About John
John Dwyer, Cumadóir na Bliana 2010 | Credit: Seán Dwyer
Youth and Home Life
John Dwyer was a fiddle player and composer from Caolrua on the Béara Peninsula in West Cork. Born in 1933 to a musical family of nine children, John was surrounded by music from a young age as his father John Snr. sang and played the fiddle and his mother Kathleen played the accordion. Such as John, his brother Richard, and his late brothers Michael and Finbarr are considered some of the most notable composers and musicians in the traditional music sphere.
John began composing in his teens and was very comfortable reading music having familiarised himself with much of Captain O’Neill’s Collection, a book which was cherished in his family. This greatly aided him in his own composing and allowed him to preserve his compositions in written form.
An Garda
John joined An Garda Síochána in 1955 which led him to moving to Dublin where he met some of his lifelong friends such as the flute player Mick O’Connor and all of The Castle Céilí Band members. He immersed himself in the music around him and spoke of his time in Dublin fondly, with musicians such as Tommy Potts, Sonny Brogan, Joe Liddy, John Kelly Snr. and many more making their mark on John’s life. John was an integral part of the revival of Irish traditional music in Dublin and indeed the country and did his utmost to share his music at every opportunity.
John Dwyer was a fiddle player and composer from Caolrua on the Béara Peninsula in West Cork. Born in 1933 to a musical family of nine children, John was surrounded by music from a young age as his father John Snr. sang and played the fiddle and his mother Kathleen played the accordion. Such as John, his brother Richard, and his late brothers Michael and Finbarr are considered some of the most notable composers and musicians in the traditional music sphere.
John began composing in his teens and was very comfortable reading music having familiarised himself with much of Captain O’Neill’s Collection, a book which was cherished in his family. This greatly aided him in his own composing and allowed him to preserve his compositions in written form.
An Garda
John joined An Garda Síochána in 1955 which led him to moving to Dublin where he met some of his lifelong friends such as the flute player Mick O’Connor and all of The Castle Céilí Band members. He immersed himself in the music around him and spoke of his time in Dublin fondly, with musicians such as Tommy Potts, Sonny Brogan, Joe Liddy, John Kelly Snr. and many more making their mark on John’s life. John was an integral part of the revival of Irish traditional music in Dublin and indeed the country and did his utmost to share his music at every opportunity.
John Dwyer at Fleadh Cheoil in Gorey, 1962 | Credit: ITMA
John’s career also led him to moving around the country to places such as An Rinn in the Waterford Gaeltacht and New Ross, County Wexford, where he spent the rest of his life. John’s contribution to the music of these areas can be felt to this day. John became the Chairman of the Waterford County Board of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in 1972 which extended his reach and influence across the county. His style of playing can still be heard in many musicians’ styles from the surrounding region such as Neill and Lía Byrne, Siobhán Ní Chonaill, Edel Fox, Seán and Caoimhín Ó Fearghaíl to name but a few.
John was a gentleman and he also had a playful streak of divilment in his heart. Legend has it in An Rinn was of John’s procedure around clearing a pub at closing time when musicians were present. He would clear the pub in his full uniform only to return moments later without his Garda cap and with his fiddle under his arm. This led to many a long night of music in An Rinn!
John’s Music
John was known for his kind and gentle nature and it is to no surprise that he could be found at sessions the length and breadth of the country, such was his passion for meeting musicians of all ages and styles. This undoubtedly added to John’s compositional style and approach to music.
John was humble and at times shy about his compositions, which in a way added to the magic of hearing him perform a composition of his own in-person. A masterful fiddle player until his passing, he had a uniquely delicate and sensitive approach to playing. His ability to weave the most wonderful decoration into a tune was unlike any other and he had a keen awareness of the harmony within the music.
John’s compositions range across a wide range of tune types and he was best known for his reels John Dwyer’s and The Caha Mountains and jigs The Sunny Hills of Béara and The Fox in the Thatch. However, John continued to compose many other melodies and his wider repertoire is continually being learned by musicians across the globe. He was recognised for his compositions along with his brother Finbarr in 2010 when TG4 awarded them both Cumadóir na Bliana (Composer of the Year).
John Dwyer passed away in August 2020 and left behind him a rich legacy of music. He was a gentleman who encouraged other musicians and always had a kind word for everyone he crossed paths with, a true mark of his kind nature. He had a holistic attitude to his compositions and believed that if his tunes were to become popular in sessions that this would indicate that the tune was a strong tune. However, it is difficult to fault any of his compositions as they all have interesting and lyrical lines in each of them. John’s music and memory lives on while his compositions continue to be played and let us remember him for the humble, kind and generous person that he was.
John was a gentleman and he also had a playful streak of divilment in his heart. Legend has it in An Rinn was of John’s procedure around clearing a pub at closing time when musicians were present. He would clear the pub in his full uniform only to return moments later without his Garda cap and with his fiddle under his arm. This led to many a long night of music in An Rinn!
John’s Music
John was known for his kind and gentle nature and it is to no surprise that he could be found at sessions the length and breadth of the country, such was his passion for meeting musicians of all ages and styles. This undoubtedly added to John’s compositional style and approach to music.
John was humble and at times shy about his compositions, which in a way added to the magic of hearing him perform a composition of his own in-person. A masterful fiddle player until his passing, he had a uniquely delicate and sensitive approach to playing. His ability to weave the most wonderful decoration into a tune was unlike any other and he had a keen awareness of the harmony within the music.
John’s compositions range across a wide range of tune types and he was best known for his reels John Dwyer’s and The Caha Mountains and jigs The Sunny Hills of Béara and The Fox in the Thatch. However, John continued to compose many other melodies and his wider repertoire is continually being learned by musicians across the globe. He was recognised for his compositions along with his brother Finbarr in 2010 when TG4 awarded them both Cumadóir na Bliana (Composer of the Year).
John Dwyer passed away in August 2020 and left behind him a rich legacy of music. He was a gentleman who encouraged other musicians and always had a kind word for everyone he crossed paths with, a true mark of his kind nature. He had a holistic attitude to his compositions and believed that if his tunes were to become popular in sessions that this would indicate that the tune was a strong tune. However, it is difficult to fault any of his compositions as they all have interesting and lyrical lines in each of them. John’s music and memory lives on while his compositions continue to be played and let us remember him for the humble, kind and generous person that he was.
