The Project was sponsored by Leixlip Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and assisted under the CCE Meitheal Development Programme.
Eddie Clarke was a master of traditional Irish Music on the Chromatic Harmonica, his playing spanning three decades from th
e mid 1960s to the late 1980s.
Born in Virginia, Co Cavan in 1945, he spent most of his working life in Dublin. A regular visitor to his brother Andrew in Celbridge, he attended the now well established Ceardlann Earraigh in Celbridge annually from its inauguration until his untimely death in 2004.
His interest in traditional Irish music was developed while as a student teacher in Dublin. He visited many of the traditional music venues to listen to and appreciate the well established musicians of the time.
It was a chance meeting with harmonica player Sean Walshe from Donard Co Wicklow, at one of these venues that awakened his interest in the harmonica.
With the assistance of Sean, practice and dedicated attention to detail he soon mastered the instrument.
He was a regular visitor to O'Donoghue's Pub in Merrion Row, Dublin and often played with renowned Clare fiddle players Joe Ryan and John Kelly.
With Joe, he won the Oireachtas Duet competition in 1972 and 1973 and later performed at the US Smithsonian Institute Bicentennial Festival of American Folklife in 1976.
While in the US Eddie recorded an album "Sailing into Walpole's Marsh" with fiddle player Maeve Donnelly and singers Mairéad Ní Domhnaill and Sean Corcoran and in 1981 he recorded the highly acclaimed duet album, "Crossroads", with Joe Ryan.
Following his untimely death in 2004, a quantity of cassette tapes, of his solo harmonica playing and his singing in a unique traditional style were discovered in his home.
These tapes were evaluated by well known traditional musicians Antóin Mac Gabhain and Seamus Mac Mathúna to see if they had any musical or archival value.
As a result of their recommendation and their subsequent enormous input into this project a CD compilation of 3 music CDs and 1 singing CD was launched in November last.
They contain music and song taken from these home recordings and practice tapes, restored and mastered by Harry Bradshaw to the best possible quality.
This unique CD compilation is available from www.eddieclarke.ie , from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and music outlets.
