John Egan (1903 – 1989)

John Egan was born and raised in Ardleybeg, Ballintogher, Co. Sligo and learned his early flue music from Andy and James Doyle, Brian Luby and John Joe Gardiner of Ballymote. He left Sligo in 1926 to work in the bar trade in London. John returned to live in Donegal in 1929 and married Mary Reynolds, a native of Rossnowlagh. They lived in a cottage on the rail line at Drumstevlin, outside Donegal Town for six years and in that time he played regularly with local fiddlers including John James Connaghan, Paddy McDyer, Charlie McCahill, John Charles Meehan, Joe Gillespie and the accordion player, Con Diver.