Con McGinley (1915 – 2013)

CON McGINLEY
(16th July 1915 -)

(16th July 1915 – October 2013)

Con, son of Condy, grew up at a time when the music tradition of Mín na Croise and Gleann Cholmcille was particularly strong. He played many tunes passed onto him by the older players in Mín na Croise and his style and repertoire was influenced by local players such as his father Condy, John Phadaí Chonchobhair and Peter Ó hIghne. During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, Con and his brother, Paddy, played at many school dances in the area including Mín na Croise, Learga na Saorthach and An Caiseal. Like many of his generation, he migrated in search of employment, firstly to Dublin in the mid 1930’s. He later settled in Nantwich, Cheshire in the United Kingdom, where he married Daisy and reared a family of four. Con was very much part of the traditional music scene in Cheshire and played a session every Tuesday night. Many of his siblings played the fiddle, with his brother Paddy ‘Pearl’ perhaps the most noted. Con traveled regularly to south-west Donegal where he enjoyed playing in sessions up until his passing in 2013. He possessed a gentle demeanour, a sharp memory for music and lore and was generous about passing on his repertoire to the younger generation of fiddlers.