Hall of Fame winner, Drimalost's Danny Meehan with TG4's Aoife NÃ Thuairisg at the reception Reception to announce winners of the TG4 Traditional Music Awards, The Dock, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim last month. Photo: Brian Farrell
BY SEÁN P. FEENY
FIDDLE players from around the county will tell you that when Danny Meehan returned to his native Drimalost four years ago, having spent 53 years abroad, he brought with him many tunes from the foothills of the Bluestacks that hadn’t been heard in decades.
This weekend the renowned fiddle player will ‘hit the road’ with his older brother Kevin to travel to Limerick where Danny will be honoured with the Hall of Fame award at the annual Gradam Ceoil TG4 ceremony on Saturday night.
Danny left his native Donegal at the age 16 with £3 in his pocket, ‘full of adventure’ and wanting to see the world.
“It was a natural turn of events in those days, I was full of adventure and although I did miss the people, I didn’t mind leaving at the time,” he said.
Danny said he finds it hard to describe how he felt when he got the call that he is to receive the Hall of Fame award.
“I think ‘gobsmacked’ is the word they use these days. I just thought surely there’s plenty of others that would deserve it more, but it’s nice to be recognised and that, after being away 53 years, people don’t think I’m dead and buried,” he laughed.
Danny will be going to the event with his older brother Kevin, who also lived in London for 60 years and returned to Donegal in recent years.
“Kevin was a good musician when he was young as well, but he was a bit lazy and he was also a talented footballer so he decided to stick to playing with St Naul’s before he left.
“So us two old boys will be hitting the road and as there’s a lot of people from London going to be there I’ll have to dodge the pints flying over the bar and pace myself.”