THE EARLY YEARS

Craobh Seán Treacy was founded in 1970 in Moran's Hotel (now O'Shea's) at the corner of Talbot Street and Gardiner Street in Dublin's city centre. At that time, there were not many venues where traditional music could be heard. Comhaltas sessions were held by Clontarf Branch in the North Star Hotel and by the Piper's Club in 14 Thomas Street. The Bridge Street Club had finished and the Church Street Club, as far as I can remember, was ending its run in Church Street and was later to set up in Brú na nGael, North Great Georges Street. These were the only sessions where musicians could gather and play for a few hours at that time. Slatterys, in Capel Street, had good traditional music and song by artistes in a quiet atmosphere. The Old Triangle Folk Club in Lr. Mount Street, which was run by Gerard O'Grady and was mostly for singers, also gave a good ear to any musician or singer who called in. A tune was always welcome, any night of the week, in O'Donoghues Pub, Merrion Row. John Kelly and Joe Ryan played every Friday inside the door; Hughie McCormack and many others were regularly playing in the back room.

Craobh Seán Treacy was founded by a coming together of Stillorgan Branch with some members of Clontarf Branch. Stillorgan Branch had been formed a year or so previously, from the Old Blackrock Branch. Its members included Antóin Mac Gabhann, Mícheál Ó hAlmhain, Proinséas Ní Dhorchaí, Mary, Martha, and Antoinette Bergin, Gerry Byrne and John Regan. Sessions were held weekly in Glenalbyn Centre, but never really took off. Attendance was poor, and often only the musicians themselves were present. Rumour came our way that some musicians who had left Clontarf Branch were thinking of starting a new session - the Glackins, Havertys, Donncha Ó Muíneacháin, Helena Rowsome, Séamus ó Cearúill, Jim Brody and Pádraig Ó Murchú - and we had the bright idea of joining with them. While there were some misgivings about leaving our "out of town" base, there was general delight at the prospect of joining with them and running a successful session. In 1969, the Stillorgan Branch and Clontarf Branch members previously mentioned came together for that year's Oireachtas' Comórtas Cabaret competition; our cabaret, "Na Hippies ar Oileán Phádraig", came a close second to an excellent group from Carna, Conamara.

At first, the Club was not registered as a branch of Comhaltas, but formed as a music club called "An Beinsín Luachra". This was done so as not to cause any division or ill-will with Craobh Chluain Tairbh nearby in the North Star Hotel, Amiens Street. However, within about 6 months it was affiliated as a branch of Comhaltas. The Branch session was in full swing by late Summer, 1970. An old diary tells me that on September 4th, 1970, there was a great session with the Cliffords (Julia and her son Billy), while on September 11 another great session included Seán and James Keane.

Why was it called "Craobh Seán Treacy"? The reason was that our session venue in Moran's Hotel was only a few yards from the spot in Talbot Street where the Irish patriot Seán Treacy was shot. It was proposed and agreed that we call ourselves "Craobh Seán Treacy".

All our older members will remember with great fondness the sessions downstairs in Moran's Hotel. Those were the days of the Volkswagen - half the members seemed to have an old one - and they all parked around the traffic lights in Gardiner Street. The sessions were always good, the emphasis was on quality and tradition and Seán Haverty (usually), and Mícheál Murphy (sometimes) were unobtrusive as Fir-an-Tí. Apart from the musicians already mentioned in founding the Craobh, the weekly session also had many other regular attenders - some still with us, others having moved elsewhere - Paddy O'Brien (Co. Offaly), Leon and Liam Rowsome, Eddie Clarke, Johnny McNamara, Kevin O'Brien, Breda Tolan, Mick McGuane, Aoileann Ní Éigeartaigh, Peg McGrath, Kathleen Smith, Kit and Deirdre Hodge, John Naughton, Seán O'Dwyer, James Kelly, Des Leech, Rena Traynor …… Indeed, most followers of a tune in the Dublin area would have come to Morans at some time, and it was certainly a popular venue for visitors to the city on a Friday night. As well as the music, there was always a song from Phil McAvinue, Siobhán Nic Gearailt, Siney Crotty and Joe Broderick, and a few dances to let the listeners flex the legs - a Siege of Ennis, a Caidhp perhaps, or a Clare (Plain) set. You were sure of a step from Donncha Ó Muíneacháin and his many dancing friends, and Mícheál Murphy, Paddy King or Connie Ryan always had a set on the floor.

Among the well known visitors to the Branch in those early years in Morans were people such as Éamonn Coyne, Seán McNamara and Margaret Peakin and other Liverpool Céilí Band members, Kathleen and Mrs. Lawrie and other members of the Birmingham Céilí Band, Gus Tierney, Murt Curran, Joe Ryan, Bobby Casey, Cathal McConnell, Mícheál Hipkiss, Nora Butler, Joe Burke, Bobby Gardiner, Charlie and Ben Lennon, Kieran Collins, Seán O'Dwyer's mother and sister (excellent concertina players) and Jim McKillop.

Many too will remember our various Dinners and Outings: Annual Dinners in the Marine Hotel, Sutton (Feb. 71 and Feb. 72) and an outing in October, 1971 to Woodenbridge in the Vale of Avoca (Co. Wicklow). Later, the Annual Dinner was combined with the outing and many parts of the country were visited to meet up with local musicians. The best of these was probably to the Annally Hotel, Longford, where we would be joined by Longford, Leitrim and Roscommon musicians. I can remember one such year when I was staying at home in Co. Cavan for the weekend, hearing music coming over the rooftops in Longford Town long after the bus had left for Dublin, close to 3.a.m. I traced it to the carpark at the back of the Annally, and found Patsy Hanley and some friends in happy musical form. I quickly joined in and before long we were the cause of the lights in a lot of bedrooms in houses surrounding the carpark being turned on that night. In 1971 we took part in the Scoraíocht competition with "An Ceoltóir Fánach", with Connie Ryan as a very convincing corpse. (He was not always so quiet and still!). While we won the Leinster final, we were beaten in the All-Ireland Final that year.

Unfortunately, the sessions had to come to an end in Moran's Hotel (due to

re-construction /renovation. The last session took place in Moran's Hotel on 11th August, 1972. The Branch moved to the Four Courts Hotel on Inns Quay (near Church Street Corner). Not too many Branch Sessions were held there, as it was not very suitable as a venue. On 2 February, 1973 the session was moved to Árus Chraobh Liam Bulfin (Conradh na Gaeilge), Observatory Lane, Rathmines, where it was held each week until the following autumn. By November 2nd 1973 we had taken up residence in Club na Múinteoirí, Parnell square. The Sessions in Club na Múinteoirí were good, there was always some visiting musician to drop in along with our regulars, there was always a song and there was room for a dance. It was a good venue. While we had some lean periods due to a prolonged bus strike and to continuing bomb scares on the Dublin streets, we nevertheless had a happy and successful few years there which were good for the Branch.

When Cultúrlann na hÉireann, which we had all ardently worked for, became a reality in Spring, 1976, there was a request from Head-Office for Dublin Branches to move their sessions to An Cultúrlann in order to give it full support and to provide an active musical presence there. While the decision to move did not come easy on many members, nevertheless, the move was made and the session was then held every Friday night in the Sean Halla at the rear of the main Cultúrlann building. As Tom Glackin said at the time, "Now that we have a Building, it's no good if it isn't going to have music in it, and it's up to the Dublin Branches to provide the music". Our first session was held out there on 7 May, 1976. We took pride then in the fact that we were the first C.C.É. Branch to run a regular session in the Cultúrlann. Some months later the Pipers Club also moved their Saturday night session from Thomas Street to the Cultúrlann.

Over the next few years in Monkstown, Craobh Seán Treacy had even greater success and proved that it was undoubtedly one of the best branches in Comhaltas. A new era was beginning - ach sin scéal eile.