Tony MacMahon was an Irish accordion player from Ennis in Co. Clare, and an influential figure in the world of traditional Irish music.
Tony’s passion for music was greatly influenced by Joe Cooley, who gifted him his first accordion at the age of ten. He later received a button accordion from piper Seán Reid. While training as a teacher in Dublin from 1957, Tony met influential musicians like Sonny Brogan, Bill Harte, John Kelly, and Breandán Breathnach. He was also coached in air-playing by Séamus Ennis while living with him in New York in 1963.
Tony MacMahon’s musical career included playing sessions at O’Donoghue’s in Merrion Row and collaborating with Seán Ó Riada and singers from Coolea at An tOireachtas. He played for the BBC sound recording of “The Playboy of the Western World” and recorded with Bobby Casey and others on the Topic record “Paddy in the Smoke” in 1966.
He worked as a freelance TV presenter for RTÉ, featuring in traditional music programs such as “Aisling Geal” and “Ag Déanamh Ceoil.” He joined RTÉ as a radio producer in 1974 and initiated the show “The Long Note.” He produced television series like “The Pure Drop” and “Come West along the Road,” utilizing television archive material.
Tony Mac Mahon is celebrated for his exceptional performance on the accordion, particularly in the interpretation of airs. Despite his proficiency, he believed the accordion is not ideally suited to the ethos of traditional music. He was sometimes critical of modern trends in traditional music, feeling that the art of older traditional musicians is waning.
Going further
The Instruments of Irish Traditional Music
Tony MacMahon – the Arts Council
