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  Famous Travellers

Johnny and Felix Doran

The travelling piper Johnny Doran played at fairs and sporting events in the 1930s and '40s, and helped to make the uilleann pipes popular in Ireland from the 1950s onwards. He played with imagination and flair and his music continues to inspire pipers and other musicians. He was born in 1907, he grew up in the village of Rathnew, near Wicklow town. His father John was a piper and his great-grandfather was John Cash, the celebrated Wexford travelling piper. By his early twenties Johnny was travelling Ireland, setting off from Dublin each spring with his family in his horse-drawn caravan, playing at fairs, races and other sporting events. On January 30, 1948, Johnny Doran's caravan was parked on waste ground near Back Lane in Cornmarket, when a wall collapsed, smashing through the roof. Johnny Doran was paralysed from the waist down and sustained other injuries which were to prove fatal. He died in St Vincent's Hospital, Athy, Co Kildare, on January 9, 1950 and is buried in Rathnew cemetery, Co Wicklow.

The great uilleann piper Felix Doran The great uilleann piper Felix Doran
The great uilleann piper Felix Doran The great uilleann piper Felix Doran
The great uilleann piper Felix Doran The great uilleann piper Felix Doran


Felix Doran was born in 1915 and died in 1972. His older brother Johnny taught him to play the uilleann pipes. He played on Dublin's famous Moore Street during the 1930's. He lived in a horse drawn caravan and journeyed around the country with his wife and family. He made his living from horse dealing and general trading but always played the pipes at any of the fairs he attended. He was also a very good story teller and was well known for improving on any stories told to him. In 1963 Felix won first prize on the pipes at the Mullingar Fleadh. He later went to England and ran a very successful haulage contractor business with a fleet of lorries. By the 1960's he had been on radio on many occasions. He died in Manchester in England in 1972 and was buried in Rathnew in County Wicklow.

The Film 'Southpaw' tells the story of Francis Barrett who represented Ireland in Atlanta 1996

Francis Barrett is a Traveller from Galway who represented Ireland as a light-welterweight boxer in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He carried the Irish flag at the opening ceremony. The film 'Southpaw' has been released and tells the story of his struggle to win the Irish title and to represent Ireland at the Olympics.
 
Pecker Dunne
 
The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers)
The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers) The Pecker Dunne - famous Irish Musician (Image courtesy of Independent Newspapers)
Pecker Dunne was born into a travelling family in Wexford around the year 1933. He used to play on a fiddle he made himself. He played outside hurling and football matches. He also busked all over Ireland, England and France. He is best known for The Miximatosis Rabbit and a version of The Black Velvet Band called The Old Morris Van. He featured in the film Trojan Eddie with Richard Harris and Stephen Rea. Nowadays he lives in North Kerry and can he heard in Killarney playing with his teenage children.

Eddie Furey - famous musician (Photo used with kind permission of Jim Maginn - http://www.jimmaginn.fsnet.co.uk)


The Fureys - Eddie, Paul, George and Finbar have become famous through the music they have recorded. They were taught to play by their parents Ted and Nora. They all practised in different rooms of the house. They had many family sessions and lots of other famous musicians used to come to the house. They played for the Pope in Drogheda.

Eddie Furey: His father, Ted, taught him to play the fiddle in a traditional style so as to carry on from him. Later Eddie learned to play the guitar. With the growth in popularity of folk music in the 1960's, Eddie changed to playing the mandolin.

Finbar Furey - famous musician (Photo used with kind permission of Jim Maginn - http://www.jimmaginn.fsnet.co.uk)


Finbar Furey: He was born in the Coombe and grew up in Ballyfermot. His father played the fiddle and the pipes. His mother played the melodeon and a five-string banjo. As far back as he can remember he was playing music. Finbar and his brother Eddie toured the folk clubs, colleges and universities throughout Britain and Europe and soon became folk legends across the continent. Finbar enjoys writing songs. He was the group’s front man for nearly thirty years. Finbar took a break from the group in 1993 to pursue a solo career.

Paul Furey: Paul learned to play mainly from his mother who played the accordion.

George Furey: When he lived at home, Paul played the banjo and guitar. He was the youngest and he often travelled to France, England and Scotland with his father playing music. (Photos of the Fureys used with kind permission of Jim Maginn).