The  Story of the

Maurice Mulcahy

Show Band

The Maurice Mulcahy Band began in 1952, when four brothers Maurice (trumpet and band leader) David (tenor sax and coach driver) Mike (baritone sax) and Joe (toner sax and clarinet) from Mitchelstown, Co Cork, played at dances in their home town and nearby villages. The bands first dance was in the Bull Ball in Killarney, they played as far as Cork, Limerick and Dublin. Completing the band to make an eight piece were bass, piano and drums.

The Band triumphed and became a sensation with non-stop requests to dances.  The type of sound produced by the band would consist of several sounds in the course of one dance containing Glen Miller, Latin America and Dixieland music.

Bookings were now steady, they introduced a singer to the band plus brass and the band became a fifteen piece.

A big break for the band came in 1953 followed by a booked season of 9 weeks in the Central Ballroom, Ballybunion.  The Break was two months at the seaside where the band and their families spent the whole summer, with no travelling or setting up gear.

The band travelled to England in 1957 and played Kentish Town, Fulham Broadway, New Cross and Camden Town in London and in The Shamrock in Birmingham.

They were soon back to the Central Ballroom, Ballybunion, packed with admirers with their two unbeatable combinations of 'quality and quantity' quoted by Maurice Mulcahy himself in 1960.

The Unimaginable happened.......

The unimaginable occurred on 22nd August 1963, Maurice Mulcahy died suddenly in Tralee General  Hospital. Maurice's funeral took place in Mitchelstown Parish Church and burial in the adjoining cemetery.

A decision had to be made and Joe became band leader, traditions in music started to change and the Mulcahy band changed with them, along with a new line up of five brass, three rhythm and three singers, this line up went on to be very popular keeping the Mulcahy sound plus a mixture of the latest tunes of the day.

The band released a record by popular demand in the sixties for fans to listen at their leisure until the Mulcahy Band came round again to the next dance.

Once again al loss to the band came when Dave Mulcahy died in December 1975, Joe and Mike the remaining two brothers kept the Mulcahy sound going and the band lived on for many more years to come.

Generations of fans have lived through the entertainment provided by the Mulcahy brothers and their band members taking in lots of memories down through the years.  Joe and Mike would have wished having their brothers together from start to end of their life long ambition of the brothers musical career, the band finally finished in 1988, Joe and Mike took retirement to a well earned rest of a life time of music.

Mike Mulcahy sadly passed away the 14th of August 2003.

Thank you -

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