This article is from page 20 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 20 JPG
DESPITE the rain, hail and winds
they danced, played and sang in Kil-
rush at the weekend as visitors and
locals made the most of the Eigse
Mrs Crotty.
The public houses and workshops
were a place of refuge and entertain-
ment, as the crowds forgot one of the
wettest Augusts on record with the
help of an accordion, tin whistle or
bodhran.
The Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival is in
its 13th year and the traditional mu-
sic festival has grown to incorporate
music, singing and dancing work-
shops, a Mrs Crotty memorial con-
cert, singing sessions, recitals and a
vibrant session trail.
The five-day festival would not be
possible without the hard work of the
local committee and the influence of
the talented Mrs Crotty.
Born Elizabeth Markham in 1885
near Cooraclare, Mrs Crotty, was the
youngest of the large Markham fam-
ily. By the time of her death in 1960
she had become recognised as one of
Ireland’s foremost exponents of the
concertina
She married Miko Crotty and to-
gether they established Crotty’s Pub-
lic House in the Square, Kilrush. It
was from this House of Music that
Elizabeth Crotty’s reputation qui-
etly grew. Ciaran MacMathtna’s
first excursion to rural Ireland in the
1950’s with RTE’s mobile unit was
to record the talented woman for the
aba MmODON Len
Mrs Crotty was described as a
gentle and unassuming woman and
a natural musician who enjoyed a
unique mastery of the concertina.
It was said that people would seek
out her company and sit quietly cap-
tivated as she played. According to
the official website “what she loved
most of all was teaching and encour-
aging young musicians”.
The spirit of this inspiring woman
was well and truly in Kilrush this
weekend as young people learnt
from talented musicians and singers
as part of the many workshops.