Irish Tenor Banjo icon Barney McKenna aged 72, passed away unexpectedly at his Dublin home on Thursday morning, 5^th April 2012. Within days of the world losing bluegrass banjo legend Earl Scruggs the world has now lost the most influential Irish Tenor Banjo player of modern times. Barney was a founding member of the famous Dubliners folk band, and the last original member still performing and touring with the band in 2012. Barney’s on stage banjo solos are world renown, audiances at the Dubliners concerts would call out for Barney to perform his solos the world over, and when he played his banjo solos he was infectious! Barney was also a fine player and a master of the one row ‘D’ melodeon.

As an enthusiastic Irish tenor banjo player myself, I can say that I have had the pleasure over the years of watching Barney perform with the Dubliners, I met him at the Irish Music awards and most recently in September 2011 at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, Longford, Ireland . He was a wonderful human being, genuinely expressing his kind thoughts  and feelings for everyone in his presence, always keen to talk ‘banjo’ and pass on his experience.

After his ‘Greengrass meets Bluegrass’ performance with the Carter Brothers at the tenth anniversary of The Johnny Kennan Banjo Festival, my wife Joan and I spent some quality time with Barney. He played banjo for us,  told us jokes and stories, he was on great form at the festival. I have attached some photograghs in memory of Barney, we loved him and shall miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with Tina and his family, may he rest in peace.

Steve Noon, Owner, Eagle Music