Background
In May, Clare Museum launched an exhibition on the Liverpool Céilí Band – a band that had strong roots in county Clare. It is the first temporary exhibition the museum had mounted in some time, as previously there was no space for one while Covid-19 kept the museum closed for long periods in 2020 and 2021. The exhibition was mounted in a corner of the Tourist Office.
The origin of the exhibition dates back a couple of years when John Kennedy, from Liverpool, approached Clare Museum about a donation of medals and trophies won by his mother, Maire Kennedy (nee White), in Clare before her emigration to Liverpool in 1959. John is the current drummer on the Liverpool Céilí Band, and on one of his visits to the museum in 2023, John took Ray Rooney with him. Ray, a fellow Liverpudlian of Irish descent, had written The Spirit of the Reels: The story of the famous Liverpool Céilí Band which was published in 2019.
For those who don’t know, a céilí is a gathering for Irish traditional dancing, and a céilí band is a group of musicians that plays for the dancers. They often feature fiddles, flutes, piano, drums, accordions and bodhráns.
‘The Spirit of the Reels’, a history of the band by Ray Rooney, inspired the exhibition.
The Liverpool Céilí Band
The Liverpool Céilí Band band won the Oireachtas céilí band title in 1962 in the Mansion House, Dublin and were All-Ireland Champions in 1963 and 1964. They had a strong Clare influence, with founder member Seán McNamara’s father coming from near Kilmihil. Seán was evacuated to Kilmihil during the Second World War and from his teenage years he was playing music in the ‘house dances’ of the area. Fellow founding member, Eamon Coyne, accompanied Sean on many of these occasions. Together they picked up many local tunes and were influenced by the Clare style of fiddle playing, so much so in fact, that they became known as a ‘Clare band’ in Ireland. Consequently, they were regular visitors to the county and were highly regarded in traditional Irish music circles. Following a discussion about the book and the history of the band, the conversation turned to the possibility of an exhibition of the large number of images from their photographic archive.
John Boyd, Ray Rooney and his wife Maire, daughter of Seán McNamara
Some photographs and caption from the exhibition.
Curating and preparing the exhibition
There were some problems with the museum hosting such an exhibit though. A staff shortage meant that the museum could not research and put it together, and the lack of dedicated temporary exhibition space meant that it could not be a large exhibition. However, we overcame this when Ray agreed to curate the exhibition, and we identified a space for its display in the corner of the Tourist Office near de Valera’s Dodge car.
The curator gave the Ray some advice:
- Ray should select the images he wants to use and make copies of them for the exhibition. It is important to protect the original copies.
- Write the captions. When considering what to write, discuss the sights, sounds, atmosphere and the feelings that each photograph brought back. Stories and anecdotes are useful as it gives meaning to the visitor.
In May, in time for the Fleadh Nua in Ennis, the exhibition was mounted by Ray and his wife Maire, with photographs and ready-made captions. Maire is the daughter of Seán McNamara, one of the founding members of the band. Many of the photographs featured the band at the Ceol Kilmihil festival in the 1970s and at the Fleadh Nua in Ennis. John Boyd, a local traditional signwriter, provided a ‘Liverpool Céilí Band’ sign for the exhibition along with some musical instruments. These instruments, drumsticks and some records, were placed inside portable showcases the museum uses for temporary exhibits.
The opening.
The opening
The exhibition was officially launched at the museum by the Mayor of Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Pat Daly, on Wednesday 29th May. Some of the band members attended, playing a few tunes. The night before, the Liverpool Céilí Band had played a concert to mark the 50th anniversary of Fleadh Nua in Ennis.
Public reaction
A visitor’s book was included, and it encouraged people to write down their memories of the band. One lady, from Clare commented:
Great memories of dancing to [the] Liverpool Band in Kilmihil and in Cahermurphy at Michael Conway’s
Another from a Liverpudlian:
I was lucky enough to know and play with Seán and Eamonn back in the day, 80s/90s at the ‘Old Irish Centre’, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool. Sunday/Monday sessions in the bar and Tuesday supper Céilí night, great times, never forget.
Another, from a Clarewoman:
I remember the Liverpool Céilí Band playing in Fairgreen during Fleadh Nua. I especially remember their lilting tunes and lively music.
Conclusion
The collaboration was a great success. Those who knew the history of the Liverpool Céilí Band were enabled to put the exhibition together and to tell the story they wanted to tell. It was a way for Clare Museum to overcome staffing limitations, which thankfully, have been resolved now.
The exhibition was also a great success, as it was popular with the public who are always attracted to photographic exhibitions, as people are interested to see if they know those captured in them.