Barney McKenna

Bernard Noël "Barney " McKenna ( born December 16, 1939 in Dublin, † April 5, 2012 ) was an Irish musician.

Life

Barney McKenna, also known as Banjo Barney From Donnycarney, played banjo, mandolin, and melodeon. With the banjo playing of the musicians began when he desired a mandolin in his childhood could not afford. He was wrong the banjo in the "classical" CGDA tuning, but like the violin GDAE, but an octave lower. At the age of twelve he wanted to be a member of the Number One Army Band, but was rejected because of poor eyesight. After leaving school at the age of 14 years, he worked as a glass blower, furniture packer and in construction.

Since 1962, McKenna was a member and co-founder of the Irish folk band The Dubliners, but also occasionally plays with The Chieftains. He was known for his humor and his eccentric remarks, referred to by the band members as " Barneyismen " and popular. It is reported that he once forgot the key to his hotel room and therefore entered the door, but not without first taking off the shoes so as not to disturb the other guests too much.

Barneys extraordinary Banjo game coined the sound of the Dubliners clearly and let Barney be the model for all players following the Irish banjo. He drew much responsible for ensuring that the tenor banjo is an important part of traditional Irish music today. Almost all players of Irish music have taken over his GDAE tuning. Barney played for many years a valuable Paragon banjo. In Concert Video All the great songs - but live in Dublin, he played a new Banjo Irish Banjo builder Dave Boyle. It is believed that the modern instrument is a little easier to play what Barney might be come to meet. After all, the years have not been kind to him. Through a diabetes his eyes had further suffered. He could therefore no longer pursue his big hobby of deep sea fishing with his own fishing boat, but was in 2011 after 49 years still with the Dubliners on tour.

McKenna was with The Dubliners also occasionally active as a singer. Among his best-known songs include South Australia, Fiddlers Green and the ballad I Wish I Had Someone to Love Me The best known banjo solos of the musician are The Maid Behind the Bar, The High Reel and The Mason 's Apron and Colonel Fraser & O ' Rourke 's Reel, in which he was accompanied by Eamonn Campbell.

Barney lived in Howth Howth Head on the peninsula together with his Dutch wife. On April 5, 2012, he collapsed at his home and died on the way to a Dublin hospital. He was Buried on April 9, 2012 on the St Loman 's Cemetery, Trim, where his family originally came from.