President leads tributes to banjo legend McKenna
The renowned banjo player — affectionately dubbed Banjo Barney — passed away in his beloved Dublin, after collapsing at his home in Howth.
He was the last remaining member of the original line-up of The Dubliners, celebrated worldwide for their revival of Irish folk songs, their raucous sound, and their hell-raising.
President Higgins, a friend of Mr McKenna, said he had made a majorcontribution to music and song throughout his life, and above all to the banjo as an instrument.
“His influence on and generosity to other instrumentalists was immense,” he said.
President Higgins recalled Mr McKenna’s “huge commitment” to the Irish abroad as well as at home, and the band’s popularity in Britain, where The Dubliners played a packed Albert Hall in 1967 and again more than four decades on last month.
Fiddler John Sheahan, who joined The Dubliners two years after they formed in 1962, said Mr McKenna’s death would be a universal loss.
“He was one of these unique characters,” he said.
“He was like a brother to me, as were the other former members of The Dubliners.
“Over the years we became very much a family, I suppose, in our own right. He’ll be a huge loss to everybody.”
Mr Sheahan added: “I think it’s a kind of universal loss, I think everybody is going to miss him hugely. We are all very sad.”
Mr McKenna fell ill at his home yesterday morning and was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Guitar player and lifelong pal Michael Howard was with him before he passed away and revealed he had been in great form right up until his death.
Mr McKenna had been due to catch a bus out of the city to Trim, Co Meath, yesterday morning.
“He was having a cup of tea sitting up at the table ready to go but he hadn’t finished so I made a cup of coffee and we were chatting away,” he said.
“All of a sudden Barney’s head fell into his chest it looked as if he had nodded off. The comfort that I take from it is that he passed away peacefully sitting at his own breakfast table having a cup of tea and a chat.
“It’s probably the way he would’ve wanted to go I think.”
Brian Hand, agent for The Dubliners, said the band, Mr McKenna’s family and friends wanted to thank everyone for their kindness and support.
“Words can not describe how we all feel, he really was one in a million,” they said in a statement.
“The greatest tenor banjo player of his generation, Barney spent his life travelling the world playing Irish music, he loved it, the world loved him, may he rest in peace.”
Mr McKenna is survived by his sister Maria Fuller and his brother Sean Óg McKenna.
One of Mr McKenna’s last public performances was on Wednesday when he played the song ‘Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hi’ at the funeral of RTÉ floor manager Dara Ó Broin in Dublin.
