Bobby Gardiner and friends playing at his TG4 Lifetime Achievement Award 2015

"Bobby Gardiner is a legendary accordion player and teacher. He was born in the townland of Aughdarra near Lisdoonvarna in north Clare in 1939. There was music in the blood. His mother, Dilly, played a German two- row concertina and from her he learned his first tune – the fling What the devil ails you? His brother introduced him to a new Hohner two-row button accordion and after that, Bobby bought a grey Paolo Soprani accordion.

"An elderly concertina player by the name of Margie Flanagan lived near his grandparents’ house and her hearty style also left an impression on young Bobby. Later, he was also influenced by the recordings of Tipperary man Paddy O’Brien’s and his mastery of the B/C system of accordion-playing. He had also heard and greatly admired all the old masters on the 78 gramophone recordings – Coleman, Killoran, Morrison, John Kimmell and box player Michael Grogan. Other influences included the piper Patsy Touhy, flute player John McKenna and the Flanagan Brothers.

"He remembers vividly playing for mummers’ dances (Wren Boys) which lasted all night. He had many sessions with the Russell brothers, Paddy Killourihy, Willie hannon, Gerald O’Loughlin and Tom Doolan on fiddles, Micilín Conlon, Tommy Scullane, Murt O’Dwyer, and Peter Griffin on accordions and Chris Droney on concertina. Pattey Flanagan of Doonagore, Doolin was another influence as he had a rare collection of tunes, some with different versions. In the 1950s, he joined the Kilfenora Céilí Band and also played with Malachy Sweeney’s Céilí Band from Armagh." Posted on Youtube on the 19th of February 2015 by TG4.