An appreciation: Makem a legend in Irish community, both local and afar

Thursday, August 2, 2007
An appreciation: Makem a legend in Irish community, both local and afar

By JOHN NOLAN
Rochester Times
jnolan@fosters.com



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DOVER — On hearing of the passing of musician Tommy Makem on Wednesday, Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland, said, "In life, Tommy brought happiness and joy to hundreds of thousands of fans the world over. Always the consummate musician, he was also a superb ambassador for the country, and one of whom we will always be proud."

Her glowing words, though, still understate reality, for Makem, through his music, poetry and stories, brought joy to millions.

Said Dublin-born Eugene Byrne, now a Dover resident and a fine musician in his own right, "Not one of us who play a note of Irish music on a guitar today would be playing if it wasn't for Tommy Makem, along with the Clancys. He gave us pride in our country and our culture. Bono (U2's lead singer) was influenced by him. Michael Flatley's new show, Celtic Tiger, has Four Green Fields in it."

Four Green Fields, symbolically representing the four provinces of Ireland, is a plea for Irish unity and one of Makem's most powerful and enduring compositions.

Byrne also paid tribute to Makem's stagecraft, and this aspect is borne out by Kevin O'Shea who served as Tommy's agent for a dozen years.

O'Shea recalls in the mid-1990s, Tommy Makem being the final act on the last day of the Newport Irish Festival in Rhode Island.

The weather was foul, the remains of the crowd were toughing it out in the rain, and the schedule was running late. Then, at around 7:30 p.m., when Tommy Makem got up to the mike, all the power went out.

"He stood aside, and without any of the technology that most performers need, but just with sheer personality and his banjo, he held the crowd spellbound. He was gifted at making that connection. Not a handful of musicians can do that," said O'Shea.

Liam Clancy, with whom Makem toured in the 1970s and 1980s, said on his message board, after learning the news of Makem's passing, "He was a friend and partner-in-song for over 50 years. We shared a hunk of our lives together. We were a hell of a team. Tommy was a man of high integrity, honesty, and, at the end, courage. Our paths diverged at times but our friendship never waned. His death has left a void that cannot be filled. A great entertainer has left us."

The musical chat room, www.mudcat.org, which is accessed by musicians and traditional music lovers across the world, is currently awash with tributes to Makem, and testifying to his enormous cultural influence and legacy.

In the past few weeks, musicians from throughout the region came to visit Makem in his Dover nursing home — including the Shaw Brothers, Schooner Fare and Gordon Bok.

His influence has been truly international, though, and embraced an astonishing range of situations, from an audience with the pope, while in Rome, to performing at the Playboy Mansion. He has also commanded the respect of entertainers outside the world of Irish music. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds recorded a track with Tommy Makem in recent years, and his son, Conor Makem, recalls the time he was walking in New York City with his dad, when a passer-by spoke a friendly, "Hi, Tommy."

"Hi, Bruce," replied Tommy Makem in an equally friendly and casual tone to Bruce Springsteen.