Courtney McGrailAn Poc ar Buile: The Life & Times of Seán Ó Sé
by Seán Ó Sé with Patricia Ahern (Collins Press, €17.99.
J. Anthony Gaughan
This is a delightful memoir by Seán Ó Sé, the nationally renowned singer, who was born destined to be a singer as well as a teacher.
Both he and his parents enjoyed singing, and the rendering of traditional songs in Irish and English was a feature of the soirees they attended. A close relative in fact trained as a professional singer. So the talent was in the blood.
Born on January 16, 1936 Seán attended Coomhola national school conducted by his parents, near Bantry. He continued his education at Coláiste Iosagáin in Irish-speaking Ballyvourney in west Cork. Thence to St Patrick’s Teacher Training College at Drumcondra in Dublin, where he qualified in June 1955.
Career
Subsequently he taught in the national school in Baltinglass from 1955 to 1956, the national school in Bandon from 1956 to 1962, and the cathedral school in Cork City from 1962 to 1980. Finally he served as principal of St Mary’s on the Hill national school in Cork until he retired in 1993.
Seán’s own career as a singer, which brought him fame, began when he won the traditional singing competition in Feis na Mumhan way back in 1959. The next important stage in his development was when he had lessons from John T. Horne, of the Cork School of Music.
Seán recalls how An Poc ar Buile became his signature song. He first heard it when attending Coláiste Iosagáin and was enchanted by it. Subsequently he chose it to be included in the first record he completed for Gael Linn. It became very popular and an essential part of his repertoire.
In listing his most memorable appearances at concerts, ‘gigs’, ‘sessions’ and other musical entertainments Seán provides a splendid overview of the Irish traditional song, music and dance scene across the last 50 years.
Central to it was Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Founded in 1951, it organised more than 40 annual fleanna ceóil, taught traditional music and dancing and promoted international concert tours by its members.
Seán was particularly indebted to its director general, Labhrás Ó Murchú, for much encouragement and support but for Seán the great talisman of the Irish tradition music scene was Seán Ó Riada, whose friendship and that of his family he continues to treasure. He expresses his pleasure that the influence of Ó Riada and his Ceoltóiri Chualann has been continued by groups such as The Chieftains.
Strangely, Seán refers neither to Fr Pat Aherne nor Riverdance. Fr Aherne co-founded and was the director of Siamsa Tire, a folk theatre, with a Teach Siamsa in Finuge and another in Corca Dhuibhne, and with these and concerts at home and abroad was enormously successful in popularising céilidhe music and dance.
Riverdance, composed by Bill Whelan, produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty and superbly presented by Michael Flatley, Jean Butler and their fellow dancers, was first performed in Dublin in 1994, and continues to ensure a world-wide appreciation of the merits of traditional Irish dance and music.
Seán writes about his happy family life and his struggle with cancer in recent years. There is more than a flavour of Daniel Corkery’s Hidden Ireland in this autobiography. Persons of his vintage will find it an accurate description of ‘the way we were’.
Throughout, Seán’s narrative is affirming, positive and upbeat. Clearly he is an exceptional singer but he must also have been an excellent teacher.