Bernard Noël McKenna, born on December 16, 1939, and passed away on April 5, 2012, was an Irish musician and a founding member of The Dubliners. He was also known as Barney McKenna or Banjo Barney. He is seen as an important person in the development of the tenor banjo in Irish traditional music. He helped make GDAE tuning the usual way to play the instrument in this musical tradition.

Early life

McKenna was born in Dublin in 1939 and grew up in Donnycarney, which is on the north side of the city. He was the oldest of four children of John McKenna, an Army cook from Trim, County Meath, and Kathleen Corcoran of Dublin. As a boy, he learned to play the mandolin by listening to his uncle Jim McKenna during visits to Trim, where his paternal grandparents had moved around 1920. Because he could not afford a mandolin, his mother purchased a Glee Club banjo from Goodwin's on Capel Street, and the banjo became his main instrument.

He left school at age 14 and worked in different jobs, including as a glassblower in the early 1960s. He was not accepted into the Irish army band due to poor eyesight. In the 1950s and early 1960s, he attended music sessions at the Pipers' Club on Thomas Street and the Fiddlers' Club on Church Street, where he first met John Sheahan. Later, he played music with John Sheahan in The Dubliners for fifty years.

Career

Before joining The Dubliners, McKenna played music with other musicians, including Paddy Moloney and Martin Fay, in a group that was connected to the early days of The Chieftains.

In 1962, he began performing with Ronnie Drew at events linked to John Molloy's Gate Theatre shows. Musical sessions at O'Donoghue's Pub in Merrion Row, which included McKenna, Drew, Luke Kelly, and Ciarán Bourke, led to the formation of a performing group. This group was first named the Ronnie Drew Ballad Group and later called The Dubliners. John Sheahan joined the group in 1964.

McKenna stayed with The Dubliners until his death in 2012. He was the last remaining member of the original group from 1962. During the band's 50th anniversary year, he performed at full-capacity concerts in Christ Church Cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall, and Croke Park.

Musical style

Barney McKenna played several instruments, including the tenor banjo, mandolin, melodeon, and violin. He was most famous for playing the tenor banjo. He is given credit for changing how the tenor banjo was used in Irish traditional music. Before McKenna, tenor banjo players in Irish music usually used the standard jazz tuning, CGDA, to play chords. McKenna used a different tuning, GDAE, which is one octave below the fiddle's tuning. This allowed the tenor banjo to play melodies more clearly in traditional music. Musician Mick Moloney said McKenna was the only person responsible for making GDAE tuning the standard for the tenor banjo in Irish music.

McKenna's playing was admired for its smooth style and rhythm. His banjo playing with John Sheahan's fiddle became a key part of The Dubliners' sound. He created a unique way of holding the plectrum, called the "McKenna grip." He described this as holding a baby bird, using just enough pressure to keep it from escaping but not so tight that it would be harmed. Reels he was especially known for include "The Mason's Apron," "The High Reel," and "The Maid Behind the Bar." For many years, Dubliners concerts began with the reels "Fermoy Lassies" and "Sporting Paddy."

Although not the group's main singer, McKenna sometimes sang with his own single-note banjo accompaniment. He sang sea shanties and nautical ballads. As a performer, he was also known for humorous comments and stories, called "Barneyisms." His former bandmate Jim McCann collected these in the book An Obstacle Confusion: The Wonderful World of Barney McKenna. McKenna is mentioned in Andy Irvine's song "O'Donoghue's," which describes the traditional music scene in Dublin during the early-to-mid 1960s, centered around O'Donoghue's Pub.

Personal life

McKenna married Joka Oldert, a Dutch woman from Howth, in 1965. She passed away in 1984. He lived in Howth and was a fisherman who enjoyed fishing. Later in life, he faced health problems such as diabetes, a stroke, and the loss of vision in one eye. Despite these challenges, he continued to perform.

Death

McKenna died on April 5, 2012, after falling suddenly at his home in Howth while having breakfast with his friend, classical guitarist Michael Howard. Earlier that day, he had performed at a funeral in Dublin, where Howard later said the audience stood and clapped without being asked. McKenna was declared dead at Beaumont Hospital. Later news articles in The Irish Times stated the cause of death was a heart attack.

He was buried on April 9, 2012, at St Loman's Cemetery in Trim, County Meath, next to family members. His funeral Mass at St Patrick's Church in Trim was attended by President Michael D. Higgins and his wife, Sabina. In a speech at the gravesite, Sheahan spoke about their shared musical experiences in the 1950s at the Pipers' Club and Fiddlers' Club, calling them "a learning experience for a career that lasted 50 years." President Higgins said McKenna made "a major contribution to music and song" and that his "help and kindness to other musicians was very important."

After his death, The Dubliners confirmed they would continue with the remaining performances of their 50th anniversary tour.