George Desmond Hodnett facts for kids

George Desmond "Hoddy" Hodnett (born February 25, 1918 – died September 23, 1990) was an Irish musician and songwriter. He was also a well-known music critic for the Irish Times newspaper, where he wrote about jazz and popular music for many years.

Early Life and Education

Hoddy Hodnett was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father came from a family of lawyers in County Cork. After the Irish War of Independence in 1922, his father became an officer in the Irish Army. Hoddy's mother, Lauré Faschnacht, was from Murten, Switzerland.

Hoddy went to school at the Catholic University School in Dublin and also at Coláiste na Rinne in An Rinn, County Waterford. He studied law at Trinity College, Dublin. However, he was much more interested in the music and theatre scene in Dublin than in a career as a lawyer.

A Passion for Music

Hoddy loved playing music. He played jazz piano, trumpet, and even the zither. He was probably the only person in Ireland playing the zither at that time! He enjoyed being part of the artistic and creative groups in Dublin. These groups often met in places like the Catacombs in Fitzwilliam Place. Famous writers like Brendan Behan were also part of this lively scene.

Musical Career and Writing

In the 1950s, Hoddy started writing funny and clever songs for stage shows called "revues." He performed these at the Pike Theatre in Dublin, where he was also the main pianist. He also wrote songs for other theatres in the city.

As folk music and Irish traditional music became more popular, Hoddy began writing reviews about these styles too. He continued to write about jazz and Irish traditional music for the Irish Times newspaper almost until he passed away.

Standing Up for History

In 1969, Hoddy took part in an event to protect old Georgian buildings on Hume Street in Dublin. This event became known as the Battle of Hume Street. He was involved in efforts to prevent these historic buildings from being torn down.

Famous Song: Monto

Hoddy's most famous song is "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)". He wrote it for a revue in 1958. The song cleverly makes fun of how Ireland and Dublin were during the Victorian era.

Ronnie Drew from the famous Irish band The Dubliners heard about the song. In 1966, he sang it at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. The song became an instant hit with the audience and is still well-known today.