The town of Castleblayney conferred the ultimate honour on two of its best-known music ambassadors at a gala occasion in the Old Coach Inn. The king of country Big Tom McBride and the king of jazz Paddy Cole, great friends over the decades, were lauded and cheered to the rafters during the final ceremony, presided over by members of Castleblayney Town Council.

It was a proud day for the McBride and Cole families when the Freedom of Castleblayney was conferred on Big Tom and Paddy. Both have been synonymous with ‘Blayney, catapulting it to the very heart of the music industry in Ireland over the decades. Because of them, thousands have made the journey to the county through the years, some with pilgrimage fervour.

Another native of the town, Anna McGoldrick, who has lived in Canada for many years, was also honoured by the Council and will be presented with her award next time she is back in Co Monaghan.

ADVERTISEMENT

On this special day, several fans of Big Tom made the journey, some from Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Armagh, Cavan and Dublin, adding greatly to the huge sense of pride and achievement which radiated out to so many parts of the island when the news of the accolades was made known.

The Mayor of Castleblayney, Cllr Gary Carville, delivered a superb address of welcome and outlined the background to the special ceremony.

“Both of them, in their own way and using the great talents that they have, have brought much pleasure and happiness to many people, much honour on themselves, and international recognition to Ireland’s music and cultural reservoir and to the great capacity of our town to nurture musical talent. Today we can truly say that we have two kings with us – the king of country and the king of jazz,” said Gary to rousing cheers.

He continued: “Big Tom was born just a few miles from our town, in the townland of the Moy, here in our parish. From the plain of the Moy, through the fields of Oram, Tom was to make his way onto the stage, firstly in local settings in places such as the old hall in Oram, but very soon afterwards throughout Ireland and in Britain.

“In 1967 he made it into the top-10 pop hits with his famous song Gentle Mother, a feat he was to repeat on nine other occasions. His tours became the stuff of legends, the last being just a few short years ago.

“Along with the Mainliners, and also the Travellers for a time, he built up a formidable force on the Irish music scene. Whether it was the carnival at Annyalla or filling venues in Nashville, Tom was and is always Tom.

“Throughout his many successes, in terms of performances and recordings, tours and interviews, he has always reflected his love for his native place, as in the song Back to Castleblayney. Also, we know him to be a devoted Monaghan and Oram GAA supporter, a former player with the club and county and a man whom we can call on whenever we need support for anything local.

“Paddy Cole was born here in the town and his father was a keen musician with the famous Regal showband – one of the forerunners to the modern Blayney tradition. He began his public performances with the great Maurice Lynch Showband – another Blayney tradition.

“Paddy’s talent was quickly recognised when in the 1960s he moved to the legendary Capitol showband and later The Big Eight (which also featured another Blayney man, the late Mickey O’Neill). In 1974 he formed the Paddy Cole Band.

“Country, pop and Dixieland were among the musical forms featured. Again, venues all over Ireland and the UK, as well as places such as Las Vegas, were natural homes to Paddy. He continued to feature in the changing music scene through the 1980s and into the present era.

“Paddy too has never forgotten his roots. His sisters and their families are still here and very much part of the Blayney community. Like Tom, he and Helen were also businesspeople in the town for many years. Paddy is always willing to help out locally where he can and we acknowledge that. Again, we recognise your talents and contribution to our town not just formally but warmly in our, again, overdue recognition.

“Today, we say a humble thank you to both of you for what you have done for us all, for what you mean to us and for our hope that you will continue to enlighten and entertain us with your talents for many years to come. Thank you,” concluded Carville.

Other members of the Council joined in the generous tributes to the honorees. Among those present were country legend Margo O’Donnell, who also resides in Castleblayney, as well as members of the Mainliners and former members of The Travellers and others from the music scene, along with family friends and supporters.

Raymond Watters and staff at the Old Coach Inn did a marvelous job dishing out the best in hospitality on what was a truly special day in the community life of Castleblayney. CL