John Reilly (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Reilly (singer)
Background information
Born	1926 Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, Ireland
Died	1969 (aged 42–43) Boyle, Ireland
Genres	Traditional Irish
Occupation(s)	Tinsmith, traveller, singer

John "Jacko" Reilly (1926–1969) was a famous traditional Irish singer. He was a Irish Traveller who lived in Boyle, County Roscommon. John was originally from Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. He greatly influenced many popular folk and traditional singers. This was mostly thanks to recordings made by Irish song collector Tom Munnelly. These recordings were released after John's death in 1969.

John Reilly's Early Life and Family

John Reilly was born in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, in 1926. He was part of an Irish Traveller family. He had seven sisters and one brother. Both of his parents were singers. They taught him many of their songs. His family traveled through Leitrim, Sligo, and Roscommon. Back then, Travellers often did jobs like thatching roofs, sweeping chimneys, and other odd jobs. They also helped with haymaking or harvesting on farms. John was often overlooked for farm work because he looked a bit frail. He became very good at tinsmithing.

Moving to Belfast and Returning Home

During the Second World War, John and his family moved to Belfast. It was easier to get tin and other supplies there at that time. In 1953, he moved back to Carrick-On-Shannon.

Life in Boyle, County Roscommon

John's parents passed away when he was young. He helped raise his younger brothers and sisters. In 1962, he moved to Boyle, County Roscommon. He lived there for the rest of his life. In Boyle, he fixed bread tins for Egan's Bakery. He also made and sold buckets and billycans. Even though Travellers sometimes faced unfair treatment, John was well-liked and respected in Boyle. A local pub owner, Mrs. Grehan, was especially kind to him. She often gave him meals. Her young daughters, who later became The Grehan Sisters, also knew him well. By the mid-1960s, John was not eating well, which affected his health.

John Reilly's Music and Recordings

In 1964, the Irish song collector Tom Munnelly heard John singing. This was at a Fleadh (an Irish music festival) in Boyle. The next year, Tom went to Boyle to record John for the first time. Sadly, these first recordings did not survive. Tom was amazed by how many traditional songs John knew. John would sing for anyone who asked. He knew a very old song called "The Maid and the Palmer" (which John called "The Well Below the Valley"). This song had not been recorded in over 150 years!

Recording Sessions and Dublin Visit

Tom Munnelly recorded John again in 1966 at Grehan's Pub in Boyle. He used a recording machine that wasn't the best. He recorded John again in 1967 in Boyle and in Gurteen, County Sligo. That same year, Tom took John to Dublin for a short holiday. John sang for an audience at The Tradition Club in Capel Street. John later told Tom that this trip to Dublin was "one of the happiest times in his life."

Final Recordings and Passing Away

In 1969, Professor D. K. Wilgus from the University of California Los Angeles visited Ireland. Tom Munnelly told him about John Reilly. That same weekend, they went to Boyle to record him. They set up recording equipment in Grehan's pub. Over one weekend, John recorded about 36 songs for them. John was not feeling well at the time. His friend, Mrs. Grehan, was in the hospital. A few weeks later, Tom and Professor Wilgus returned to Boyle. They found John very ill and suffering from pneumonia. Tom took him to a doctor and then to Roscommon Hospital. John was treated and sent home. A week later, he collapsed in Boyle and was taken to Boyle Cottage Hospital. He passed away soon after, at only 44 years old.

John Reilly's Legacy and Influence

After John's death, some of his recordings were released. In 1975, 18 of his songs were put on a cassette called "Folktrax." Then, in 1978, 14 of Tom Munnelly's recordings of John were officially released. This album was called "The Bonny Green Tree: Songs of an Irish Traveller." Other recordings of John's singing are kept at University College Dublin and The University of North Carolina.

Influence on Other Musicians

Tom Munnelly played a tape of John singing "The Well Below the Valley" to the Irish singer Christy Moore. Christy Moore then performed this song on his band Planxty's album, also called The Well Below the Valley. Christy Moore also recorded "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" from John's songs. He recorded it first on Prosperous and then with Planxty on their first album, Planxty. Sinéad O'Connor later recorded John's "Lord Baker" with Christy Moore on her 2002 album Sean-Nos Nua. Christy Moore has also sung other songs from John's collection, like "Green Grows The Laurel" and "What Put The Blood."

Honoring John Reilly

Christy Moore had actually met John Reilly in the mid-1960s at Grehan's pub. In 2014, a plaque honoring John Reilly was put up outside Grehan's old pub. The Grehan Sisters unveiled it. A concert by Christy Moore and The Grehan Sisters in Boyle helped pay for the plaque. In October 2018, both John Reilly and Tom Munnelly (who passed away in 2007) were honored. They were added to the Irish Traditional Music Hall of Fame at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.

Discography

• John Reilly: The Rosin Box: John Reilly – sings Irish Tinker Ballads (Folktrax cassette FTX-175, 1975). ..... Tracks: Adieu Unto All True Lovers / The Raggle Taggle Gypsy / The Well Below the Valley / Tippin' it up to Nancy / Lord Baker / Old Caravee / The Bonny Green Tree / Once There Lived a Captain / Peter Heany / What Put the Blood? / Rozzin Box / The Braes of Strawblane / One Morning I Rambled from Glasgow / The Pride of Cloonkeen
• Various artists: Songs of the Irish Travellers (Pavee Point PPCD004, c. 2008). – John Reilly sings "John Reilly" and "Newry Mountain". (Reissue of European Ethnic Oral Traditions: Songs of the Irish Travellers, cassette, 1983).

Several songs from The Bonny Green Tree are also part of the 1998 Topic "Voice of the People" collection:

• Volume 3: O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green – Tragic Ballads (Topic TSCD 653) – John Reilly sings "The Well Below the Valley".
• Volume 7: First I'm Going To Sing You a Ditty – Rural Fun & Frolics – John Reilly sings "The Rosin Box"
• Volume 10: Who's That at my Bedroom Window? – Songs of Love & Amorous Encounters – John Reilly sings "Adieu To All true Lovers"
• Volume 15: As Me and My Love Sat Courting – Songs of Love, Courtship & Marriage – John Reilly sings "Old Carathee"
• Volume 17: It Fell on a Day, a Bonny Summer Day – Ballads – John Reilly sings "Lord Baker" and "Once There Lived a Captain"

See also

• Traditional Irish Singers
• Irish Traveller
• Tom Munnelly
• Christy Moore