Joe Heaney facts for kids

Joe Heaney (also known as Joe Éinniú or Seosamh Ó hÉanaí in Irish) was a famous traditional Irish singer. He was born in County Galway, Ireland. Joe was known for his unique "sean-nós" singing style. This means "old style" singing, and it is a very special way of singing traditional Irish songs without musical instruments. Joe spent much of his life traveling and living in places like England, Scotland, and New York City. He recorded hundreds of songs, sharing his amazing voice with the world.

The Early Life of Joe Heaney

Joe Heaney was born on October 15, 1919, in a small village called Carna. This village is in Connemara, County Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. Most people in this area spoke Irish. Joe said he started singing when he was only five years old!

Even though he loved to sing, Joe was quite shy. He did not sing in public until he was 20 years old. He learned English at school in Carna. When he was 16, he won a special scholarship to attend school in Dublin. While there, he won first and second prizes at a national singing competition. Most of the more than 500 songs he knew were learned while he grew up in Carna.

Joe's Journey and Music Career

In 1949, Joe moved to London, England. He worked on building sites there. He also became a big part of the folk music scene in London. He recorded songs for important music companies like Topic and Gael-Linn. Joe was married for six years, but sadly, his wife passed away.

His singing was recorded by Pádraic Ó Raghallaigh for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (Ireland's national broadcaster). He was also recorded by Peter Kennedy for the BBC in 1959. These BBC recordings were put together on a special BBC record.

Moving to America and Beyond

Joe visited America in 1965. He was invited to sing at the famous Newport Folk Festival. After performing there, he decided to move to America. He made his home in New York City.

In 1981, an Australian folk historian named Warren Fahey invited Joe to Australia. Joe performed at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, which is a very famous place. The hall was completely full of people who came to hear him sing.

From 1982 until he passed away in 1984, Joe Heaney was an artist-in-residence at the University of Washington in Seattle. Before that, he also taught at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. After Joe's death in 1984, the University of Washington created the Joe Heaney Collection. This collection holds many of his recordings and materials. All of it was later moved to the National University of Ireland at Galway. Now, anyone can access it online for free.

Remembering Joe Heaney

Every year, a festival called Féile Chomórtha Joe Éinniú (Joe Heaney Commemorative Festival) is held in Carna. This festival celebrates Joe's life and his amazing contributions to traditional Irish music.

People have also written books about Joe Heaney. In 2007, an Irish-language book about him was published. In 2011, another book called Bright Star of the West: Joe Heaney, Irish Song-Man was released. This book talked about his work in both Ireland and the United States. It even won a special award in 2012 for being the best book about music.

Documentaries About Joe Heaney

• Joe Heaney: Sing the Dark Away by Michael Davitt (Radio Telefís Éireann, 1996)
• Song of Granite by Pat Collins, 2017

Awards and Honors

Joe Heaney received a very important award in 1982 called the National Heritage Fellowship. This award is given by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is the highest honor the United States government gives for folk and traditional arts. Joe was among the very first people to receive this special award.

See also

• Traditional Irish Singers
• Darach Ó Catháin