Born in 1909 in Drumshanbo North, between the parishes of Aughavas and Cloone, Nan Fitzpatrick was one of nine children born to James and Rosie Fitzpatrick. They lived on a small farm and she attended Cloonsarn School.
She couldn’t miss having an interest in music and song as her family were musical – her brother Pee was a great fiddle player and her other brother, Phil, is famous for having written Leitrim’s anthemic “Lovely Leitrim”
Nan’s Brothers
In a radio programme recorded in 1995 when Nan was 85 years old, she tells us about her brothers – Pee and Michael who also played music in America. She also speaks of the sad circumstances in which her brother, Phil, lost his life.
Here is a nice article from local publication “Cloone -Past and Present, Parish and People” which gives us further insight into Nan’s early life, as well as her journey to becoming a major recording star of the 1920s in America
nan fitz cloone past and present (1)
Leitrim Library Local Studies Oral Collection
Evelyn Kelly who interviewed Nan for the Oral Collection of the Local Studies section of Leitrim Library ( Interview 14/03/1991) also put together a short article for The Leitrim Guardian in 1997.
Nan Fitzpatrick Leitrim Guardian 1997
Her interview yielded some further information from Nan about her early life which give us an insight into rural life in Leitrim from the early 1900’s.
Here Nan talks about her school days and the lack of Irish being taught in schools.
She also gives an account of farming life on a small farm in Leitrim.
Here we hear a little about the American wakes, country house dances and Doherty’s Hall.
And we also hear about her brother Phil who is most famous for having written “Lovely Leitrim” but interestingly also wrote other songs as detailed here by Nan.
Recordings with Frank Quinn
Nan met Frank Quinn (from Drumlish, Longford) at a fundraising function – he had already heard her sing and being an established recording artist himself at the time, he invited her to rehearse a few songs with him. A few weeks later, she was heading to Columbia Recording Studios to make her first record.
Listen here to Nan’s recording of “My Bonny Boy in Blue”. She then goes on to speak about meeting Frank Quinn, practising for Columbia recordings and how she met Michel Coleman, the Flanagan brothers and others. She also speaks about the record shop owned by James De Witt who also has Leitrim links.
Early Life Around Cloone
A chance to hear a song from her first recording in the USA – Daisy Bell – with Frank Quinn. Nan then chats about her early life, the dances and music around Cloone and her decision to emigrate to America with a lovely account of leaving Mohill station and the heartbreak of those leaving and those left behind. She also mentions her first impressions of New York and how she came to know Frank Quinn.
