Richard Fitzgerald Ceili Band
Feature (1956-1970)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
Back in the mid-1950's, before the start of the showband era, the
people of rural Ireland were still dancing "at the crossroads" to a
variety of Ceili (also often spelled "Ceilidhe") bands.
Much earlier, Richard Fitzgerald, (Ritchie
as most friends and musicians knew him) had
started playing along with brother Barney in the family's cafe in
the West End of Bundoran and were soon joined by their neighbor Noel
Meehan, playing a wooden stool, as Ritchie told the story to Brian
Lawlor in 1999.
By the
early 1950's, Ritchie became famous as the leader (and accordionist)
with the Assaroe Ceili Band. Barney also joined him in the band. Richard (along with brother Barney and
sister Kathleen) was actually born in New Jersey, and came with his
parents to Bundoran, Co. Donegal around 1939.
In late 1955 Ritchie left the band and decided
to make a change. In 1954-55 the band had been advertised as
"Richard Fitzgerald's Assaroe Ceili Band. In March, 1956 he
formed his own band. The original line-up of the six piece Richard
Fitzgerald Ceili Band included: Ritchie (accordion), Barney
Fitzgerald (accordion and later keyboards), Kathleen Fitzgerald
(vocals), Noel Meehan (drums), Noel Scott (unknown) and Charlie
Lennon (fiddle).
In August of 1960, the band made
its first trip to the United States for a two-and-a-half month
tour which included extended dates in Irish centers in Chicago,
Cleveland, Detroit, New York, Boston and Philadelphia. They would
return in November. Around this time, they had added three new
members as Noel Scott and Charlie Lennon were gone and Mick Conway
(bass), Danny Fallon (fiddle) and P.J. Maguire (piano) had joined,
making the band a seven piece.
They would be very busy on their return and started playing regular
gigs in many of the top "Ceili and Old
Time" venues in the country including the Irish Club on Parnell
Square in Dublin. Although Ceili bands were rarely featured in
ballrooms once the showband era started (other than "special old
time night,") they almost always featured in the carnival and
festival tents which sprung up throughout the year as these
promoters always endeavored to provide "something for everyone."
Through the early 1960's the band
went from strength to strength despite the growing popularity of the
showbands. There was still an audience for good old Ceili music. In
1965, we know the band released both and album and single. The
single was "Wings Of A Dove," sung by Kathleen. By this time the
lineup had changed again with Peter Murphy on fiddle and John
McGarrigle (who would later join Larry Cunningham) on keyboards.
In 1966, it appears Kathleen
retired from the band and according to an advert in the Sligo
Champion, she was replaced by Veda Henry from Ballinfull. As the
1960's drew to a close it was obvious the Ceili world was shrinking
by the day and the band turned to a more country and western dance
set
In 1969, things changed
drastically for the band. A year earlier, Richard had applied for
planning permission and he began the process of building a chain of
music shops around the country starting with the restaurant they
owned in Bundoran.
This would become full time work as eventually there were seven
stores in Sligo, Castlebar, Letterkenny, Monaghan, Bundoran and 2 in
England. In the mean time, he left the stage and Barney took over
as the lone Fitzgerald in the band along with Sean Gallagher
(guitar), Jimmy Gallagher (bass), Noel Meehan (drums) and John
McGarrigle (keyboards/accordion).
By 1970 the band had changed
direction focusing on pop and country and now known as The
Fitzgeralds (even though Barney was the only one left in the band. They
released a single, "Signed, Sealed,
Delivered" featuring Sean.
Within a few months, Barney called it quits, but the band didn't
actually stop. The remaining members would draft a new guitarist in
Gerry McKiernan and hit the road as Sean Gallagher and the
Quarrymen. In most cases like this we consider the two bands to
be the same, however as there was no Fitzgerald in the line-up, we
consider it a new band.
Even though the Fitzgerald's called it quits, they would occasionally tour for many years after
as the Richard Fitzgerald Ceili Band. My first professional
"gig" was a week long tour of the
Irish Clubs around Manchester with Ritchie, Barney and the band in
1973. In 1978 I would go to work for Ritchie in Fitzgerald's Music
Centre in Sligo for over five years. His passing in 2007 was a sad day
for me as well as his many fans, friends and family in Ireland and
around the world.
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
