Decade of Centenaries Programme 2020-23
St. Brigid’s Pipe Band, Kiltubrid, pictured on their first day out in public, in Laheen Leitrim’s Longest Running Pipe Band Founded in 1949, the Kiltubrid Pipe Band is without question Leitrim’s longest running pipe band. Having graced many a sporting field, parades, festivals and events both in Ireland and abroad, […]
Joe’s Background “Joe ‘Lacky’ Gallagher was born in 1918 in the townland of Cloonamurgal near Drumkeeran, Co. Leitrim. Lacky comes from the shortened form of his father’s name, Malachy. This was a way of distinguishing him from other Gallaghers who may also have been called Joe. As well as being […]
John McKenna is regarded as one of the most influential flute players of the 20th century. Born in a small cottage in the townland of Tents, Tarmon near Drumkeerin in 1880, McKenna emigrated to New York and became a prolific recording artist during the 1920s and 30s. These 78 recordings […]
Whilst not a whole lot is known about Francis J. Cox’s early years, we hear him tell Tom Munnelly in 1971 that he had a brother and sister and that he was the youngest in the family. He mentions that his brother was shot in Flanders and that his mother […]
Drumkeeran’s Mary McPartlan was born in 1955 and is one of Leitrim’s better known traditional singers, having released albums and toured with theatre groups and musicians, including Sean Keane. She was a powerful advocate for traditional music and artists and was the instigator of TG4’s Gradam awards for traditional Irish […]
Thomas Moran was born in 1876 in Drumrahill, Eslin and was often known around the place as “Old Moran the ballad singer”. He had a vast repertoire of ballads and it is not clear where he acquired so many of these songs, although it is mentioned that he got many […]
John “Jacko” Reilly was a traditional ballad singer who was born in 1926 in Carrick-on-Shannon. Although, he lived out his latter years as a settled traveller in Boyle, there are many who have clear memories of his ballad singing in and around the town of Carrick. Find out more Tom […]
The Cavan & Leitrim Railway “The Cavan, Leitrim & Roscommon Light Railway & Tramway” opened in 1887, to serve the more remote parts of those three counties. Owing to the withdrawal of support for a “baronial guarantee” from the Roscommon Jury, “Roscommon” was dropped from the original title and the […]
When you search for “fife and drum band” on the Leitrim local studies system, you are given 95 results which is quite a lot considering that there are currently no fife and drum bands in the county. Even Kiltubrid who boasts the longest running pipe band in the county, had […]
Maureen McNabola (nee McCrann) from Corlea, Kilnagross was a fine ballad singer who sadly passed away in 2022. She had a rich store of traditional ballads, some popular, well-known songs and others lesser known Leitrim ballads. Maureen’s first public singing appearance was in 1941 when she sang at An Tostal […]
