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I worked on the Tappanzee Bridge for 20 years and decided I wanted to be a farmer. My wife and I moved out of the Bronx and went dairy farming. I farmed for about 20 years. The farm left little time for the music but I recently picked it back up. I am enjoying the music now as much as I ever have. My wife is from County Clare and we have nine children. Someone once asked me, "How can you farm without a truck? No problem I replied, but I wouldn't last a week without my wife."

My father would take us down to John McGrath's for music lessons and to Mckenna's for dance lessons in the Bronx in the late 1940s. Denis Murphy would play the fiddle for the dancers. I started taking lesson on the C sharp D accordion.

Andy McGann would play in the pubs and was a great influence on my playing. Some one said that it was a joy to just watch Andy tune the fiddle. My self and Joe Burke went to hear Andy and Lad Oberne play and ended up spending the night. And what a night it was!

Paddy O'Brian stayed in my house in the Bronx. I would say he put the spark in me. There was a lift and a sound that he got out of the accordion. As Vincent Keegan would say, "many the day, he stopped me at the door. You would stand in your bare feet in the snow listening to him."

I went back to Ireland in the 1970's and went to Kevin Keegan's house. I did not want to stay but they insisted. Vincent Keegan (Kevin's brother) introduced me to Paddy Fahey. At about 3 AM Paddy was playing for me and called me out in the hall. Vincent came over to me and said, "I know him all my life. When it's time to go home that is when Paddy starts playing." A week or so later I got a case of Genius and picked Paddy up and brought him to Paddy Carty's house. It was the best bit of music I had ever heard. Paddy Fahey seemed to get stronger as the night went on. I had them play a reel Kiddy in Lane about ten times! (see photo of Paddy Fahey and Paddy Carthy)

I learned a lot from Joe Burke the great Galway accordion player.