"The first thing that hit me when we walked in the door was  the smell. It was the smell of sweat, urine and feces. No amount of time spent in these facilities is safe for children."  USA TODAY, July 17, 2019.

Ed Pacht, Poet (2019). Composed while listening to "Lamento por los Niños en Jaulas" at the Moultonborough Library Poetry Reading, New Hampshire

Lament for the Children in Cages  (Migrant Children)

"Spirit of Winnipesaukee"  (©2017) was inspired from the view of
Lake Winnipesaukee from Poets in the Attic at Castle in the Clouds,
Moultonborough, New Hampshire, USA

Spirit of Winnipesaukee | Irish Uilleann Pipes

• This lament if dedicated to the memory of the 545 children who perished at the Kilkenny Union Workhouse during the Great Famine between the years of 1847 and 1851.
• Composed (©2018) and performed (©2018) by Jim McKenna.
• November 7, 2017, Jim's composition and performance of "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" was included in the Kilkenny Famine Experience Memorial audio visual tour.   http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/video/kilkenny-news/284437/watch-new-s-story-of-kilkenny-famine-experience.html 
• Jim McKenna is a multi-instrumentalist and composer.  http://www.youtube.com/c/Jim-McKenna-Uilleann-Pipes 
• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  ...decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine."  [The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Reversing the Silence after 150 Years (CABI, October 2017) | Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing (CABI, April 2018)].
• Jim's composition "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" used in a trailer for "The Great Famine Podcast Series"    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFE0NHC4TgU 
• Performs at the Musical Memorial at the Mother's Day Walk for Peace,  Louise D. Brown Peace Institute, Code Listen, Boston.  http://www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org/   http://www.codelisten.org/new-blog/ 
• Featured in two episodes of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. 
• Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest). 
• Folk Song Society of Greater Boston Annual Concerts. 
• Irish Connections Festival (Singers' Circle) & St. Brigid Festival, 
   Irish Cultural Centre, Canton, Massachusetts. 
• Irish Christmas Mass, St. Augustine Chapel, South Boston, Massachusetts. 
• Jim McKenna is a fifth generation Irish American. His ancestors, Daniel McKenna (Armagh) and Ann Callahan (Cork), had emigrated to Boston during the Irish Famine (An Gorta Mór) in 1850 and 1852 respectively.  Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan were married in Boston (Charlestown) on October 1, 1854.  Daniel, and his brother Neil, were two of the six founding members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Boston (American Society of Hibernians) on March 17, 1857.  This organization was formed "for the purpose of rendering assistance to the sick and disabled members of their society, and also of providing for the decent burial of the dead". 
• Jim's great granduncle from Drumkeeran Ireland, Thomas McPartlin, performed Irish traditional music on the banjo in Boston during the late 1800's.

Lament for the Children of the Kilkenny Workhouse | Uilleann Pipes

Wedding MP3s

Danny Boy (Pipes)

Composed and performed on Uilleann pipes by Jim McKenna.  [Demo]

Galloping Through the Meadow  | Irish Uilleann Pipes (Demo)

Flying Through "Moderate" Turbulence,  composed 2019 and performed by Jim McKenna, Uilleann Piper. (Demo)

Flying Through "Moderate" Turbulence | Uilleann Pipes (Demo)

This Lament "Lament for the Forgotten Irish of Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery" was composed and performed by Jim McKenna. http://www.youtube.com/c/Jim-McKenna-Uilleann-Pipes 

• Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery is a cemetery for mostly Irish immigrants who came to Boston during the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór).  Bill McEvoy and Jim McKenna both have many ancestors buried  at Catholic Mount Auburn.

• On April 29, 2021 Cambridge Public Library hosted a lecture entitled "The Forgotten Irish of Mount Auburn Catholic  Cemetery" in which Bill McEvoy discussed his recently published book entitled "Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery East Watertown, MA  by William A. McEvoy, Jr" https://mountauburn.org/catholic-mount-auburn-cemetery/

• Marc Gunn, Pub Songs & Stories 242

• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  ...decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine."  [The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Reversing the Silence after 150 Years (CABI, October 2017) | Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing (CABI, April 2018)].

Audio:  Melville Park Studio | Steve Friedman, Engineer | Boston.

Pub Songs & Stories

Lament for the Forgotten Irish of Catholic Mount Auburn Cemetery with narrator

• Jim McKenna is a multi-instrumentalist  & composer.  Members of Jim's family, Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan, had emigrated to Boston during the Irish Famine (An Gorta Mór) in 1850 (Armagh) and 1852 (Cork) respectively.   Daniel McKenna and Ann Callahan were married in Boston (Charlestown) on October 1, 1854.  Daniel and his brother Neil were two of the five founding members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Boston (American Society of Hibernians) on March 17, 1857 (Incorporated March 27, 1861). This organization was formed "for the purpose of rendering assistance to the sick and disabled members of their society, and also of providing for the decent burial of the dead". Jim's great great uncle from Drumkeeran Ireland, Thomas McPartlin, performed traditional music on the banjo in Boston during the late 1800's. 
• Dr. E. Moore Quinn wrote on the subject of the Irish Famine: "...a recently composed pipe lament by Jim McKenna entitled, 'Bridget O‘Donnel: A Victim of Famine'.  The latter decries the interlocking set of awful truths that existed behind the journalists' reports and images that were published in the mid-19th century about the Famine.", Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing and The Many Voices of Pilgrimages and Reconciliation, Reversing the Silence after 150 Years., Mansfield College, Oxford University, Publisher CABI (April 2018 & October 2017); and A Human Rights Pilgrimage in Ireland: Commemorating the Doolough Tragedy in the Twenty-First Century. Publisher Inter-disciplinary Publications, Oxford, England, (July 2015) 
• November 7, 2017, Jim's performance of his composition
"Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" was included in the soundtrack of the Kilkenny Famine Experience Memorial audio visual tour
• Composer of "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel: A Victim of Famine" https://youtu.be/ehhk2nMmMZU 
• Composer of "Lament for the Children of the Kilkenny Workhouse" https://youtu.be/Zj4nVq2H3wY 
• Composer of "Lamento por los Niños en Jaulas - Lament for the Children in Cages
• CelticMusicPodcast: http://celticmusicpodcast.com/2015/213-uilleann-pipes-on-the-giants-causeway/ 
• CelticMusicPodcast: http://celticmusicpodcast.com/2015/209-memorial-day/ 
_____________

• Jim's composition "Lament for Bridget O'Donnel" used in a trailer for "The Great Famine Podcast Series"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFE0NHC4TgU 
• Performed at the 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 Mother's Day Walk for Peace, Louise D. Brown Peace Institute, Code Listen, Boston http://www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org/  http://www.codelisten.org/new-blog/ 
• Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest) 
• 100 Thousand Poets & Musicians 2014, Exeter New Hampshire 
• Folk Song Society of Greater Boston Annual Concerts 
• Irish Connections Festival (Singers' Circle) & St. Brigid Festival, 
Irish Cultural Centre, Canton, Massachusetts 
• Irish Christmas Mass, St. Augustine Chapel, South Boston, Massachusetts

Lament for the Children in Cages (Migrant Children)

Jim McKenna

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