| The legendary Seán McGuire & Friends on his 70th birthday. Easter Monday 2005 will go down in my memory as the day we bade farewell to an Irish music legend. I refer, of course, to the great Belfast fiddle player Sean McGuire, who died at the age of 78. Leading musicians from all over Ireland and beyond gathered at his funeral in west Belfast to pay their last respects to this grand old man of music. A typically articulate tribute to him was spoken at the funeral Mass in St Luke's church, Twinbrook, by his old friend and musical associate, the equally legendary Co Galway accordionist Joe Burke. Burke, who had toured extensively with him nearly 40 years ago, recalled the impact which McGuire's early recordings had made on the Irish music scene on both sides of the Atlantic. "People were mesmerised by the brilliance of his technique and the skill of his playing," he said. "He introduced a new and fresh approach to traditional tunes and was a unique interpreter of the music. He was a born musician and a great communicator and, without question, his input and influence over the years has been enormous." In an engaging reference to McGuire's feisty personality, he added that "getting into an argument with Sean McGuire was an experience of a lifetime, not to be recommended". Joe rounded off his affectionate salute to his old pal by quoting two relevant lines from The Deserted Village by the Irish poet and playwright Oliver Goldsmith. "And still they gazed, and still the wonder ... |
