Joe Cooley
Encyclopedia
Joe Cooley was an Irish
musician known for his traditional accordion
music.
Cooley was born in Peterswell, Co. Galway in 1924. Both his parents were melodeon
players, and Joe began playing accordion at age 10. As a teen, Joe played in the Midlands area and eventually found himself in Dublin in 1945, where he joined the Galway Rovers Band. There in Dublin, he met musicians Sonny Brogan
and Johnny Doan, both of whom were to influence Cooley's musical style. Joe was a founding member of the famous Tulla Céilí Band and by accounts, a tireless promoter of Irish traditional music. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential Irish button accordionists. On one occasion, in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Joe was presented with a beautiful Paolo Soprani C#/D accordion he dubbed "The Box" which would accompany him on his tour of America in the 1970s. Joe returned to Ireland after becoming ill with cancer. He continued playing until shortly before his death. His accordion is now believed to be in the hands of the great Irish accordionist Tony MacMahon of Clare, IE. One of Cooley's enduring legacies is a reel named "Joe Cooley's." Originally named "The Tulla Reel," the tune has since become associated with Cooley and is now a standard in the Irish traditional music repertoire.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
musician known for his traditional accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
music.
Cooley was born in Peterswell, Co. Galway in 1924. Both his parents were melodeon
Melodeon (organ)
A melodeon is a type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. It differs from the related harmonium, which uses a pressure bellows. Melodeons were manufactured in the United States sometime after 1812 until the Civil War era...
players, and Joe began playing accordion at age 10. As a teen, Joe played in the Midlands area and eventually found himself in Dublin in 1945, where he joined the Galway Rovers Band. There in Dublin, he met musicians Sonny Brogan
Sonny Brogan
Sonny Brogan was an Irish accordion player from the 1930s to the 1960s, and was one of Ireland's most popular traditional musicians. He was one of the earliest advocates of the two-row B/C button accordion in traditional music, and popularised it the 1950s and 60s...
and Johnny Doan, both of whom were to influence Cooley's musical style. Joe was a founding member of the famous Tulla Céilí Band and by accounts, a tireless promoter of Irish traditional music. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential Irish button accordionists. On one occasion, in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Joe was presented with a beautiful Paolo Soprani C#/D accordion he dubbed "The Box" which would accompany him on his tour of America in the 1970s. Joe returned to Ireland after becoming ill with cancer. He continued playing until shortly before his death. His accordion is now believed to be in the hands of the great Irish accordionist Tony MacMahon of Clare, IE. One of Cooley's enduring legacies is a reel named "Joe Cooley's." Originally named "The Tulla Reel," the tune has since become associated with Cooley and is now a standard in the Irish traditional music repertoire.