Recorded from Ballaghasheen Pass, where Jack and Molly McCarthy, aged 84 and 85 respectively, could recall many of their childhood memories. They recalled stories of childhood love, being parted for over 60 years, and marriage in 2002. In the last year her life, Molly still had the strength and determination to recall earlier times and sing some of the local ballads. Molly is able to identify the origins of each traditional song and the names of people from whom she collected them. Molly and Jack are joined Tom O’Shea and Tim MacGillicuddy.
Keywords: fisherman’s songs, local ballads, Irish Army, the Emergency, Irish music, singing, sean nós