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Irish accordion player Joe Cooley was born in 1924 in Peterswell, County Galway. A builder by trade, he was a charismatic figure in traditional music scenes in Clare, Britain, and the USA. Both his parents played the melodeon, and most of his older brothers were musicians. The Cooley house was a popular gathering place for dances, with music provided by the family.
Cooley’s musical style was deceptively simple but had a remarkable ‘lonesome’ quality. He inspired dancers and followers, becoming a legend during his lifetime. He worked and played in Clare and London before emigrating to the USA in 1954. He lived in New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. In New York, he played with Paddy O’Brien in the Tulla Céilí Band and often collaborated with his brother Séamus.
Dancers were particularly drawn to Cooley’s music. He returned to Ireland in 1972, and admirers traveled from all over the country to hear him before his death in 1973. Gael Linn produced the definitive collection of his music, “Cooley,” in 1975. Some tracks were recorded with his brother Jack on bodhrán and Des Mulkere on banjo shortly before his death. A collection of his recordings can be heard on the Joe Cooley tapes website, below.
Going further
Ornamentation in Irish Traditional Music
An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music
