Nenagh’s link with great songs

Two brothers who captured national headlines after they were honoured for writing the famous Irish song ‘Grace’ are sons of a native of Nenagh – a town that has strong links with some of the world’s most renowned songwriters.

Sean and Frank O’ Meara, who were last week officially honoured for the renowned composition in their hometown of Mullingar, are sons of Paddy O' Meara who was from the Turnpike, Nenagh.

Their father’s roots are deeply embedded in Nenagh – Paddy was a son of locals Dan and Annie O'Meara and he had three sisters Sally, Annie and Mary – aunts of the composers - who grew up in the Turnpike.

Sean and Frank received the Gradam na hÉigse award from Mullingar Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann last Thursday in recognition of their long-time commitment to Irish culture and heritage.

The brothers wrote ‘Grace’ in 1985, a song that captures the tragic love story of the artist Grace Gifford and Joseph Mary Plunkett who were married in the chapel at Kilmainham Gaol just hours before the latter was executed in 1916 for his part in The Easter Rising of that year.

The song has been recorded by numerous Irish and international artists and is now one of the most popular ever Irish songs.

Speaking after receiving the award, Frank and Sean expressed their gratitude to those involved in bestowing the honour.

“We’re very pleased and surprised, and almost astonished, by its success,” Sean, who wrote the lyrics of ‘Grace’, told RTÉ News.

“How many people sing it in so many different places? This is something we will remember for the rest of our days,” Sean said on receiving the award.

Frank, who wrote the music, said people all over the world who love the song were moved by the great resonance of its story, and the way it encapsulated the tragedy of Joseph Mary Plunkett’s short marriage to Grace Gifford in the gaol chapel just hours before he went to his death.

Frank said the way Sean was able to conveyed the moving story in his lyrics over the span of just five minutes was “remarkable”.

‘Grace’ has been recorded by artists all over the world and most notably here at home by the late Jim McCann and Foster and Allen and has been performed by Rod Steward.

FOSTER AND ALLEN

Foster and Allen, who like Frank and Jim O’ Meara, are living in Co Westmeath, were also formally honoured last week with the Gradam award for their contribution to Irish culture and heritage – and one of them too has a link with the Nenagh area.

Mick Foster moved to Mullingar with his family in 1960 and has strong links with North Tipperary and Nenagh, but especially Moneygall where his mother grew up.

Foster is a nephew of the late Moll Collins (née Parker) from Larchvale, Moneygall, who died in July last year at the grand old age of 101. As a young woman Moll was cook for the Smithwick family at Youghal House in Youghalarra where she met her future husband Paddy Collins, a native of the parish, who was a gardener for the Smithwick’s.

BRENDAN GRAHAM

Another famous songwriter who has strong links with the town is Brendan Graham, a composer of many wonderful songs, and best known for the lyrics he wrote for ‘Your Raise Me Up’, a huge international hit for the boyband Westlife, and a number subsequently covered by hundreds of singers worldwide.

Graham was born in a nursing home at Summerhill, Nenagh, in 1945. His mother Gertie Whelan came from Kickham Street where her sisters had a sweet and general provisions shop.

His grandfather, James Whelan, worked for the Nenagh Guardian as a reporter for over six decades and Graham’s father played rugby with Nenagh Ormond and captained them to a Munster Junior Cup title in 1935 before going on to play a major part in the club’s Manseragh Cup win in 1938.

Graham, who spent much of his boyhood growing up with his aunts shop in the town, has co-written several high-profile songs, including ‘Rock 'n' Roll Kids’ (1994) and ‘The Voice’ (1996), both of which won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland.

SHANE MACGOWAN

Of course, the most famous songwriters and singers with Nenagh links is Shane McGowan of The Pogues whose late mother Therese (née Lynch) grew up in Carney Commons where MacGowan spent a lot of his childhood summers. His parents also lived in Silvermines and he maintains strong links as his father Maurice currently lives in Nenagh and his sister, Siobhan, in Dromineer.

Shane, who has been ill of late and in hospital, is renowned the world over as vocalist with Kirsty MacColl of ‘Fairytale of New York’, one of the best known Christmas songs ever.