Keeping it reel – friends unite for unique album

The friendship between Máirín Fahy and Patsy Broderick stretches back to childhood, when they were members of the Ballinakill Junior Céilí Band, winning an All-Ireland U12 title with the group.

Máirín grew up in Ballinakill, Patsy in nearby Kilreekil. Both came from musical families and were immersed in the tradition from their earliest years – they still are.

It’s that love of music and of the area that shaped them that led these lifelong friends to collaborate on a new album, Galway to Fiji, which will be launched in Monroe’s Live on Saturday night, October 11.

With Máirín on fiddle and Patsy on piano, the album is a collection of compositions written by the late Fr PJ Kelly, who was born in nearby Woodford in 1926 and spent most of his life as a Columban missionary in Fiji as well as in Australia and Pakistan. He died in 2006.

In his early years abroad, Fr Kelly was only permitted to return to Ireland every seven years, the women recall, but later as rules eased, he visited more frequently.

Whenever he visited, one of his favourite ports of call was to the home of renowned fiddle player Aggie Whyte, Máirín’s aunt, where they would be joined by Agge’s sister Bridie Fahy (Máirín’s mother), as well as by many other local and visiting musicians.

“He was like a celebrity and word would get out when he was home,” Máirín recalls of these occasions which she and Patsy were lucky enough to attend.

These visits were important to an area steeped in music.

“There is such a wealth of music and composers in East Galway, but they were hugely modest. They came in from the fields, took down the fiddle and played,” Patsy says.

And among the finest of these local composers was Fr Kelly, who spent much of his life so far from home.

However, while some of his tunes are well-known and were recorded by groups such as De Dannan, others are not.  That’s why this album from this talented duo is so important.

When they think back to what inspired them to record it, Patsy and Máirín agree that Fr Kelly’s Favourites, a book of his tunes, transcribed and published by Brian Ryan in 2007 was key.

The work of notating Fr Kelly’s tunes had begun even earlier; in the 1960s, Máirín explains.

“Sr Declan Kelly, a nun in Loughrea, started it and Brian finished it.”

As it happens, Sr Declan was an aunt of Máirín’s husband, fellow musician Chris Kelly – the couple are well-known for the successful Trad on the Prom summer show in Leisureland. Máirín’s musical roots go deep, with her grandfather Tommy Whyte having been a founder of the Ballinakill Céilí Band in the 1920s, and her family being involved with it through the decades.

Along with Patsy, she was a member of the 1980s’ all-woman trad group, Macalla – they had a reunion gig at this year’s Dublin Tradfest.

Pictured: Máirín Fahy and Patsy Broderick vividly recollect Fr PJ Kelly's visits home and the music sessions at the home of Máirín's aunt, Aggie Whyte.