Kitty Smith Hayes (1928 – 17 May 2008) was a well-known

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

-player in Shanaway,

Milltown Malbay Milltown Malbay (), also Miltown Malbay, is a town in the west of County Clare, Ireland, near Spanish Point. The population was 829 at the 2016 Census. Name There is a townland on the southern edge of the town called Poulawillin or Pollawillin ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

, Ireland. Hayes was born in the townland of Fahanlunaghta, close to

Lahinch Lahinch or Lehinch ( ''or'' ) is a small town on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road, between Milltown Malbay and Ennistymon, roughly by road southwest of Galway and north ...

. She was the daughter of Peter Smith, a locally well-known concertina player. Hayes started playing at a young age, attracted to the music played by her father. When she mastered the basics, Peter Smith bought her her own concertina. She started playing at local dances.A Touch of Clare: Traditional Irish Concertina Music
mustrad.org.uk; accessed 3 January 2017. On one these local dances she met

whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...

and

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

player

Josie Hayes Josie may refer to: People: * Josie (name), various people and fictional characters with the given name * Edith Josie (1921-2000), Canadian writer and newspaper columnist * Peter Josie, Saint Lucia politician * Josie (stylist), Spanish stylist and ...

, who played in the

Laichtín Naofa Céilí Band The Laichtín Naofa Céilí Band is a former céilí band based in Milltown Malbay, County Clare, Ireland. History In 1951, the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was founded. This organisation established many local branches, including one in Millto ...

. They later married and raised seven children. Josie Hayes died in 1992. Hayes often played at Gleeson's Pub in

Coore Coore (also known as Coor) () is a village in the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane, near Mullagh and Milltown Malbay, in County Clare, Ireland. It is made up of two communities: Coore East and Coore West. Coore West is split into two parts: * Coor ...

CDs

* Kitty Hayes: A touch of Clare * ''Kitty Hayes and Peter Laban: They'll be good yet'' ;Compilation: * ''Around the Hills of Clare'' * ''Keepers of Tradition Concertina players of County Clare'' ;As a remembrance * ''Kitty Hayes Remembered'' allcelticmusic.com -Kitty Hayes Remembered
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References

External links

* Musicians from County Clare Concertina players 1920s births Date of birth missing 2008 deaths Place of death missing People from Lahinch People from Milltown Malbay {{Ireland-musician-stub