Sean McCarthy (1923–1990), a native of

Finuge Finuge () is a village near Listowel in County Kerry, Ireland. Finuge is a traditional Irish crossroads village with a shop, a pub, Teach Siamsa and a G.A.A. pitch. Sheehan's Thatched House located at Finuge Cross is regarded as one of the ol ...

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

, Ireland, was an Irish songwriter. He was born one of 10 children, on 5 July 1923. He wrote ballads including "

Step It Out Mary "Step It Out Mary" (also "Step It Out Mary My Fine Daughter") is a traditional Irish ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Brit ...

", "Shanagolden", "Red Haired Mary" "In Shame Love, In Shame" and " Highland Paddy". In 1973 a collection of his songs was published in Listowel, County Kerry. "Poet, author, folklorist and traditional music aficionado"

Mattie Lennon Mattie may refer to: * Mattie (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Mattie, Piedmont, Italy, a municipality * Mattie, West Virginia, United States, a ghost town * ''Grace Bailey'' (schooner), known as ...

wrote a play about the life and works of Sean McCarthy entitled "And All his Songs Were Sad". It was produced by the Pantagleize Theatre Company in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

October 2010. It received a poor local review. A festival in honour of McCarthy is held every August in his home village of Finuge. The festival includes ballad and story writing competitions. Finuge has one of the oldest surviving authentic thatched cottages in Ireland, estimated to be at least 300 years old. The house, Sheahan's Thatched Cottage is owned by the Festival Committee.

Discography

* ''The Wandering Man'', EMI, ISRMCD 009, 2002

References

Irish male songwriters 1923 births 1990 deaths Musicians from County Kerry 20th-century Irish folk musicians {{Ireland-musician-stub