Clefonaires Feature (1958-1964)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
The story of Sligo's Clefonaires
started in 1957 when a few lads in Tubbercurry started a skiffle
group to play at local dances. Like so many young musicians of the
era, it wasn't long before they realised they would have to up their
game to compete on the growing ballroom and showband circuit.
In 1958, they set about forming a
showband and they called themselves the Clefonaires. Based in
Tubbercurry, their original line-up was: Peadar Leonard (vocals),
Pearse Leonard (guitar), Sean Hunt (bass), Eddie Brennan (drums),
Sean Haran (accordion), Mickey Brennan (trombone), Bernie Brennan
(sax), Pauric Potter (clarinet and sax) and Carl Neilson
(RIP-trumpet). Bernie Brennan was the leader of the band and they
set about conquering the dance scene with an advert in the Irish
Independent newspaper which was a bold move for s small local band
at the time.
Within a few months, the "Clefs"
as they would eventually be called, were playing ballrooms across
the northwest including Mayo, Leitrim and Donegal (as well as
Sligo). They were being advertised as the Clefonaires 10 piece
Orchestra or Dance Band, having added Tony Doyle to the line-up. This
was an interesting time on the showband scene because promoters
hadn't really settled on what to call bands. Although the term
"showband" had first been used in 1956,
during the next few years terms like Orchestra, Dance Orchestra,
Dance Band, Band Show and others names were used interchangeably
depending on the venue and the crowd it attracted.
Their reputation continued to grow
during 1959 and they were traveling further afield with a gig in
Ennis on April 27th, 1959 and later that year their first date in Kerry in
the CYMS Ballroom in Killorglin on St. Stephens Night, 1959. The
dance was actually held on Sunday the 27th of December because back
in those days, dancing was banned on Saturday Nights, thanks to the
influence of the Catholic Church.
By 1960, the band had adopted a
new name, The Clefonaires Combo, but more often they were
being advertised as the Clefonaires Showband. The
band was now playing all across the country including many dates in
Dublin ballrooms like the Ierne and Crystal (the holy grail for
rural bands). They were also now an eight piece band. The band was
truly nationwide now and playing all the best ballrooms across the
country.
In late 1961, the band underwent a
major change in line-up and joined with several members of the Savoy
Swing Seven to form a new Clefonaires outfit (this may have been
when they started using the name "Combo"). New into the band were
Roddy Gillen (guitar), Noel Morrison (bass), Dominic Smyth (drums)
and local man Frankie Brennan (guitar). The band was now a seven
piece, more in line with the standard showband line-up at that
time. They were then being managed by Louis Chapman of Tubbercurry.
During 1962, the band continued to
play a blend of distant major ballrooms as well as local dances in
and around Sligo county and the West in general. Back in these early
days of the era, only the biggest bands got a chance to make record
and usually with English companies like HMV or Beltona. The first
ever showband record was made by the country's biggest band, The
Royal in late in 1962. It would be several years before showband
recordings were common place. In July, 1962, the band was reported
to have done a "test-track recording for a
Scandinavian recording company" but we don't think this was ever
released and consequently, the Clefonaires never
released a single.
At the same time, the band was
playing many of the biggest venues across the country including The
Palm Beach in Portmarnock, The Ierne in Dublin, the Cloudland in
Rooskey, the Las Vegas in Tuam, the Royal in Castlebar, Clery's
Ballroom in Dublin, The Eclipse in Ballyhaunis, The Astoria in
Bundoran, The Showboat in Youghal, the Danceland in Portlaoise,
Pontoon in Mayo, the Seapoint in Salthill (Galway), the Olympia in
Waterford, as well as dozens of carnivals which dotted the country
during the summer months. In May, 1962 the band undertook a tour of
the Irish clubs in England (as many bands did in those days).
In May, 1963, a small article in
the Sligo Champion announced the addition of two new members
to the band. Both from Derry, they were Bobby Tyson on vocals and
Bobby Browne on trumpet. We not 100% sure whether Bobby Browne
stayed with the band as the only photo we have of this line-up has
Billy Tyson with Michael Burns still on trumpet.
The band appears to have broken up
in early 1964 as the last reference we can find to them playing a
gig in Ireland was a dance in the Yeats Country Hotel in Rosses
Point on February 5th, 1964. At this point, we know Mickey Brennan joined the
Victors Showband based in Cork, Paraic Potter went to the
Ohio
Showband based in Tuam and Michael Burns would join the
Caroline
Showband based in Dublin. Later in the year Frankie Brennan
would join the new Dominoes Showband
based in Ballina.
In June, 1966, two ex-members of
the band, Roddy Gillen and Dominic Smyth, joined local balladeer
Donal McLynn as the resident cabaret act in the Baymount Hotel
(adjoining the Silver Slipper Ballroom). For the next few
years, Roddy and Dominic would provide the nightly music in the
cabaret room joined by other musicians including Liam Finan.
Eventually in the early 1970's Mickey Brennan and Pauric Potter
retired from the slog of the showbands and came back to Sligo where
they played with Roddy and Dennis Phelan in the Baymount initially
as "The Ladds" but they would eventually adopt the name the
Jazz
Ladds and have been playing to this day (as of late 2019).
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
