Johnny Doran

Johnny Doran
Johnny Doran
Born	c.1908; Rathnew,County Wicklow, Ireland
Died	19 January 1950; Athy,County Kildare, Ireland
Genres	Irish traditional music
Occupation(s)	Musician, traveller
Instruments	Uilleann pipes
Years active	19??–1950
Website	johnnydoran

Johnny Doran(c.1908 – 19 January 1950)^[1]was an Irishuilleann piper.

Life and family

Johnny Doran was born around 1908 inRathnew,County Wicklow.His family wereTravellerswith a distinguished musical heritage; his father John Doran and brotherFelix Doranwere also pipers, and his great-grandfather was the celebratedWexfordpiper John Cash.^[2]^[3]^[4]

By his early twenties, Doran was working as an itinerant musician, travelling with his family from town to town in a horse-drawncaravanand playing for money at fairs, races and sporting events.^[5]^[6]^[7]His playing is said to have inspired the youngWillie ClancyandMartin Taltyto take up piping as a career.^[8]^[9]

On 30 January 1948, Doran's caravan was parked on waste ground near Back Lane inDublin's Cornmarket area. It was very windy, and a brick wall collapsed on the caravan, and also on Doran, who was outside lacing up his shoes. Doran was completely covered by bricks and rubble. His lower back was injured during the rescue process as, according to one of his daughters, he was pulled free from the debris. Johnny was afterwards paralysed from the waist down. His injuries led to continuing ill health and he died on 19 January 1950 inAthy,County Kildare. He is buried in Rathnew cemetery.^[10]^[11]

Johnny Doran had nine children, four sons and five daughters.

Recordings

Only one recording of Johnny Doran's playing was ever made. In 1947 thefiddleplayer John Kelly, a friend of Doran's, was concerned about the piper's health. He contactedKevin Danaherof theIrish Folklore Commission,who arranged for a recording to be made onacetate disks.^[12]^[13]

The following tunes were recorded:^{[citation needed]}

Coppers and Brass/The Rambling Pitchfork/The Steampacket (Jigs/Reel)
The Bunch of Keys/Rakish Paddy/The Bunch of Keys (Reels)
Tarbolton/The Fermoy Lasses (Reels) (With John Kelly)
An Chúileann (Air)
Sliabh na mBan (Air)
Colonel Fraser/My Love Is In America/Rakish Paddy (Reels)
The Sweep's/The Harvest Home/The High Level/The Harvest Home (Hornpipes)
The Job of Journeywork (Set Dance)
The Blackbird (Set Dance)
The Sweep's/The Harvest Home/The High Level/The Harvest Home (Hornpipes)

Style and legacy

During his lifetime, Doran was one of the most admired traditional musicians in Ireland.^[14]On the basis of his recordings, the traditional music scholarBreandán Breathnachranked him alongside thefiddleplayerMichael Colemanas one of the greatest Irish traditional musicians ever recorded.^[10]

His unusually rapid and fluent style influenced later pipers such asPaddy KeenanandDavy Spillane.

Discography

The Master Pipers, Volume 1original acetate disks, 1947.
The Bunch of Keysaudio tape, 'Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann' (CBÉ 001), 1988.
Johnny Doran ~ The Master Pipers, Volume 1re-mastered CD, 'Na Píobairí Uilleann' (NPUCD011), 2002.

Bibliography

Tuohy, David; Ó hAodha, Mícheál (2008).Postcolonial Artist: Johnny Doran and Irish Traveller Tradition.UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.ISBN 978-18-4718-441-2.

References

^Sleeve notes compiled by Jackie Small and published withThe Bunch of Keysaudio tape, Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann (CBÉ 001), 1988
^"StackPath".folkradio.co.uk.Retrieved9 November2020.
^Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65
^Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219
^Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65
^Talty, Brid.As We Met...; Local and Cultural History Kilfarboy Told through the life of Martin Talty.Milltown Malbay: Brid Talty.ISBN 9780957574304.p. 99
^Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219
^Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65
^Talty, Brid.As We Met...; Local and Cultural History Kilfarboy Told through the life of Martin Talty.Milltown Malbay: Brid Talty.ISBN 9780957574304.p. 101-104
^^a ^bSmall, Jackie, Sleeve notes fromJohnny Doran ~ The Master Pipers, Volume 1,'Na bPíobairí Uilleann' (NPUCD011), 2002
^Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 70-71
^Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 70
^Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219-220
^Carson, Ciaran,Pocket Guide to Irish Traditional Music,Appletree Press, 1986ISBN 0-86281-168-6

External links

[BunchofKeys-1] Sleeve notes compiled by Jackie Small and published withThe Bunch of Keysaudio tape, Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann (CBÉ 001), 1988

[2] "StackPath".folkradio.co.uk.Retrieved9 November2020.

[3] Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65

[4] Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219

[5] Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65

[6] Talty, Brid.As We Met...; Local and Cultural History Kilfarboy Told through the life of Martin Talty.Milltown Malbay: Brid Talty.ISBN 9780957574304.p. 99

[7] Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219

[8] Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 65

[9] Talty, Brid.As We Met...; Local and Cultural History Kilfarboy Told through the life of Martin Talty.Milltown Malbay: Brid Talty.ISBN 9780957574304.p. 101-104

[SmallCDSN-10] Small, Jackie, Sleeve notes fromJohnny Doran ~ The Master Pipers, Volume 1,'Na bPíobairí Uilleann' (NPUCD011), 2002

[11] Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 70-71

[12] Taylor, Barry (2013).Music in a Breeze of Wind; Traditional Dance Music in west Clare 1870–1970.Danganella: Barry Taylor.ISBN 978-0-9927356-0-9.p. 70

[13] Vallely, Fintan (2012).Companion to Irish Traditional Music.Cork: Cork University Press.ISBN 978-1859184509.p. 219-220

[Carson-14] Carson, Ciaran,Pocket Guide to Irish Traditional Music,Appletree Press, 1986ISBN 0-86281-168-6

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