Paddy Canny facts for kids

Paddy Canny (born 1919 – died 28 June 2008) was a famous Irish fiddle player. He played music for over sixty years. Paddy helped make Irish traditional music popular in Ireland and around the world.

He first became well-known in the late 1940s. He was a founding member of The Tulla Céilí Band. This band first played on RTÉ Radio in 1948. By the late 1950s, they were one of the best céilí bands in Ireland.

Paddy won the All Ireland fiddle championship in 1953. He also played on an important album in 1959. It was called All-Ireland Champions: Violin. Even though he stopped playing for big crowds in 1965, he came back briefly in the 1990s. He recorded his own album, Paddy Canny: Traditional Music from the Legendary East Clare Fiddler. Many people loved this album.

Paddy Canny's Life Story

Early Life and Learning Music

Paddy Canny was born in 1919. His home was in Glendree, a small area in County Clare. He was the youngest son of Pat Canny and Catherine MacNamara.

His father, Pat Canny, was a well-known local fiddle player. He taught the fiddle to all three of his sons. These were Paddy, Mickie, and Jack. Paddy also learned from a blind fiddle teacher named Paddy McNamara. This teacher would stay with the Canny family in winter. He would give lessons right in their home. By the time he was a teenager, Paddy was playing music. He performed at local outdoor dances, céilís, and weddings.

Starting the Tulla Céilí Band

In 1946, Paddy and some other musicians started a band. They called it the Tulla Céilí Band. They formed the band at Minogue's Bar in the town of Tulla. Other members included fiddler P.J. Hayes, pianist Teresa Tubridy, and accordion player Joe Cooley.

The band quickly became popular. They won first prize at a music festival in Limerick. In 1948, they played on the radio for the first time. In the next ten years, the band started competing in the All Ireland competitions. They had a friendly competition with the Kilfenora Céilí Band. Kilfenora won the competition in 1954 and 1955.

In 1956, Tulla tied with Kilfenora in a competition in Munster. But they lost by a small amount in the All Ireland final. However, Tulla won first place the next year, in 1957. They won again in 1960.

Touring and Recordings

In 1958, the Tulla Céilí Band toured Britain and the United States. They gave a memorable performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. This famous show was on St. Patrick's Day.

The Tulla Céilí Band recorded five songs in 1956. They released their first full album, Echoes of Erin, in 1958.

Personal Achievements and Later Years

Paddy Canny won the All Ireland fiddle championship on his own in 1953. In 1961, he married Philomena Hayes. She was the sister of his bandmate, P.J. Hayes.

Both Paddy and P.J. Hayes played on the 1959 album, All-Ireland Champions: Violin. This was one of the first big commercial recordings of traditional Irish music. Paddy's version of the song "Trim the Velvet" became very famous. It was the main tune for a long-running radio show called A Job of Journeywork.

By the mid-1960s, Paddy decided to leave the band. He felt that the band's busy schedule took too much time away from his farm. He considered farming his main job. So, he left the band in 1965.

In the early 1990s, Paddy Canny returned to playing music for the public. He appeared on an album called Traditional Music From Clare and Beyond. In 1997, he finally released his first solo album. It was called Paddy Canny: Traditional Music from the Legendary East Clare Fiddler. The Irish Times newspaper named it the best traditional album of that year.

Paddy Canny passed away on June 28, 2008. His wife, Philomena, had passed away before him. He was survived by his two daughters, Mary and Rita. His nephew, Martin Hayes, is also a famous fiddle player. Martin has won the All Ireland fiddle championship six times. He continues to record and perform traditional Irish music today.

Paddy Canny's Recordings

• All-Ireland Champions: Violin (1959) – This album featured Paddy Canny along with P.J. Hayes, Peadar O'Loughlin, and Bridie Lafferty. It was later re-released as An Historic Recording of Traditional Irish Music from County Clare and East Galway.
• Traditional Music From Clare and Beyond (1996)
• Paddy Canny: Traditional Music from the Legendary East Clare Fiddler (1997)
• Meet Paddy Canny (2004)