Then and Now: Two great losses to Limerick

THE RECENT deaths of two Limerick city entertainers, Damien Patterson and Polly Fitzpatrick, are widely regretted by all who enjoyed their music, singing, poetry and storytelling. Both featured in this column over the years and deserve a recall for new and regular readers. Polly had built up a large following for her poetry which had been featured on the local radio stations on numerous occasions. Many people would have been aware of her compositions about many subjects and topics, and it was lovely to hear her voice on the airwaves. She came across as a very intelligent and interesting lady who enjoyed life to the full. Her love for the written word shone through in her interviews on radio and print.

Polly was born on March 1, 1929, and her family lived in Barrack Lane in Thomondgate. She was employed by Mrs. Daly doing housework after leaving school at fourteen years old. She received five schillings a week and she stayed there for seven years. She got married at 21 years and her husband Gerard was a builder and a postman and they had ten children. They met at the cinema, and they enjoyed fifty-six great years together. Polly captured a lot of Limerick history in her written verse which may have been lost if her sharp mind and trusty pen were not pressed into action. She had been writing since her young days and when an idea entered her head, she had to write it down.

Poems I recall include The Treaty Stone, The Bard of Thomond, Limerick Cinemas, Closed Circuit TV, The Beauty Around Us, Salute to Andy Lee, A Tribute to Brendan Grace, Rathkeale's Holy Tree, The Pope's Visit, Coronavirus and A Tribute to Mort Downes. A selection of them is now preserved following a recording on A Story and A Song on West Limerick 102fm and will be available to people to enjoy in the future. This is very important as so much of people’s material has been lost over the years. People like Polly are jewels in the crown as they provide so much joy to so many people in need of a pickup in life. If all her material was put together and published in book form, I am sure it would be of great interest to all her fans in the city and county. Congratulations to Polly on her achievements and her tribute to the late Mort Downes as follows:

Mort Downes from Knockaderry
I'm so sad to say
I sat down and cried
When I heard you passed away.
You were a lovely gentleman
And always very nice
When you came on the radio
T'was great to hear your voice.

You were a lovely singer
You never left us down
And I'd love to hear you sing
The pride of Tralee Town.
When playing our requests
You'd always sound so jolly
Mort this tribute is just for you
With all my love from Polly.

We will miss Polly's requests which she sent to the local radio stations, but her many poems will keep her memory alive for future generations to enjoy.

Remembering Damien
DAMIEN PATTERSON (pictured) came to live in Newcastle West in 1974, when he took up employment as a designer at Patrick Mc Cormack’s Joinery Works in Ardagh. He was the founding member of the Farran Folk, (short for Farranshone) in the city in 1965. A few years later with Tony Mc Carthy they set up an architect's business in Newcastle West.

In later life he was joined by his son Mark and over the years Damien was involved in many well-known developments around the country and beyond. Damien was a member of the Newcastle West Ballad Group that won several West Scór titles over the years. In July 2015 he was a guest on A story and A Song with Pat O’Donovan on West Limerick 102 FM Community Radio. He was very interested in History and had a lot of memorabilia from the halcyon years of the Farran Folk. Damien was a great storyteller, and our meetings were always a delight.

The Farran Folk was formed in Farranshone in Limerick city in 1965 and they became a household name travelling all over the country following their appearance on the Johnny Mc Evoy Show on RTE in 1970. Television with its one station was huge and as a result they rubbed shoulders with the jet set and were on first name terms with all the top entertainers. They recorded a 12 track LP in 1971 at the Eamon Andrews Studio, and a single, that had Avondale, and Rata on the B side. Their fast-paced career was covered in Spotlight Magazine, Limerick Leader, and other newspapers of the time.

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Over a ten-year period, the group won numerous folk and ballad competitions, and they played at all the top venues of the time. They admired the Dubliners, but they modelled themselves on the Spinners from England. They were four lads as well and they got an LP of their songs to guide them.

The first members with Damien were Sean Meaney, Donal O’Conner, Michael O’Reilly, and they were formed to enter into a ballad group contest in Greenpark Racecourse. Donal O’Conner left the group shortly after that and he was replaced by Fred Hockety, a well-known musician in Limerick at that time and were often on the same bill as Tom and Paschal. Damien and some of the others played rugby, and as a result the group were cajoled into playing every Friday night at Garryowen Rugby Club in Dooradoyle. Margaret Raleigh from the city who sang in a Joan Baez style, replaced Sean Meaney and she was a great favourite with the crowd. The group won many Folk and Ballad competitions, which were all the go around the country at that time.

They won their first competition in Bruff in 1967 and the Cup was presented to them by Ted Russell the Mayor of Limerick. Their first prize in Ennistymon was presented to them by Paddy Hillery, who later became a TD and President of Ireland. They also finished 2nd in the Ballinasloe Folk/Ballad Festival in 1967. In 1970 Tom Canty replaced Fred Hockety and the group made a big breakthrough by winning the prestigious Kilkenny Beer Festival Ballad competition. The Farran Folk had finished in third, and second place the previous years, and other winners included The Johnston’s, and Emmet Spiceland groups. The Kilkenny Beer Festival Ballad competition was the biggest of its kind in Europe, with over 130 top class acts, competing for the one thousand first prize.

Next up for the Farran Folk was to take part in the RTE TV program called Talent of the70s. Their success on the show led to the group being offered a three-month contract to appear on the Johnny Mc Evoy Show, performing two songs on each show. The group formally finished in the mid 1970’s but still kept in touch with regular sessions around the Limerick area. Damien is gone but not forgotten by all he associated with in business and entertainment.