The Plains Of Ireland - Packie & Bonnie, 1979

Packie Manus Byrne from Donegal and Californian harpist Bonnie Shaljean play an air.

Singer, musician and storyteller Packie Manus Byrne is well known on the English folk scene. Born and raised Corkermore near the village of Bruckless in County Donegal, his parents were both singers and grew up listening to traditional music and stories.

After finishing school he worked on the family farm before leaving for England, where he worked a variety of jobs while also performing in dance bands. The outbreak of the Second World War saw him return to Donegal, but when it ended, he crossed the Irish Sea again, and for the next twenty years travelled between Ireland and England for work, and continued to sing and perform in public.

Packie’s return to traditional music and song happened while in hospital while being treated for TB. He won singing competitions at All Ireland level in the 1950s and early ’60s, and performed on Radio Éireann. In the 1960s he became a professional folk singer, touring and performing in British folk clubs, but stepped back from it a few years ago to work in a nine to five job in London.

He released his first album ‘Songs of a Donegal Man’ in 1975, and has been performing with Californian harpist Bonnie Shaljean for the last three years.

Together they perform the air ‘The Plains of Ireland’ which is followed by a march (untitled).

This episode of ‘The Humours of Donnybrook’ was broadcast on 14 February 1979. The presenter is Ciarán Mac Mathúna.

‘The Humours of Donnybrook’ was a series of traditional Irish music programmes presented by Ciarán Mac Mathúna and produced by Peter Canning.