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Joe O’Connor
Fiddle

Joe comes from near Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His love of the fiddle was fostered by his mother, but he did not begin playing until he was seventeen after being introduced to the instrument by a local farmer, poet and musician James McGurk. Through James, he met and learned from other musicians in the Dungannon area, including John Comac, John Loughran, James Gallagher, Pat Hamill and John Hayden (Cathal Hayden's father).

Prior to moving to Southend in 1984, he played with a number of bands including St Peter's Ceili Band, Trainor Brothers Ceili Band, the Johnny Pickering Ceili Band and The Freemen Folk Group. Joe won the Ulster Champion Fiddle competition in 1980/81.

Since arriving in Southend, Joe has involved himself in the Southend Irish Association and is their current chairman. He has encouraged others to take an interest in Irish traditional music and, as a result, the Southend Irish Ceili Band has been formed.

Joe has been performing with The Free Mac Guinness Ceili Band for the past four years.

He is fond of quoting John Loughran, the blind fiddler from Pomeroy, who once famously said that "playing the fiddle was a form of prayer as it was impossible to have one bad thought in your head when playing Irish traditional music." Let the prayers commence!

 



Tony Fuller
Band Leader, Guitar, Vocals

Tony began playing guitar and singing back in Dublin in the 1960s. After he left Ireland to attend Art School in London, he had to pay his way through college by “busking” on the Underground walkways and in folk clubs and universities all around England.

Tony’s influences are the great Luke Kelly and singer songwriter Ralph McTell. In 1982, his singing of “Streets of London” combined with his comedy act won him 1st prize at the National Pontins talent competition and he was offered a full-time professional contract.

Since then, Tony has worked with numerous comics including Jimmy Cricket and Shane Richie and has appeared on TV and in films acting as an Irish musician. He loves the ‘CRAIC’ (Irish good time/fun).

For a long time, Tony has been involved in various charity organisations and for the past 10 years has raised funds for Cancer Research, in memory of his late mother, Margaret Fuller, (R.I.P.) through his “Fuller’s Golf Days” and his London Irish Charity CD, “Exiles - One and all”.

Tony and Mick produce a magic of great Irish music and humour at all their venues, which include weddings, birthdays and even the odd funeral (with mandolin and guitar to “Danny Boy”). They work well as a double act, Mick with a wealth of Irish tunes, reels and jigs and Tony as the mouthpiece for both of them. They have worked well together and with many other Irish musicians over past 30 years.

  



Mick O’Connor
Banjo, Mandolin

Mick inherited a love of Irish music from his parents who come from County Kerry and Roscommon in Ireland. Barney McKenna of “The Dubliners” inspired Mick to learn the Banjo in 1967. He learned tunes from the great London Irish musicians, including John Bowe, Bobby Casey, Tommy McCarthy and Roger Sherlock and is particularly influenced by Clare, Galway and Kerry styles of playing.

Mick was all-Ireland tenor banjo champion in 1971 and won two all-Ireland ceili band medals in 1986 and 1987 with “Thatch Ceili Band”.

He toured the USA & Ireland in 1975 and the UK in 1976 with Joe Burke and Paddy Glakin on the “Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireannn” tour.

He has taught banjo and mandolin for the past 14 years. Mick has played in countless concerts and ceilis and toured in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Ireland and elsewhere. He has recorded with some of the greats of Irish music, including Tommy Makem, Kevin Burke, Brendan Shine, Donal Lunny and Noel Murphy.

In 1992 Mick backed Elvis Costello on stage and he performed with Ronnie Drew of “The Dubliners” in 1998.

Mick teamed up with Tony Fuller early in 1970 and the two played in the famous “Súgan Folk Club” on Balls Pond Road, London. Mick also played on their first CD, “Exiles”, in 1998, raising over £15,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Trust.


We also currently have CDs available to purchase, or if you would like to hear a taster, there is a short clip from each of the tracks, together with information on our previous CDs and details of how to order is available on the music page.

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