This is a subscriber-only article
The most distinctive guitar style in the history of country music in Ireland belongs to Seamus McMahon from Castleblayney. This quiet and most unassuming gentleman pioneered his own unique style that, along with John Beattie on the organ, complemented the unique sound of Big Tom and The Mainliners to thousands of followers.
Seamus has always held a special place in the hearts of those who followed Big Tom and The Mainliners all around the island of Ireland and in England.
He did for the country guitar what Bashful Brother Oswald did for the dobro with Roy Acuff and The Smoky Mountain Boys and later on the Grand Ole Opry.
McMahon’s guitar style is as instantly recognisable as the lyrics of a Tom T Hall song. There are a handful of people who are blessed with creating their own unique styles and Seamus did that from his early years.
In a rare interview, Seamus, described in song by Fermanagh songwriter Eugene Doonan, as the “humble guitar man”, says his first instrument was the fiddle.
“I always had and still have a fondness for the fiddle. Traditional music was strong in our area when I started out and I continued to play some tunes on the fiddle with The Mainliners, especially the bluegrass medley.
“I took a notion for the guitar in the early 1960s when country music was getting popular and I started taking an interest in it at that time. I was always willing to learn from anyone who would show me bits and pieces about playing it.
“We formed our own band and we had my brother Henry along with Tom McBride, Ginger Morgan, Cyril McKevitt, John Beattie and Ronnie Duffy. We were just a local band playing the parochial halls all around the region.
“I loved to play lead rather than just the chords. I never realised that it was going to go so far. It was just a bit of craic at the time.
“When we got our manager, John McCormack from Rockcorry, it got more serious. We recorded our first songs and albums and we all played on them. That was our own unique sound,” says Seamus.
It was also the sound that made The Mainliners famous after Big Tom recorded Gentle Mother. Within months, the Monaghan band was the rage of the country and Big Tom was soon crowned King of Irish Country Music.
“The first song I played on the guitar was a Hank Williams one called Someday You’ll Call My Name. I also remember picking The Wabash Cannonball in those early years as well as The Wildwood Flower.
“I was never one for the limelight and I never pushed myself as such. I was always happy to bring my own style to the band and let Tom and the other lads do the vocals. I would do one or two songs most nights over the years like England’s Motorway, The Last Thing On My Mind and If We Never Meet Again This Side of Heaven.
“We had massive years on the dancehall circuit. Tom (McBride) was so popular. People took to him in a big way. He made a lot of friends everywhere he went. That we all miss him goes without saying. He was part of the history of the country.
“I still enjoy doing the shows and we have been back on the road over the last few months with John Glenn out front. John is a nice man to work with too and it is always nice to meet people I knew over the years with Big Tom.”
Seamus McMahon has earned his own special place in the history of Irish country music. The Irish Farmers Journal is delighted to salute this noble son of Monaghan.
SHARING OPTIONS: