Margaret Barry

Margaret Barry (1917–1989) was an Irish Traveller, traditional singer and banjo player.

For the English children's writer, see Margaret Stuart Barry.
Margaret Barry
Birth nameMargaret Cleary
Born1 January 1917
Cork, Ireland
OriginCounty Cork, Ireland
Died1989 (aged 71–72)
Lawrencetown, County Down, Northern Ireland
GenresTraditional Irish, Sean Nós
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsBanjo
Associated actsMichael Gorman

Biography

Barry became a well-known name on the London folk scene in the 1950s, with her distinctive singing style and idiosyncratic banjo accompaniment.[1]

Born Margaret Cleary in Cork into a family of Travellers and street singers, she taught herself how to play the zither banjo and the fiddle at a young age. At the age of sixteen, after a family disagreement, Margaret left home and started performing as a street musician.

In the early 1950s she moved to London. With her flamboyant delivery and idiosyncratic banjo-playing, Barry became well known in the pubs and clubs of Irish London, where she was frequently accompanied by the fiddler Michael Gorman. Barry's singing and banjo playing became a major influence on the younger generation of ballad singers in Ireland and the UK, including Luke Kelly.

One song for which Barry is particularly noted is "She Moved Through the Fair". [2] Asked by an interviewer, Karl Dallas, whether she had learned it from her family or from other Travellers, she replied cheerfully, "Oh, no. I got it off a gramophone record by Count John McCormack".

The accompanying book to the Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten lists Her Mantle So Green as one of the classic albums[3]:16 and The Factory Girl from Street Songs and Fiddle Tunes of Ireland with Michael Gorman is track 9 on the third CD in the set.

A play She Moved Through the Fair: The legend of Margaret Barry co-written by Mary McPartlan and Colin Irwin had its debut in 2017 in the Tron Theatre, Glasgow as part of the Celtic Connections Festival.[4]

Poet/songwriter, Frank Callery wrote a song for the centenary of Barry's birth.[5]

Singer/songwriter, Tim O'Riordan, wrote a song in celebration of Barry, The Heart of the Song( for Margaret Barry) and recorded it on the album Taibhse in 2018.

At the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2019 Barry was inducted into the Hall of Fame by American singer Peggy Seeger.[6]

Discography
  • Songs of an Irish Tinker Lady (Riverside RLP 12–602, 1956)
  • Street Songs and Fiddle Tunes (Topic 10T6, 1957) – with Michael Gorman
  • Ireland’s Queen Of The Tinkers Sings (Top Rank 25/020, 1960)
  • The Blarney Stone (Prestige Irish, 1961) – with Michael Gorman
  • Songs From the Hills of Donegal (Washington WV 731, 1962)
  • Irish Music In London Pubs (Folkways FG 3575, 1965) – with Michael Gorman
  • Her Mantle So Green (Topic 12T123, 1965) – with Michael Gorman
  • Come Back Paddy Reilly (Emerald GEM 1003, 1968)
  • Sing and Play (Folkways FW8729, 1975)
  • Ireland's Own (Outlet SOLP 1029, 1976)
  • I Sang Through The Fairs (Rounder 11661–1774-2, 1998)
  • Travellin' People from Ireland (Emerald EMCD8004, 2001) – with Pecker Dunne
  • Queen of the Gypsies (Emerald EMCD8004, 2007)
  • The Definitive Collection (Songs of The Travelling People) (PMI, 2013)

See also

Notes
  1. Byrne, Angela. "The 'Irish Tinker Lady' whose songs captivated London". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  2. Molleson, Kate (2017-01-24). "She Moved Through the Fair / Leveret reviews – a touching tribute and classy and convivial folk". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  3. Three Score and Ten Accompanying Book
  4. "Folksinger and broadcaster Mary McPartlan dies at 65". www.rte.ie. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  5. "Margaret Barry". www.audioboom.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  6. Ye Vagabonds make it a treble at RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards.

References
  • Pohle, Horst (1987) The Folk Record Source Book; 2nd ed. p. 22 (for discography)
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