We pay tribute to Dinny McLaughlin who passed away on Tuesday. He is widely considered one of the most influential fiddlers in the country.
In Buncrana and the Inishowen area in general no one has made as much of a contribution to traditional music and dancing as much as Dinny Mc laughlin (white harra). Dinny began teaching in 1958 at the age of 23 and continued for over 40 years. During his period of teaching Dinny taught in nearly every primary school in Inishowen producing many fine musicians. Dinny produced many groups for fleadh competition and through Craobh na h-Inse CCE his groups won All-Ireland titles consecutively in the late 1970s-80s. Solo musicians who credit Dinny’s for his teaching include, Jimmy Mc Bride, Ciaran Tourish, Liz Doherty, Mairead Mooney, Michael Carey, Teresa Mc Clure (nee Doherty), Brenda Barron, Roisin Mc Grory (nee Harrigan).
Tom Byrne, Michael Carey and Michael Gallinagh were among those performing and paying tribute: