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)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Copperplate Time 471 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; presented by Alan O'Leary &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   1. Bothy Band:&nbsp; Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill. &nbsp;&nbsp;After Hours 2. Reeltime: &nbsp;Master McDermott’s/The Plough &amp; The Stars/Dillon Brown.&nbsp; Reeltime3. Drunken Gaugers: Doherty’s/Munster Reel/The Hare’s Paw.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Drunken Gaugers 4. Andy Irvine/Patrick Street: My Son in America. Live from Patrick Street 5. Sorcha Costello:Old Torn Petticoat/The Primrose Lass/Heather Breeze.The Primrose Lass&nbsp; 6. Sharon Newton Creasey: The Ghost’s Welcome/Big Pat’s Reel/The Doga Among the Bushes/Sean sa Cheo.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Auchensail 7. Danu: The Kinnegad Slashers/Young Tom Ennis/The Battering Ram. &nbsp; All Things Considered 8. Leonard Barry:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mount Pheobus Hunt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New Road  9. Dervish:&nbsp; Boots of Spanish Leather. Spirit 10. Kane Sisters: The Road to Glin/The Low Road to Glin/The Whistler of Rosslea. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Under the Diamond11. Raymond Roland &amp; Bobby Casey:&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Road to the Goleen. Trad Music from Galway &amp; Clare 12. David Power &amp; Willie Kelly:&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bimis ag Ól/The Yellow Wattle. Apples in Winter&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  13. Ron Kavana:&nbsp; Galway to Graceland.&nbsp;&nbsp; Galway to Graceland 14. Johnny Og Connolly: The Keel Row/Barndance Gan Ainm.&nbsp; Fear Inis Bearachain  14. James Morrison &amp; John&nbsp; McKenna:The Tailor’s Thimble/The Red Haired Lass.Trad Irish 78s  15. Mary Dillon/Deanta: Where Are You Tonight? &nbsp;Whisper of a Secret16. Seamus Ennis: &nbsp;The Trip We Took Over the Mountain.&nbsp; The Pure Drop  17. Daithi Gormley:&nbsp; Cottage in the Grove/Finbarr Dwyer’s/Morrison’s Duke of Leinster. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fiddling Without A Bow 18. Paul Brennan:&nbsp; My Bonni Blue Eyed Lassie.&nbsp; Airs &amp; Graces 19. The Bucks:&nbsp; &nbsp;Dancin’ to the Ceili Band.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dancin’ to the Ceili Band 20. Bothy Band:&nbsp; Green Groves/Flowers of Red Hill. &nbsp;&nbsp;After Hours

Copperplate Time 471

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Album released 30th of April.



Copperplate Time 471

Alan OLeary

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