Johnny Connolly was an Irish musician from

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...

, and one of Ireland's most prominent players of the melodeon (one-row button accordion). In a 2008

TG4 TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was formerly known ...

interview, Connolly described how he first took up the instrument: his parents left the children home at Inis Bearacháin to go watch

currach A currach ( ) is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched, though now canvas is more usual. It is sometimes anglicised as "curragh". The construction and design of the currach are unique ...

racing, and Connolly's sister showed him where their parents kept their melodeon locked up, which he commenced to play for the rest of the day, beginning his ties to the instrument. Connolly has been described as "king of the melodeon", the best player of his generation, and catalyst for increased interest in the single-row melodeon in Irish music.Ring of Gullion Comhaltas Welcomes Johnny Connolly ‘King of the Melodeon’ to Forkhill
Cross Examiner, 28 August 2012 Connolly's son,

Johnny Óg Connolly Johnny Óg Connolly is an Irish musician. A son of traditional musician Johnny Connolly of Inis Bearachain, Connemara, Connolly began playing the accordion aged nine, learning from his father and Micheal Mheáirt Ó Coisdealbha. Two years late ...

, is a well-known player of the

Irish button accordion A melodeon or diatonic button accordion is a member of the free-reed aerophone family of musical instruments. It is a type of button accordion on which the melody-side keyboard contains one or more rows of buttons, with each row producing the ...

Discography

*''An tOileán Aerach'' (1993) *''Drioball na Fáinleoige'' (1998) *''An Mileoidean Scaoilte'' (2004)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Johnny Irish accordionists Musicians from County Galway Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Irish folk musicians People from County Galway 21st-century accordionists Green Linnet Records artists