Musicians Directory: In Memory

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It is a sad fact that we are all getting older far too quickly. Since the Showband Era started 45 years ago, many of the musicians who made up it's ranks are advancing in age. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to the many stars on whom the curtain has come down all too soon.  

If you would like pay tribute to someone by adding them to this list, click here to let us know. If the last name is highlighted, click on it for more info! We are trying to get photos of all musicians here. Please let us know if you have one, we especially would like photos from the showband era.

Photo	Last, First	Home Town	Instrument(s)	Bands
	Eagleton, Kevin	Tuam, Co. Galway	Vocals	Paramount Showband (Kevin's daughter, Eileen, wrote to tell us that he sadly passed away on May 2, 2003 at the age of 63 due to complications from a brain aneurysm in San Francisco, California)
	English, Jimmy*		Bass/Fiddle	Des Smith & The Collegemen (sadly passed away)
	Fahy, Jerry*	Tuam, Co. Galway	Vocals	Jerry Fahy & The Fleet (Jerry sadly passed away-John Baird) Jerry was also the drummer with the Niagra Showband. After the Fleet he emigrated to Canada where he formed a country band called Branded Man. He was tragically killed in a car accident while living in Canada. (From John Baird).
	Falahee, Mick	Limerick	Sax	Berwyn Showband, Donie Collins Band (Mick sadly passed away)
	Fallon, Bernie	Sligo, Co. Sligo	Drums	St. Mary's Ceili Bandshow, Smokey Mountain Ramblers, Rocky Tops (Bernie sadly passed away on 23rd October, 2007) Bernie was an original member and drummer with The Smokey Mountain Ramblers and The Rocky Tops. He started his career playing with the St. Mary's Ceili Bandshow before joining Pat Ely's band in the mid 1960's, along with long time band mate Tommy Higgins. After leaving the showband scene in the early 70's Bernie played the Sligo pub scene for many years before retiring from playing several years ago.
	Farrell, Paddy*	Laytown, Co. Westmeath	Guitar	Dermot O'Brien's Clubmen, Dee Jays Showband (sadly Paddy passed away)
	Faulkner, Jimmy	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Guitar	Floating Dublin Blues Band, Session musician (sadly Jimmy passed away March 4, 2008) Although never in  showband, Jimmy was one of Ireland's finest guitar players. He started out on the Dublin group scene in the late 1960's but soon gravitated towards jazz and traditional music. He played on albums and toured with a wide variety of artists including Paul Brady, Christy Moore, Ronnie Drew, Don Baker, and many more.
	Fay, Cel*	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Trumpet	Senators Showband (sadly Cel passed away - Mike McVicker)
	Fearon, Brian	Dungannon, Co. Tyrone	Bass	Brendan Hughes & The Huskeys (Brian sadly passed away - Colum McCaffrey)
	Fennessey, Frank	Clonmel, Co. Tipperary	Keyboards	Tommy Weston Dance Band (Frank sadly passed away - John Ryan)
	Finlay, Brian*	Co. Cavan	Drums	Mighty Avons (Brian sadly passed away in December, 2002)
	Fisher, Sammy*	Ramelton, Co. Donegal	Guitar	Envoys Showband (Sammy sadly passed away)
	Fitzgerald, Richie	Bundoran, Co. Donegal	Accordion	Richie Fitzgerald Ceili Band (Richie sadly passed away in February, 2007) Along with Dermot O'Brien, Richie was one of the true stars of the Irish entertainment scene before the domination of the showbands in the 1960's. Along with his sister Kathleen, he was also one of the top recording stars of the Ceili era in the 1950's. After leaving the road, Richie opened the popular Fitzgerald's Music Centres, of which there were nine across Ireland and England in the 1980's. He continued to perform with his brother Barney from time to time until his passing.
	Fitzpatrick, Paul	Newry, Co. Down	Keyboards	Dreams (20 year old Paul was killed in a motorcycle accident-Sept, 1979) Paul had been keyboard player and vocalist with the Newry based pop band, The Dreams for two and a half years and was a promising young talent on the music scene in the North. He was killed on his motorcycle at Meigh, Co. Armagh.
	Fleming, Howard	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Sax	President's Showband (Howard's daughter Paula Tierney emailed us to say Howard sadly passed away in February, 2008)
	Fleming, Victor		Trombone	Clipper Carlton Showband (Victor sadly passed away)
	Flynn, Brendan	Tuam, Co. Galway	Sax	Johnny Flynn Showband (John Baird tells us Brendan sadly passed away)
	Flynn, Johnny	Tuam, Co. Galway	Keyboards	Johnny Flynn Showband, Johnny Flynn Sound (Johnny sadly passed away)
	Fogarty, Mick	Cashel, Co. Tipperary	Trumpet - Band Leader	Mick Fogarty Showband, Southern Stars (Mick sadly passed away)
	Frawley, John*	Limerick, Co. Limerick	Vocals	Monarchs Showband (passed away June 27, 1989) John was a male nurse before joining the Monarchs in 1963. He was born in 1942 and grew up in Limerick and Dublin. He sang at his first concert when he was 11 and came from a very musical family. He sadly passed away in 1989 at the age of only 47. As far as we know, he only released one single with the Monarchs, Pearly Shells, in 1967.
	Frieberg, Carl		Sax	Mick Delahunty Orchestra (Cyril sadly passed away February 27, 2008 - Sandra Clancy)
	Fullard, Cyril	Tuam, Co. Galway	Sax	Galway Blazers, Raindrops, Philosophers, Olly Maloney Showband (Cyril sadly passed away February 27, 2008 - Sandra Clancy)
	Fuller, Bill	Kilflynn, Co. Kerry	Manager	Crystal Ballroom, Town & Country Club, Old Sheiling Hotel (all in Dublin), Atlantic Ballroom (Tramore), Teach Furbo (Spiddal).   (Bill sadly passed away at age 91 in Santa Monica, CA) At one point he owned 23 ballrooms across Ireland, England and the US including the famous Filmore West in San Francisco. He was also a concert promoter including people like Billie Holiday and Jerry Lee Lewis and he was a major promoter of Irish acts in Las Vegas where he lived at one time.
	Furlong, Clem		Keyboards?	Mick Delahunty Orchestra (Clem sadly passed away - John Ryan)
	Gaffney, Peter		Sax	Mick Delahunty Orchestra (Peter sadly passed away - John Ryan)
	Gallagher, Davy			Paddy Cole Superstars (Davy sadly passed away  - Eugene McColgan)
	Gallagher, Francie*	Stewartstown, Co. Tyrone	Drums	Malachy Doris Trio (Francie sadly passed away - Eddie Doris)
	Gallagher, Jimmy*	Derry, Co. Derry	Sax	Lakewood Swingtette, Mighty Rhythm Boys (Jimmy sadly passed away -John Baird)
	Gallagher, Johnny	Donegal		Margo and the Keynotes (Johnny passed away in early May, 2005)
	Gallagher, Rory	Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal	Guitar/Vocals	Fontana Showband, (became Impact Showband) (sadly passed away in 1995)
	Gavin, Seamus	Castlebar, Co. Mayo	Bass	Brose Walsh Orchestra (passed away in February, 1998)
	Geraghty, Martin	Kilbride, Co. Meath	Guitar/Vocals	Ian Corrigan and Country Style, Mighty Avons (we received an email from Catriona Donnelly telling us the sad news that Martin passed away on July 13, 2009)
	Geraghty, Tony*	Kimmage, Co. Dublin	Guitar	Miami Showband (killed by terrorists on July 31, 1975)
	Gilmore, Colm	Kircubbin, Co. Down	Vocals	Colm & the Sundowners (Colm's niece Aine, wrote to let us know that Colm sadly passed away August 19, 1997)
	Glover, Dave	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Trumpet	Bob Robison Band, Dave Glover Showband (Dave sadly passed away age 85 on 27th April, 2009) Dave was a legend in the North where he was one of the top band leaders from the 50's through the showband era. He has said he was the first to coin the term "showband." He was married to Muriel Day, who appeared in the Eurovision for Ireland in 1969. Dave continued to play regularly with his own jazz band till a year before his death. .
	Graham, Ernie*		Guitar/Vocals	Telstars, The People, Eire Apparent (sadly passed away in 2001 - M.Niblett)
	Griffin Liam		Drums	Johnny Quigley All Stars (Liam sadly passed away on the 26th of February, 1992 - Philip Walker)
	Gunner, Jim	Wexford, Co. Wexford	Guitar	Dave Glover Showband, Swingtime Aces (a.k.a. George Hesse - sadly passed away)
	Hafford, Tommy		Trumpet	Mick Delahunty Band (sadly passed away in May, 2002)
	Halferty, Jimmy	Lavey, Co. Derry	Trombone/ Guitar	Green Angels, Swingtime Aces (Jimmy's Granddaughter, Claire McLaughlin, wrote to tell us Jimmy sadly passed away April 9, 1991)
	Hamilton, Sean*		Bass	Plattermen (sadly passed away on July 19, 2003)
	Hand, Jim		Manager	Capitol Showband, Dermot O'Brien and the Clubmen, Cahir O'Doherty and the Dazzle band, Fureys. (sadly passed away June 16, 1975) Jim, died aged 64 following a long illness, was the guiding light behind many of the country's best known entertainers. He managed the Dubliners, the Capitol Show band and the Fureys. Originally from Drogheda, he was a twin brother of the late Sunday Independent editor Michael Hand.
	Hannon, Frankie	Tuam, Co. Galway	Drums	Johnny Flynn Showband (sadly passed away June 16, 1975)
	Hanratty John	Walterstown, Co. Louth	Sax	George Duffy Orchestra (sadly passed away - Tom McCaffrey)
	Harkin, Brian	Derry, Co. Derry	Vocals	Mighty Avons, Brian Harkin & The Plainsmen (Brian sadly passed away on January 28, 1991)
	Harper, Kevin		Sax	Avonairs Showband (Kevin sadly passed away - Liam O'Reilly)
	Harrington, Robert	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Guitar	Irish Travellers (Robert sadly passed away-Tom Greeley)
	Harrison, William	Derry, Co. Derry	Unknown	Statesiders Showband (William was sadly killed in an auto accident on the way home from a gig on November 21, 1964 with four other members of the band. The Statesiders band was devastated and never reformed-John Baird)
	Haussman, Benno*	Cork, Co. Cork	Drums	Regal Showband, Arrivals Showband (Benno was tragically killed in a boating accident)
	Haverty, Pascal	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Sax	Virginians, Billy Brown Superband, Chessmen (Pascal sadly passed away March 14, 2008)
	Healy, John*		Trumpet	Savoy Swing Seven (John sadly passed away)
	Henchel, Horst*	Germany	Sax	Odeon Showband, Mick Delahunty Orchestra (Horst sadly passed away)
	Higgins, Francie*	Tuam, Co. Galway	Sax	Swingtime Aces, Raindrops. Big Time Showband (sadly passed away)
	Higgins, Gerry	Co. Dublin	Vocals	Deep Set, Creoles, Chimes, Caroline Crew (passed away in 2002)
	Hutchinson, Brendan*	Omagh, Co. Tyrone	Vocals	Navak Showband, Lightning Express (Brendan, Shay's brother, sadly passed away - John Baird)
	Hutchinson, Shay*	Omagh, Co. Tyrone	Vocals	Melody Aces (Shay sadly passed away January 17, 2004)
	Inglesby, Gene	Trim, Co. Meath	Banjo/Guitar	Cotton Mill Boys, Nevada (Gene sadly passed away January 4, 1990)
	Irvine, George	Derry, Co. Derry	Vocals	Hawgs Showband, SOS, Friends Showband (George passed away in 2001, aged 48-Leslie Thompson)
	Isdell, Fred*	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Bass	Dominoes, The Group (passed away in 2004)
	Ivory, Tom*	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Manager	Olympic Ballroom, Dublin (sold the ballroom in 1972) (passed away in 1983) Tom purchase the ballroom in the late 1940's after the roof had collapsed under a fall of snow. Ho owned the landmark ballroom until 1972. It is now a block of apartments/office space. Our thanks to Tom Ivory Jr. for the info about his Dad.
	Jack, Cecil	Ballymagory Strabane, Co. Tyrone	Vocals and Guitar	Enabarts (Cecil sadly passed away - Peter Gray)
	Johnson, Martin	Dundalk, Co. Louth	Guitar	Smokey Mountain Ramblers, Rocky Tops, Cotton Mill Boys (Martin sadly passed away in October, 2002- Al Owens) Martin moved to the UK in the mid 70's where met Roscommon drummer, Al Owens and formed Stagecoach with Billy Finnegan in 1979. Three years later Billy moved to Co. Armagh and started a new band and within a short time, Martin joined the band which they also called Stagecoach.After that Martin did solo and duo gigs around Dundalk but sadly passed away in October 2002. Our thanks to Al for the update.
	Johnstone, Billy	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Vocals	Oceans Showband (Billy sadly passed away in the mid 2000's-Eric Stephenson)
	Joys, Derek*		Vocals	Derek Joys Bandshow (sadly passed away in October 1997)
	Kane, Ricky	Tuam, Co. Galway	Vocals	Olly Maloney Showband (Ricky sadly passed away in March, 2006)
	Kealey, Colm The poem at right was written by Colm's brother Patrick.		Drums	Ramblin Men, Buckaroos, Polka Dots (Colm sadly passed away on January 7, 2004) For many years he played with bands all based around Omagh Town: Brian’s Buckaroos’, the ‘Rambling Men’ with Philomena’s Crown Then Declan Nerney, Eileen King and ‘Margo’ Donegal With Johnny Loughrey bowing out he took his ‘curtain call’. If there’s showband souls in heaven rest assured you’ll find him there. With a snare drum and a pair of sticks, some cymbals and a chair. To practice as he started out some forty years ago. At the ‘pie’ shop in Dungiven, ‘tween Benbradagh and the Roe.
	Keane, Danny		Sax	Maurice Mulcahy, Cajun Sound (sadly passed away a few years ago- Michael Mulcahy)
	Keane, Mike		Guitar/Steel	Conquerors, Country Folk (sadly passed away a few years ago)
	Kearney, Dave	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Guitar	The Movement, Smokey Mountain Ramblers, Sandie Jones Band (Dave sadly passed away in Canada on January 14, 2010-Francie Lenehan) Having started on the beat scene in Dublin with The Movement, Dave went country in the late sixties when he joined the original Smokey Mountain Ramblers, one of the first successful country outfits in Ireland. He would later join the Sandie Jones band before emigrating to Canada around 1980.
	Kelly, Billy*		Trumpet	Swingtime Aces Showband, Johnny Flynn Showband (Billy was killed in a car accident-John Baird)
	Kelly, Ciaran	Athlone, Co. Westmeath	Accordion	Ciaran Kelly Sound (Grandfather of Keith and Lorraine McDonald, he sadly passed away in 2007) Ciaran had his own band in the Mildands for many years and it was with Ciaran that Brendan SHine got his start back in the late 1960's before becoming a superstar in his own right.
	Kelly, Danny	Tuam, Co. Galway	Piano	Johnny Flynn Dance Band (Father of Danny Kelly, Jr.) (Sadly passed away)
	Kelly, John*	Turloughmore, Co. Galway	Drums	Capitol Showband (Brother of Des Kelly) (Sadly passed away October 25, 1987) Along with brother, Des, John was a founder member of the Capitol Showband.
	Kennedy, Michael*	Arklow, Co. Wicklow	Guitar	Homers Knods (Liam O'Reilly tells us Michael sadly passed away at a very young age) Michael was a singer-guitarist with the 60's folk group, Homers Knods from Arklow. He sadly passed away at a very young age while the band was still on the road.
	Kennedy, Paddy	Galway, Co. Galway	Manager	Regal Showband (Pat Schan wrote to tell us Paddy sadly passed away in 2003) Paddy left show business and emigrated to England in 1967. He worked in Africa for many years in the telecom industry before retiring back to Galway in the 80's. He moved back to England in the 90's and passed away in 2003 in Hove, East Sussex.
	Kenny, Derek	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Bass	Tomorrow's People, Galaxy Band (Derek sadly passed after a short battle with cancer in March, 2007 - from Danny Carthy)
	Kenny, Paul		Drums	Cotton Mill Boys (Paul sadly passed away while still playing with the Cotton Mill Boys in the early 70's).
	Kenrick, Billy	Fethard, Co. Tipperary	Keyboards	Mick Delahunty Orchestra (Billy sadly passed away in 1973). After Billy and Mick Delahunty retired from the band scene, they used to play regularly in a local pub and proved very popular with former fans of the band - from Brian Kenrick-Billy's son.
	Kerr, John*	Fanad, Co. Donegal	Vocals/ Promoter	Classic Dance Band, One of Ireland's best loved ballad singers (John McGrenra wrote to tell us John sadly passed away April 25, 2006) As well as a long career as one of County Donegal's best loved balladeers, John also ran the Mulroy Ballroom in Kerrykeel. His long recording career was documented on many albums, singles and CD's. He will be missed.
	Kettles, Cecil*	Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh	Keyboards	Skyrockets Showband (sadly passed away June 20, 2000)
	Krzyzanowski, Thad		Guitar	Real Country, Bluegrass Roadshow (We understand Thad was killed in an airplane crash in the 1970's. Thad was the brother of Smokey's fiddler George Kaye.)
	Kyle, Bobby		Manager	Cossacks Showband (Bobby sadly passed away in March, 2005)
	Laird, Davey		Trumpet	Marines Showband (sadly passed away)
	Lamont, Tommy		Guitar	Cossacks Showband (passed away in 2003)
	Landy, Paddy	Skerries, Co. Dublin	Drums	Tony & The Graduates (Paddy sadly passed away in early July, 2006 - Eoghan Hickey)
	Lawlor, Willie		Guitar	Quartermasters, Echos Showband (Willie sadly passed away - Liam O'Reilly)
	Lee, Connie	Granard, Co. Longford	Vocals	Lee and Quo (Connie sadly passed away in December, 2002)
	Lee, Eamonn	Arklow, Co. Wicklow	Guitar	Red Seven Showband, Avonairs Showband, Swingin' Sailors (Eamonn sadly passed away the first week in March, 2006 our thanks to Liam O'Reilly for passing the info along to us)
	Logue, Terry		Sax	Clipper Carlton (Terry sadly passed away)
	Long, Daniel "Don"	Cork, Co. Cork	Trombone	Capitol Showband, Donie Collins Band (Dons sadly passed away October 29, 2007 in Chesire, England where he had lived since 1969). After leaving the Capitol in 1969, Don emigrated to Manchester where he continued to play trombone in a variety of jazz bands until his death. He was 69 and was stricken with cancer a year before he died. He will be sadly missed by his showband era colleagues and family and friends in Ireland.
	Long, Jim	Cookstown, Co. Tyrone		Colours Showband (Jim sadly passed away)
	Loughman, Tony	Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan	Manager	Paddy Cole Superstars / Eileen King's Country Gifts Patrice & Stage Five / Philomena Begley & her Ramblin' Men Susan McCann & the Storytellers / Shelly & The Big Valley Anne, Shelly & The Marines / Big Ivan & The New County Sharon & Green Forest (Sadly, Tony passed away June 1, 2007) One of the true movers and shakers of the band scene in the 70's and 80's Tony was one of the guiding lights behind the Irish Country music success which followed the showbands.
	Lucy, Murt	Cork, Co. Cork	Manager	Arrivals & several ballrooms (Murt sadly passed away in April, 1971 at the age of 47) Murt was one of the early pioneers of the showband scene in his native Cork. Along with brother, Jerry, he owned the Stardust Ballroom in Cork, the Majorca in Crosshaven, the Redbarn in Youghal. In 1963 he was a co-founder of Spotlight Magazine with John Coughlan which became the bible of the Irish entertainment scene for nearly two decades.
	Lundy, Tommy*	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Guitar	Tony Kenny Band, The Crack (Tommy sadly passed away in October, 2003 - our thanks to Maria Lundy)
	Lynam, Johnny	Moate, Co. Westmeath	Bass	Ray Lynam and the Hillbillies (Johnny sadly passed away on 21st of August, 2007 after a long illness).
	Lynch, David*	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Keyboards	Cotton Mill Boys (David sadly passed away)
	Lynch, Maurice			Maurice Lynch Big Band (passed away September 3, 1987)
	Lynch, Pete*		Vocals	Newline Showband (brother of Maurice Lynch sadly passed away)
	Lynch, Phillip	Sligo, Co. Sligo	Drums	Dee Leydon & the Powermen (Phillip sadly passed away age 53 in Thailand in October 2008 from pneumonia)
	Lynott, Phil*	Crumlin, Co. Dublin	Vocals/Bass	Skid Row, Orphanage, Thin Lizzy (Phil, one of Ireland's greatest rockers, passed away Jan. 4, 1986)
	Madden, Arthur*		Keyboards	Airchords, Royal, Red Hurley Band (Arthur sadly passed away in 1988)
	Maguire, Noel*		Sax	Echos Showband (Noel sadly passed away - Liam O'Reilly) Noel played sax with the Echos and was also the leader of the band
	Maher, Eddie	Drogheda, Co. Louth	Drums	Maher Family, Rockets (Eddie Maher, former drummer with the Maher Family and with the Rockets, passed away suddenly in Drogheda on 23rd March, 2009.) The Maher family came to fame when they were winners on Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks. Eddie played drums with his brother Dave in the Rockets. He was the son of former Champion handballer Joey Maher. His three brothers, Michael, Dave and Robbie and sister Linda were all involved in the music business.
	Mahon, Sean	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Trombone	John Mitchell Showband, Freshmen (Sean sadly passed away May 29th, 2009) Sean was a founding member of the Freshmen in the early sixties and remained one of only two members (along with Tory McGahey) that remained with the band from the start until 1974. Although Billy Brown and Derek Dean were with the band longer, Billy left in the early 70's to form his own bands before returning, while Derek didn't join until 1964..
	Mahood, Sam	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Vocals	Soul Foundation (Sam sadly passed away - from George Porter)
	Maitland, Danny	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Guitar/Vocals	Matadors Showband (Danny sadly passed away Jan. 4, 1978)
	Maitland, Walter	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Drums	Witnesses Showband (Walter sadly passed away Aug. 26, 2002)
	Makem, Tommy	Keady, Co. Armagh	Guitar and Vocals	Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem, Makem and Clancy, Solo career. (Tommy sadly passed away on August 1, 2007 of lung cancer at age 74)
	Mallett, Bill	Waterside, Co. Derry	Unknown	Statesiders Showband (Bill was sadly one of four Mallett brothers killed in an auto  accident on the way home from a gig on November 21, 1964. The Statesiders band was devastated and never reformed-John Baird)
	Mallett, James	Waterside, Co. Derry	Unknown	Statesiders Showband (James was sadly one of four Mallett brothers killed in an auto  accident on the way home from a gig on November 21, 1964. The Statesiders band was devastated and never reformed-John Baird)
	Mallett, Jerry	Waterside, Co. Derry	Unknown	Statesiders Showband (Jerry was sadly one of four Mallett brothers killed in an auto  accident on the way home from a gig on November 21, 1964. The Statesiders band was devastated and never reformed-John Baird)
	Malone, Jim		Unknown	Margo and Co (Breda Lalanne emailede us to say Jim sadly passed away some time ago)
	Maloney, Olly	Tuam, Co. Galway	Trumpet	Olly Maloney Showband, Johnny Flynn Showband, Ohio Showband (Olly sadly passed away)
	Martin, Freddie*		Trumpet	Pacific Showband (Freddie sadly passed away)
	Massey, Danny	Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick	Trumpet/Vcls	Donie Collins Showband (Danny sadly passed away Jan 28, 1987 - our thanks to Anne McSharry, his daughter)
	McCaffrey, Leo	Ballymena, Co. Antrim	Vocals/ Manager	Leo McCaffrey & The Glensmen (Leo sadly passed away in 2003)
	McCaffrey, Michael	Creeslough, Co. Donegal	Manager	Creeslough Hall, Co. Donegal (Michael sadly passed away on December 7, 2005)
	McCarthy, Bram	Cork, Co. Cork	Trumpet	Capitol Showband (passed away October 28, 1987)
	McConville, Ivan	Rathfriland, Co. Down	Vocals	(A.K.A. Big Ivan) Big Ivan Band, Big Ivan & Lightning Express (sadly killed in a car accident in 1979) Our thanks to Ivan's former band mate, Mike Niblett for the info.
	McCormack, Derek		Vocals	Dermot O'Brien's Clubmen, The Barleycorn, The Furey Brothers (Derek sadly passed away Jan, 2004)
	McCormick, John	Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan	Manager	Big Tom & The Mainliners, Gerry Black & The Seasons (John sadly passed away in 1998)
	McCormick, John	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Keyboards	Teddie Palmer & The Rumble Band (killed in India)
	McCormick, Sean	Cootehill, Co. Cavan	Bass, Drums	Silver Pennies, American Pie (Sean sadly passed away February 7, 1999 in a casr crash- from his wife, Tina Kavanagh)
	McCoy, Brian	Caledon, Co. Tyrone	Trumpet	Miami Showband (killed by terrorists on July 31, 1975)
	McCracken, John*	Buncrana, Co. Donegal	Manager	Mighty Rhythm Boys (John sadly passed away -John Baird)
	McCrudden, Gerry	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Bass	Grenadiers Showband (Gerry sadly passed away Feb 17, 2006 - daughter-Paula Beattie) A founder member of the Grenadiers, he continued to play with the band until they stopped touring. He continued to perform in clubs around Belfast, right up until the time of his death.
	McCrudden, Ned		Keyboards	Witnesses Showband (Ned sadly passed away Jan 16, 2009 - from Bobby Forsythe)
	McDaniel, Maisie	Sligo, Co. Sligo	Vocals	Nevada, Fendermen, Nashville Ramblers, Maisie & Fintan (Maisie sadly passed away suddenly on the 28th June, 2008 at her home in Sligo) Maisie enjoyed a very successful solo career before being asked to join the Nevada, but she would never perform with the band as she was injured in a car accident before their first gig. She would also front her own Fendermen, as well as the Nashville Ramblers. She often appeared with husband Fintan Stanley in cabaret.  She made a brief comeback on the scene in the 1980's but had been retired from performing for many years.
	McDonald, Pat		Manager	Ian Corrigan and Country Style (Anthony Loughman writes to tell us Pat, who worked with Anthony's Dad Tony, for over 30 years sadly passed away 28th Aug, 2009)
	McDonald, Patsy	Cookstown, Co. Tyrone	Keyboards	Malachy Doris Trio (Jonathan Byard writes to tell us Patsy sadly passed away on 16th January, 2010)
	McElhinney, Paddy*		Trumpet	Mighty Rhythm Boys (Paddy sadly passed away -John Baird)
	McEvoy, Bertie		Sax	Stan Lynn Showband, Silhouettes (Ray, his son, wrote to tell us Bertie sadly passed away in December, 2003)
	McGandy, Brian*	Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh	Sax	Skyrockets Showband (Brian sadly passed away a few years ago)
	McGarr, Pat	Naas, Co. Kildare	Accordion	Gallowglass Ceili Band (Dennis Morrison writes to tell us Pat sadly passed away In March, 2005)
	McGonigle, Pat*	Newton, Co. Tyrone	Trombone	Melody Aces Showband (sadly passed away in April, 2005)
	McGuigan, Pat*		Vocals/Gtr	Dave Dixon Orchestra, Skyrockets Showband, The Victors, Big Four (aka Pat McGeegan - passed away 6/27/1987) Pat was Ireland's 4th representative at Eurovision, singing his way to a fourth place finish with the song, "Once In A Lifetime," in 1968. After getting his start with Dave Dixon's band, he eventually formed The Big Four and played mostly cabaret for the next twenty years.
	McHale, Dave	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Sax, Keyboards	Sandie Jones & the Boyfrields, Stagalee, Boomtown Rats (We're told by Bobby Kelly that Dave sadly passed away in May, 2009)
	McHugh, Harry		Unknown	Everglades Showband (Harry sadly passed away in 1995-his daughter)
	McIlduff, Gerry*	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Drums	Green Angels, High Seas, Jimmy Johnston Showband, Plattermen, Katmandu, Pretenders, Nipple Erectors (Gerry sadly passed away in 2005)
	McKeown, Des*	Co. Fermanagh	Guitar/Vocals	Skyrockets Showband (Des passed away in 1985) Des was the lead singer with the Skyrockets from 1963 through 1966. He left the band to return to civilian life as a technician. He sadly passed away in 1985 at the young age of 45.
	McKevitt, Cyril	Co. Monaghan	Trombone	Mainliners (Cyril sadly passed away suddenly 15th Sept, 2009 aged 69 - John McGrenra) Cyril was an original member of the Mainliners Showband and Played trombone with the band for almost 50 years with a couple of break in between. Sadly, the band had just finished its 2009 tour on the Sunday before Cyril passed away.
	McIntyre, Frank	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Sax/Clarinet	Pete Stuart Orchestra, Mick Cummins Orchestra, Embassy Band (Frank sadly passed away April 14, 2001 - Ursula McIntyre) Frank's wife, Ursula, wrote to tell us Frank lived and worked for many years in Germany until his retirement in 1995. He also spent a short time in the States before returning to Ireland in the late nineties. He and Ursula were married in 1989.
	McIntyre, Joe*	Derry, Co. Derry	Trumpet	Express Showband, Jim Farley Band Show (passed away June 13, 1981)
	McKernin, Tommy	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Drums	Teddie and the Tigers, Signs (Tommy's daughter, Courtney McKernin, emailed us in October, 2008 to let us know that Tommy sadly passed away in 1999. He moved to Canada in 1972 when he was a member of the Signs and was last in Belfast in 1998, just a year before he passed away.)
	McKinney, Wills*		Bass	College Boys (Teddie Palmer reports Wills was sadly killed in car accident in 2000)
	McLaughlin, Danny*		Sax	Mighty Rhythm Boys (Danny sadly passed away -John Baird)
	McLean, Gerry*		Trumpet	Green Angels, Walter Lewis Enterprise Showband (Gerry sadly passed away)
	McLean, Kevin*		Drums	Walter Lewis Enterprise Showband (Kevin sadly passed away)
	McManus, Dickie*		Vocals	Woodchoppers Showband (emigrated to Canada, sadly passed away in Feb., 2003)
	McManus, Tommy	Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh	Drums	Mama's Boys (passed away on November 16, 1994 of leukemia complications) Tommy and his brothers, Pat and John McManus started out in 1978 by forming Pulse. Their first break came when they were asked by Barry Devlin to support Horslips on an Irish Tour in 1979. They changed their name to Mama's Boys and never looked back scoring a hit record in the United States with appearances on MTV in the early nineties. Tommy was only 28 when he passed away in London.
	McNally, Brian	Dungannon Co. Tyrone	Bass	Philomena Begley and Country Flavour (Brian sadly died of a heart attack in 1998, aged 50) He married a girl from a place called Teelin, Co. Donegal and settled there.  He had 2 children, Roisin and Brian.  When the band broke up in the 70's he played locally in bars and hotels and spent most of his summers playing music in Lisdoonvarna.  Our thanks to his daughter, Roisin, for the info.
	McNally, Michael	Dungannon Co. Tyrone	Unknown	Philomena Begley and Country Flavour (Pat Casey tells us Michael sadly passed away in July, 2009)
	McNamee, Eddie	Newt'stewart Co. Tyrone	Multi	Melody Aces Showband (Eddie sadly passed away in March, 2007 - Liam O'Reilly)
	Melville, Jerry		Sax	Northernaires (Gerry sadly passed away)
	Molloy, Brian	Dublin Co. Dublin	Manager	Cotton Mill Boys (passed away November 28, 2005) Besides being the founder of Hawk and Lunar Records which guided the recording careers of many of the era's greatest stars, Brian also managed the Cotton Mill Boys, one of the country's most successful country outfits, from 1969 to 1979. He later founded Phantom FM Radio in Dublin. He passed away after a long battle with cancer. Our thanks to Gerry Madigan for letting us know.
	Molloy, Tony	Derry, Co. Derry	Guitar	Crescent Showband, Marines Showband, Tradewinds, Champagne, Vogue (Tony sadly passed away in early 2006 - Les Thompson)
	Moloney, Ollie	Tuam, Co. Galway	Trumpet	Johnny Flynn Showband, The Ohio, Ollie Maloney Band (passed away March 23, 1994)
	Monaghan, Tony	The Downs, Co. Westmeath	Bass	Downlanders (Tony sadly passed away)
	Moore, Butch	Dublin, Co. Dublin	Vocals	Blue Clavons, Capitol Showband, Kings (Butch sadly passed away April 3, 2001) Besides being the lead singer with one of Ireland's best loved showbands, The Capitol, Butch also had the distinction of being the first Irish representative in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. He sang "Walking The Streets in The Rain," which finished a very respectable sixth. He passed away in the United States.
	Morrison, Noel	Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo	Bass	Clefonaires Showband (Noel sadly passed away)
	Moulds, Jim			Dave Moynihan Showband (Jim sadly passed away on March 4, 2002-Brendan Moulds)
	Mulcahy, David	Mitchelstown, Co. Cork	Sax	Maurice Mulcahy Orchestra (David passed away in December, 1975)
	Mulcahy, Maurice	Mitchelstown, Co. Cork	Trumpet	Maurice Mulcahy Orchestra (passed away August 21, 1963)
	Mulcahy, Michael	Mitchelstown, Co. Cork	Sax	Maurice Mulcahy Orchestra (Mike sadly passed away August 14, 2003)
	Mullen, George	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Trumpet	Witnesses (George sadly passed away - Mike Arkins)
	Mulligan, Mick*	Charlestown, Co. Mayo	Trombone/Keys	Dixietones (Mick sadly passed away in 2002)
	Murphy, Bobby		Sax	Arrows, Dickie's Band (Bobby sadly passed away - Tom Foley)
	Murphy, Gerry*			Donie Collins Band (Gerry sadly passed away in 2002-photo from Jenny Ann Murphy)
	Murphy, Kieran*	Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo	Guitar	Margo & the Country Folk, Frank McCaffrey & the Country Folk Frank McCaffrey's Band of Gold (Kieran sadly passed away March 31, 2006)
	Murphy, Paddens		Sax	Sorrento Showband (Paddens' daughter Angela Fisher, wrote to tell us that he sadly passed away on August 7, 2005.)
	Murray, Frankie		Guitar	Capitol, Sharon & Green Forest (We received an email from Sloan Harrington in the United  States telling us that Frankie sadly passed away in April, 2009. A check of RIP.ie shows that Frankie died on April 6th.)
	Murray, Jimmy	Trim, Co. Meath	Guitar	Virginians, Joe Dolan Band (Jimmy sadly passed away)
	Murray, Jimmy	Belfast, Co. Antrim	Vocals	Regency Showband (Jimmy's niece, Denise Smyth wroye to tell us he sadly passed away in February, 2008))

Acknowledgements:
*Our thanks to Jimmy Compton, Brian O'Brien, Paula Beattie, Brian "Shorty" O'Kane, Danny McLaughlin, Martin Flynn, Andy Monk, Joe Dodd, Peter Kinsey, Teddie Palmer, Patrick Hoye, Karl Compton, Louis Chapman, Michael Niblett, Declan Colgan, Mick Gilligan, Michael Conway, John Baird, Paul Welch, John McGrenra, Alan Carr, Norman Bissett, Alan White, Tom Ivory Jr., Glen Brown, Dave Hynes, Ernie Corrigan, Paddy Brennan's "Golden Era of Irish Showbands," & Eugene Nixon's "He's Not Working...He's in a Band" for their assistance with many of the names on this list.