Band, Killina Céilí Band, money wasn't good, Mayglass Céilí Band, never music in Harold's Cross, John O'Brien, Paddy Canney, Paddy Maloney
15. Speech: first came to Dublin in 1944, the Rathcrochan reel/The Floating Crowbar, people going astray, Frank's father went astray, Bernie Dobie, Frank visiting the Duignan's, his experience of ghosts
16. Speech: Johnny and Felix Doran, Ted Furey
17. Speech: Frank's father a great singer, Jim Carty, no singing in Irish
18. Speech: singing at funerals, funeral games, Frank's father bought him his first pint, getting up to tricks, dressing up in straw and going to weddings, wren boys on Stephen's Day, all-night dances [END OF DAT]