Joe Cooley (1924–1973) was one of the great masters of traditional Irish music on the button accordion. Cooley was born in Peterswell, Galway and began playing accordion as a child tutored by his parents. As he grew older he was regularly employed throughout the west of Ireland and in Dublin, performing arduous labor as was typical of the time. In Dublin he met Sonny Brogan and Johnny Doran and it is likely they influenced his music.

He was later recruited to join the Tulla Ceili Band and a recording of him can be heard on copies of the 1975 album "Cooley" on one of the tracks playing reels including "The Ships are Sailing" and "The Morning Star". Tony MacMahon, who idolized Cooley, picked this individual track because he thought it accurately shared Cooley's massive impact on the band's sound. The Tulla later went on to win multiple All-Ireland Medals and other awards.

In the 1950's Joe left Ireland, first visiting London and then leaving for America. He spent time in Boston (whose Comhaltas branch still bears his name [Reynolds-Hanafin-Cooley]), New York, Chicago, and eventually San Francisco, where he stayed for some time. He was rarely without his musical partner Kevin Keegan during these travels.

In 1973 Joe was severely ill with cancer. He toured and made several recordings for which we have Tony MacMahon and Des Mulkere to thank. Since he has influenced many great accordion players and is still, to my ear, unparalleled among boxplayers in his ability to combine emotion and wildness in his music.

I was given this recording with the hope that it would be shared. This seems like a good medium in which to do so.

Joe Cooley: Apples in Winter (jig)

Copperplate Podcast 292                                        
                               presented by Alan O'Leary 
                                            April 2024                                         
                            www.copperplatemailorder.com

1. Danu:  The Garsun Who Beat His Father.  All Things Considered
2. Mulcahy Family: John Kelly’s/Rip The Calico/New Line to Loughane. The Reel Note. 
3 Macalla: Cobbler’s/ Strop the Razor. Women of Ireland
4. Cillian Vallely & David Doocey: Eilis Kennedy:   The Worcester Reel/St Ruth’s Bush/Gay Cassidy’s. The Yew & The Orchard
5. Eilis Kennedy: The Saucy Sailor.  Westward
6. Michelle Mulcahy:    Scatter the Mud/An Buachallain Bán/The Sweet Note.  Lady on the Island
7. Danu:   The Connemara Hornpipe/The Leverette.     10,000 Miles
8. John Carty & Mike McGoldrick:  
             Kelly’s Grove/Lilt of the Landscape.    At Our Leisure 
9. Nioclás Tóibín:   Cití na gCummann.  Amhráin Aneas
10. Crawford/Farrell/Doocey:  Kilmurray’s Flags.   Music & Mischief  
11. Mick O’Brien & Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh: The Lass of Carracastle/The Morning Dew/Geese in the Bog.   Deadly Buzz 
12. Peter Horan & Gerry Harrington: 
       The Corkin Cross Polka/The Lakes of Sligo/Memories of Ballymote.   Fortune Favours the Brave
13. Goitse:  Green Fields of Canada. Rosc                                                                                                                                                                              
14. The Outside Track:   Hurry Up & Wait.   Light Up the Dark
15. Open the Door for Three: The OlChurch Hill. The Joyful Hour

Copperplate Podcast 292

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Album released 30th of April.



Copperplate Podcast 292

Alan OLeary

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