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3rd of April  2024 

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I come from a proud musical Irish family, especially on my mum's side, but as a family we didn’t really have any strong ties to Comhaltas. One of my earliest memories of the Button Accordion was at family parties. I remember my great uncle, Mick Wynne, playing the accordion and singing. He was quite well-known as a folk and country musician in a renowned local Coventry band called Country Gold. I used to “join in” with a toy accordion that my grandad had given me when I was only a toddler. When I say “join in”, I really mean make noise!

 

When I was about 7, I briefly started Irish dancing, but it became apparent quite quickly that I was only doing the dancing because I liked listening to the music. So through Jarlath Mulhern, who was a family friend, my mum came to find out about Comhaltas in Britain and the Coventry branch. I ended up loaning one of my auntie’s full sized accordions and the rest is history. Over the years as a learner, I was taught to play through the Coventry Branch by Frank Dolan, Hughie Gallagher and Carmel Burke.

 

It wasn’t until I was 15 that I started volunteering for my branch, teaching some of the beginners. I went on to support the Leicester branch when I was 18, teaching a small group of adult learners. Now 10 years on I’m still teaching in Coventry every week. I wanted to give back even more so I became involved with the branch committee. I have been the Youth Officer and the Vice Chair in the past. Now I’m the Treasurer of Coventry Branch and the Province, as well as the PRO of the Midland Region. I love volunteering my time because I feel like I’m doing the right thing. I feel that it’s my responsibility to keep this organisation alive for the future. To give new generations the opportunities I had as a child and to make sure that Irish culture is passed down and preserved.

 

I firmly believe that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Comhaltas. I have friends all over the world as a result of playing music. Some of my closest friends are part of the organisation. Learning the accordion helped me through school with it being a unique talent. It has also helped me with my career progression, as I’ve used some of our Comhaltas projects as examples in job interviews. Comhaltas in Britain and the Coventry branch has completely altered the course of my life. It means everything to me.