Sad news.

[dave]

Legendary Dubliners banjo player Barney McKenna passes away.
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/legendar

[dave]

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...d-3072991.html

[Francis J]

Sad news indeed, Barney was credited with making "Irish" tuning popular, ie. G,D,A,E on the Tenor banjo. His name will be mentioned many, many times over the next few days as the person who inspired so many young players, who in their turn went on to be the trend setters and technical masters of the instrument. Go dtuga Día suaimhneas dá anam.

[MacStevenXIII]

Sad news indeed. One of the greats.

[Shelagh Moore]

This is very sad. The very first gig I went to on my own (aged 12) was an original Dubliners lineup concert with Barney, Ronnie, Luke, John and Ciaran, and it inspired me to start playing TB myself. Barney was a gentleman and a great inspiration to so many. May he rest in peace.

[Japhy]

Well, looks like I'll be raising a pint of the black stuff tonight. R.I.P Barney.

[Eddie Sheehy]

His memory will always be in my heart. Ar Dheis De a Anam ...

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Sad news indeed... And we also lost Jim Marshall (of Marshall Amps) last Friday,...

[Eddie Sheehy]

R.I.P. Barney, and Luke, and Ciaran, and Ronnie... together again...

[John Kelly]

Great sentiment there, Eddie! Together again.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

A friend of mine posted this short film on RTE featuring Barney busking in Germany:

http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1137911

There are a number of other clips as well. Good stuff

[Dave Hanson]

40 years on, I've still never heard a better version of The Masons Apron than John and Barney and the rest.

My greatest musical hero of all time, RIP Barney.

Dave H

[John Ritchhart]

Barney and John McGann at the same time. God must be forming a new Irish band in Heaven.

[Jill McAuley]

I only heard this news tonight while out for a pint with a pal from Sligo - very sad indeed.

Cheers,
Jill

[Bertram Henze]

Barney was the one who made me pick up the banjo 20+ years ago. He already appeared quite enlightened and absentminded during that final Dubliners concert.
I hope he's in Fiddler's Green now, enjoying all the benefits he so convincingly sang about.

[Dave Hanson]

He's probably jamming with Luke, Ciaran and Ronnie now.

Dave H

[deadend3]

One of the greats. RIP Barney