Showband stories in ballina
There will be a night of music nostalgia in Ballina Arts Centre at the weekend (Friday, March 27). Catherine Gilmartin tells us all about it...
The year was 1975. The 31st of July, sometime after 2.30 a.m., to be more precise, meaning it's now almost 40 years since the terrible tragedy that befell the Miami Showband as they returned home from a gig in Banbridge Co. Down.
After the gig, the band had packed up their van and one of the band members, drummer Ray Millar, went off in his own car to Antrim to stay the night with family. The other five boarded the band's van and started off on the trip home to Dublin.
However, three young musicians were hunted down and murdered that fateful night: Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy. Stephen Travers and Des Lee survived, and although seriously wounded, they lived to tell the world of that dreadful night when their own lives and the music scene in Ireland changed forever.
Kevin Myers of the Irish Independent wrote that the Miami Showband massacre was 'one of the most depraved atrocities' of the Troubles.
That is just one of the stories of the showband years in Ireland. There are plenty more. Now, the Irish National Showband Archive, in association with Ballina Salmon Festival, presents Showband Stories, featuring Ballina's very own Jack Ruane Showband, in Ballina Arts Centre tomorrow (Friday, March 27).
Hosted by Miami Showband massacre survivor Stephen Travers and with special guest Des Lee, who also survived that terrible event, this show features the story of the famous Jack Ruane Showband from Ballina. Well known local musicians Judd Ruane, Jack Ruane, Eugene McCaffrey and P.J. Duffy will be there to recount days of old and stories of the showband days in Ireland.
The initial idea for this show was mooted by Ballina music promoter Liam Brennan following on from a phone conversation he had with Stephen Travers. Stephen had called Liam to discuss the possibility of getting together the surviving showband members of yesteryear having been himself commissioned to gather and archive as much information, stories and anecdotal material as possible for posterity.
Liam suggested the Jack Ruane Showband in Ballina, and hence the foundations were laid. “I've known the Ruane family all my life as my parents were great friends of the late Jack Ruane Snr,” he said. “In fact, Kieran Carroll (RIP), a brother-in-law of Jack's, was my dad's best man and they all remained great friends in their lifetimes.”
Liam then approached Paul Burke, chairman of the Ballina Salmon Festival, with the idea, and in consultation with Sean Walsh of Ballina Arts Centre, plus Judd Ruane, Jack Ruane, Eugene McCaffrey, whom are all past members of the Jack Ruane Showband, the plans reached fruition fairly rapidly.
Well known local publican and musician, P.J. Duffy, a past member of the Michael O'Callaghan Band, based in Cork, was also invited on board. P.J. would have performed with Jack Ruane too on many occasions in the past, especially at the brilliant jazz sessions at The Riverboat Inn (now Crocket's) at the Quay in Ballina.
Liam said: “All in all this makes for a very interesting and nostalgic night for anyone that loves music, the showband days in Ireland, and especially those of us who appreciate the talents and the joy that these great musicians brought to dancegoers throughout Ireland.”
As they say, the real story of the showbands can only be told by those who lived it.
Tickets (€15) for the show are available at the Ballina Salmon Festival office (O'Rahilly Street) and at Ballina Arts Centre – telephone (096) 73593.