The renowned fiddler, and one of the original members of the Tulla Ceili Band, P.J. Hayes, died yesterday morning aged 80 at his home in Maghera, Co Clare. Known as P. Joe Hayes, he was presented with a Clareman of the Year award in 1997.
The band was founded in 1946 to compete in Feile Luimni. But with East Clare music, a determination to entertain and gifted musicians, the band gained a large following in Ireland and among Irish people abroad.
In 1958 an estimated 1,000 fans went to see them off at Shannon when they left to play Carnegie Hall in New York.
That year also, they played to 5,000 people in the Galtymore in Cricklewood, London.
Willie Clancy and Tony McMahon are among the many renowned musicians who passed through the Tulla Ceili Band. The Tulla and the Kilfenora became Clare's most famous ceili bands and were great rivals at fleadh cheoils.
In 1997, the band won a National Entertainment Award.
Mr Hayes is survived by his wife Peggy, his daughters Helen (who sings with the band), and Anna-Marie, and his sons Martin and Pat, a Clare county councillor.
The funeral of band manager and impresario Jim Hand takes place from the Royal Hospital Donnybrook at 6.15 p.m. today. The funeral will arrive at St Brigid's Church, Killester, at 7 p.m. and he will be buried in St Peter's Cemetery, Drogheda, after 10 a.m. Mass at Killester tomorrow.