*From left to right; Mike O’Gorman (Boherbue, Cork), Alan Finn (Buttevant, Cork), Timmy Collins (Kiskeam, Cork), Keith O’Loughlin (Corofin, Clare), Mairead Fitzgibbon (Buttevant, Cork), Brian O’Loughlin (Corofin, Clare), Eileen O’Callaghan (Mallow, Cork), Edward Kiely (Boherbue Cork), Tadhg O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Ger Naughton (Newtownshandrum, Cork).
TRADITIONAL music has always been intertwined with GAA in Clare.
When he accepted the Liam McCarthy after Clare were crowned All-Ireland SHC champions in 1995, Anthony Daly famously said, “in Clare we love our hurling but we love our traditionl music as well”.
There are many links that exist between the GAA and the traditional music scene, not least the make-up of The Shandrum Céilí Band, based in Cork but which has some Clare musicians in their midst.
Understandably the banter in that group is great this week. Corofin brothers Brian and Keith O’Loughlin are members of the band joining forces with eight Cork musicians
Indeed it was at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann held in Ennis in 2017 when the Shandrum won the senior céilí band competition for the third year running. They have been very much in demand not just in the Mid-West but across the country over the last decade.
Brian and Keith, both of whom have played hurling and football with their club Corofin, are huge Clare hurling followers.
“With the exception of the Wexford game, we have been at all of the Clare games this season”, explained Brian. He along with the band members spent last week teaching at the various workshops for the Willie Clancy summer school in Miltown Malbay.
On Saturday night the band played to a packed attendance at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point. “Of course the craic and the banter is mighty this week as the build-up to Sunday’s final continues. Three or four of the Cork members in the band are keen followers of Cork so Keith and myself have to stand up for Clare. We have to remind them that while Clare is the home of music we are also a strong hurling county and we had the pleasure of welcoming them last week when they were with us at the Willie Clancy festival in Miltown”.
Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s game, the Shandrum ceili band is set to continue its busy schedule over the coming months.
