The Cooley Connection
The timeline above documents Joe Cooley’s life, and has been compiled by Nicola and Paddy Egan, featuring events of note and Joe’s movements throughout the 1950s, the 1960s, and into the 1970s. This timeline contains copyrighted media, and is only intended as a research tool. It is being updated continually as new information is found, and citations of each event are then recorded in notes for verification. This timeline helps to facilitate an understanding of Joe’s life as interviews and evidence-collecting continues, but is not intended as a definitive account of Joe’s life. A lot of work has been carried out by Dr Charlie Piggott on Joe Cooley’s life, and one such narrative from Charlie can be accessed here:
A Question of Comic Wit
Nicola and Paddy are involved in an Arts Council project entitled “The Cooley Connection”, which is an experiment in applied research, to see what happens when a sound installation is used at a festival such as the Cooley-Collins! The Cooley Connection seeks to delve deeper into the world of Joe Cooley (of most interest as Nicola grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area), and in parts, where Kieran Collins and Joe crossed paths. Any information on Joe and Kieran is most welcome as this project progresses.
The Cooley Connection
During the week before the 40th Cooley Collins Trad festival, Paddy Egan and his wife Nicola will perform for kids in local schools, spreading the word about Joe Cooley, Kieran Collins and the Cooley Collins Trad Fest.
On the weekend of the 40th Cooley Collins Trad Festival, Nicola and Paddy Egan will do a sound installation “trail” in several locations around Gort. They have collected 1950s and 1960s objects, and these objects will contain sets of earphones with Mp3 players, so people at the festival can listen to interviews and archival recordings collected by Nicola and Paddy from people who knew Joe Cooley from all over the world.
A playlist in each object will feature stories about Joe’s time in America, the experiences of people who met Joe, his family, and his neighbours that remember him still. More detailed information in the press release below.
Announcing Joe Cooley Digital Sound Installation & Storytelling
Joe Cooley – hurler, block-layer, acrobat, and accordion player extraordinaire
Joe Cooley in America – The Cooley Connection
Summary: In September 2024, an interview piece on RTÉ Céili House launched “The Cooley Connection” project and 40th Cooley/Collins Festival this Bank Holiday weekend in Gort, Galway
Lauded as “first-of-its-kind” by RTÉ Presenter, Kieran Hanrahan, this October bank holiday there will be an innovative new addition to the Cooley/Collins Traditional Irish musical festival.
In tribute to its 40th anniversary year, Dr Pádraig Mac Aodhgáin (concertina) and Nicola Uí Aodhgáin (pipes) have collected interviews, stories and archival recordings about Joe Cooley from around the world.
Over 130 audio clips will be available at 13 locations installed around the square in the market town of Gort as part of “The Cooley Connection” project.
Stories have been contributed by local legends, ordinary people and famous musicians both in Ireland and America – as well as family and neighbours who speak about an Ireland that feels both far away in time, and close in spirit.
Hidden in historical objects and displayed at symbolic locations in cafés, pubs and stores around the town, the digital sound installation has something for everyone: young and old, for newcomers and locals alike – and even for those who prefer hurling over the music.
The goal is that people will encounter the sound installation during the course of the festival weekend so that the stories of the past will surround us and come alive once again.
In so doing, we hope people learn a little about the music and history in Gort and the time of high rural emigration during the 1950s through stories about Joe Cooley.
One typically doesn’t need to introduce Joe Cooley – such is the fame which surrounds this accordion player, who was a founding member of the Tulla Céili Band before leaving to see most towns in America and play for dancers in just about every town in Ireland and England as well.
For those interested in finding more about the background to the project and the history around Joe Cooley’s music, there will be a presentation on Saturday October 26 at 6pm in the Gort Town Hall Theatre.
Visitors to the Gort festival are encouraged to explore the talks, sessions, concerts, dancing and of the annual Cooley Collins Cup – all of which can be found here at the Cooley/Collins website: http://www.cooleycollinstradfest.com/index.php/programme
First set up in 1984 in memory of Kieran Collins, a highly regarded tin whistle player whose untimely passing in 1983 sparked what may well be Ireland’s oldest tribute festival to local musicians. Also recognised is the legendary Joe Cooley, who died in 1973 aged 49 years old. Hence, the Cooley/Collins festival – and long may it continue.
The brochure for The Cooley Connection will be printed and placed in boxes, alongside the Mp3 players and earphones. Here is an example brochure:
Your feedback for the Cooley Connection project is very helpful to us, and can be sent anonymously. Please add your thoughts on the project here:
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