The Cartlanna: Thanks ⁊ Credits

The Joe Heaney Archives project team owes a great debt to the following persons and institutions. Their generous support and collaboration has made it possible to establish the Archives, and thereby to fulfil Joe Heaney’s wish that the heritage of which he was a part be made freely available to as many people as possible.

  • The Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (now the Irish Research Council), whose generous funding made it possible to undertake this work.
  • The Department of Music, University of Washington, Seattle, which since 1984 has supported and maintained the Joe Heaney Collection. Special thanks are due to the Ethnomusicology Division and especially to its Archivist, Laurel Sercombe, for her generous collaboration with this project.
  • Áras Shorcha Ní Ghuairim, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge (National University of Ireland, Galway), for providing generous office space and facilities. Heartfelt thanks to staff members Dónal Ó Droighneáin, Pádraig Ó Coirbín, and Nóra Uí Shúilleabháin, to Pádraic Ó Conaola, and to all those who unstintingly shared their knowledge of the oral traditions of Iorras Aithneach and Conamara. Particular thanks to Seán Ó Guairim, who has kindly allowed us to post recordings he made of local singers and storytellers for the Áras’ archives.
  • The National Folklore Collection at University College, Dublin and its Director, Ríonach uí Ógáin, for allowing publication here of important materials from its manuscript and sound archives.
  • Raidió Teilifís Éireann, for its willingness to allow recordings from their sound archives to be made available here. Thanks especially to Ian Lee, whose recordings of some of Joe Heaney’s neighbours are posted here, to Malachy Moran, Managerof RTÉ Radio Audio Services and Archive and to the RTÉ administration for their help in making this possible.
  • Irish Traditional Music Archive and its director, Nicholas Carolan, for generous help and knowledgeable advice, and for its ongoing commitment to promoting knowledge of, access to, and worldwide appreciation of Irish traditional music and song.
  • The Australian Folklore Unit and its director, Warren Fahey, for allowing us to post segments of Joe Heaney’s 1981 concert at the Sydney Opera House, which can be heard in its entirety at his website.
  • The many students, colleagues and friends of Joe Heaney whose recordings of his songs, stories and lore are at the heart of this archive, including Susan Auerbach, Gage Averill, the late Liam Clancy, James Cowdery, the late Professor Kenneth Goldstein, Robin Hiteshew, Mary E. Johnson, Professor Fredric Lieberman, Jill Linzee, George Mc Intyre, Patrick O’Donnell, Joan Rabinowitz, Sonia Seeman, Gerald Shannon, the late Lucy Simpson, Cynthia Thiessen and Esther Warkov.
  • Journalist and author Liam Mac Con Iomaire, whose fascinating biography of Joe Heaney, Seosamh Ó hÉanaí: Nár fhágha mé bás choíche (Cló Iar-Chonachta, 2007) was of inestimable help in preparing the summary of Joe’s life and work contained in this archive, and whose interest in and support for this project have been a constant inspiration for it.
  • Poet, singer and teacher Micheál Ó Cuaig of Áill na Brón, Cill Chiaráin, whose founding and annual organization of the festival in Joe’s honour, Féile Joe Éinniú, has helped to keep Joe Heaney’s legacy alive in his home district for over 25 years. We are particularly grateful to Micheál for helping us to proofread transcriptions and translations of a number of Joe’s songs.
  • Máire Nic Fhinn, longtime friend of Joe Heaney and colleague of the late Riobard Mac Góráin at Gael-Linn, for sharing her collection of news cuttings and other documents relating to her work with Joe Heaney, and for her unstinting support and encouragement of this project.
  • Peggy Seeger, for allowing us to post audio segments from sessions recorded by herself and Ewan Mac Coll with Joe in late 1963 and early 1964, including items that were not included in the double-CD The Road from Connemara. In this connection we also acknowledge Fred Mc Cormick, whose transcriptions of the Mac Coll / Seeger interviews are available online and who has generously allowed us to quote from them here.
  • Historian and archaeologist Michael Gibbons, for sharing his insights regarding the impact of the Great Famine in Conamara.
  • Professor Sean Williams of The Evergreen State University, Olympia, Washington, who completed her masters’ dissertation on the singing of Joe Heaney, with whom she studied at the University of Washington, Seattle. Her ongoing interest in Joe’s singing and her insights into his character and his teaching style have been of inestimable value to this project.
  • Finally, our deep appreciation and gratitude to the people of Carna and Iorras Aithneach, past and present. The commitment of local singers, storytellers and tradition-bearers over countless generations gave life and meaning to the career of Joe Heaney — a gift that we seek to honour with these Archives. We are also grateful to those of the present generation: Johnny Mháirtín Learaí Mac Donnchadha, Josie Sheáin Jeaic Mac Donncha, Bríd Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, Joe John Mac Con Iomaire, Béibí Éinniú Uí Mhaoilchiaráin, Máire Ní Mhaoilchiaráin, Pól Ó Ceannabháin, Caitríona Ní Cheannabháin and others who keep this magnificant tradition alive today. Go maire sib an céad!