В Киллере отметили 127-ю годовщину смерти слепого пипера Гарретта Барри

The legacy of one of Clare’s most influential traditional musicians, the blind piper Garrett Barry, is in good hands, with his descendants and music lovers coming together recently to mark the 127 year anniversary of his passing. Born in the height of the Great Famine in 1847, Barry helped shape the traditional music that is played across Clare and Ireland today. While no recordings of Barry’s playing still exist, several well-known tunes are associated with him including Garrett Barry’s Jig, Garrett Barry’s Reel and Garrett Barry’s Mazurka. Barry, who was born in the townland of Kylea just outside of Inagh, was also said to have been a friend and playing partner of Gilbert Clancy. Twenty-two years his senior, Garrett Barry is thought to have had a big influence on Clancy, who in turn was a massive influence on his son, the great Willie Clancy. One of those helping to keep his memory alive is his great-great grandnephew, Noel Barry. While there is no recording of Garrett Barry’s playing style, Noel believes that it has been passed down through the generations to today’s players. “I think it is the older piping style,” he said. “People who are more knowledgeable than me would be able to pick up different styles, but there is mention of an older piping style that was passed down through Willie Clancy’s father, Gilbert Clancy. “He is said to have inherited that older piping style and, in turn, that would have likely been passed on to Willie Clancy. “Garrett Barry and Willie Clancy’s father Gilbert were shown to have been pretty good friends.” Over the years many different organisations have paid tribute to Garrett Barry, including Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. “There has been a number of memorials over the years. Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy has put a lovely memorial up in the Inagh cemetery,” said Noel. “In 2016, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann unveiled a plaque on the actual building where Garrett Barry is believed to have been born in Kylea. “I think it is important to mark the anniversary of his passing again. Many people have a great interest in traditional music, especially in Clare. Clare is famous for this music.” The life of Garrett Barry is surrounded in some mystery. It is not clear, for example, if he was born blind or if his blindness developed at a later date. It is also not clear if the tunes that bear his name were composed by him, or written about him by other people. It is also not clear exactly where Garrett was buried. One story passed down by relative Danny Callaghan is that he was buried in the grave of a cousin in Inagh cemetery. This may have taken place because his sister-in-law had been buried in the family plot in the years shortly before Garrett’s own death, and burial arrangements at the time often depended on what space was available. Some local accounts also suggest that Garrett Barry became somewhat distant from his immediate family in his later years, but this is also not clear. “When it comes to his later years, there are different accounts of what might have happened,” said Noel. “Some accounts suggest that he became distant from his family, but if you look at the work that historian Howard Marshall has done, he notes several instance where members of his family were involved. “One instance is when his family brought the pipes to the Ennistymon infirmary during his illness. He was residing in Kylea prior to being admitted to the infirmary. “He had mouth cancer. That can’t have been very pleasant. It is likely that the advanced stages of that would have required advanced care, so maybe that is one of the reasons why he was in the Ennistymon infirmary in his final years. “There are other accounts of family involvement as well. Howard Marshall notes the involvement of people like Michael Callinan, who was a local gravedigger and a brother in law of Garrett Barry’s nephew.” Garrett Barry passed away on April 6, 1899. Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.