Seán Keane, a traditional musician, was remembered as a chieftain in both life and music at his funeral mass. Keane passed away on May 7th at the age of 76 after a short illness. The mass was held at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Saggart, Co Dublin where a fiddle was placed in front of the altar. President Michael D Higgins was among the mourners.
Keane settled in St Patrick’s Crescent in Rathcoole and was known to turn up to play at communion or confirmation ceremonies at the church. The parish priest, Fr John Gilligan, said that Keane’s home was “full of love and joy and music and hospitality”. Fr Gilligan recalled how Keane had lost his wife, Maire, in March 2020 at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. She had been a “bubbly character” who had lit up every room she went into. Keane had been a shy and humble man who never asked for privileges despite his status. “He had lost his soulmate. His best friend had passed,” Fr Gilligan added.
Keane’s friend and fellow fiddler, Paddy Glackin, spoke of how Keane pushed the possibilities of his instrument throughout his career. He had absorbed so many influences in his life and fused them in his own art. He opened up “new rights of way, bringing us into territories that we really hadn’t thought of. He had a big open heart”.
His journey with The Chieftains had been “Homeric and quite extraordinary,” Glackin added. “They took our music to the world and that’s a phenomenal achievement. We should be forever grateful for that because it opened doors for the rest of us. That will stand the test of time.”
Keane’s brother, James, shared his memories of growing up in a household in Errigal Road in Drimnagh in Dublin surrounded by music. Their parents were musicians and other musicians were always calling, being fed and then sent on their way. “I loved Seán. He was my big brother. I cherished every moment we played music together,” he said at the mass.
Among those who attended the funeral were fellow Chieftains band member, Matt Molloy, uilleann pipers Mick O’Brien and Gay McKeon, conductor David Brophy, accordion player Mary Corcoran, fiddler player Mick O’Connor and multi-instrumentalist Liam O’Connor. Keane, who was buried in the adjacent Saggart cemetery, is survived by his brother, his children Déirdre, Páraic and Darach and 11 grandchildren.
Seán Keane was born in Dublin in 1944 and grew up in the suburbs. He learned the fiddle from his parents and by the age of 13 he started performing with his family. Keane was a founder member of The Chieftains, one of Ireland’s most successful traditional music groups. He played on the band’s first album, ‘Chieftains 1’, in 1963 and stayed with the group until 1979. Keane rejoined the band for their ‘The Celtic Harp’ album in 1993 and stayed with the group until his death.
Throughout his career, Keane released several solo albums and played with numerous Irish musicians, including a concert with U2 in 1986 at their ‘Self-Aid’ show. In 2010, he received the lifetime achievement award at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards.
Keane’s passing has been mourned by many in the Irish music industry. The Chieftains’ Paddy Moloney said Keane had been “a consummate musician, and an absolute gentleman,” while the band’s harpist, Tríona Marshall, said he had been “a huge inspiration” and that “his music will live on”.
Meanwhile, Irish folk music presenter, Kieran Hanrahan, called Keane “a towering figure in the world of traditional Irish music” and that “his impact on the music will be felt for generations to come.”
In conclusion, Seán Keane was a legendary traditional musician who made an indelible impact on the Irish music industry. His passing is a great loss to the music world, and he will be remembered for his unique sound, technical ability and for his deeply rooted relationship with traditional Irish music.
