Oonagh McArdle keeps old traditions alive in Tyrone

As a fully-fledged child of the nineties, I often find myself wondering if those younger than I could even comprehend the idea of a childhood without the internet in this day and age.

When you consider the influences that the likes of YouTube or TikTok has on the youth of today, I can’t help but imagine myself sitting there like some old veteran, telling tales of the olden days, when phones were connected to a wall in your house, and there were only five or six channels on the television.

But much like these imaginary youngsters that I share my tales with in my own little fantasy world, I have some questions of my own about the decades before I was brought into this world.

Having been born into a family of musicians, artists and professional pint samplers in 1990, I just missed out on the tail end of the ‘good old days’, where every town and village in the country had their own designated ‘ceili house’; a magical place that, essentially, served as an open invitation to sing, play a tune, tell a story – or just generally have a drink and a bit of craic with fellow neighbours, or whatever talent may have been in town that weekend.

For years, I heard my granny talking about her old house; a place they referred to as ‘Number 9’ in the middle of Donaghmore, where everyone was always welcome for a mighty session.

Fascinated by those tales of days gone by, I often find myself wondering why such a traditional setting isn’t as prominent nowadays.

Aside from the likes of the Fleadh, or the occasional viral video of some countryman singing at his cousin’s wedding on Facebook, it’s a rare sight to see someone sitting up straight on a bar stool with their hand behind their ear, belting out a rendition of an Irish song that is older than the hills, causing the hairs to stand on the back of your neck.

Whilst you may struggle to find such a collaboration of raw talent and socialising in the same room these days, there is no denying that such influence hasn’t carried on through the generations, as I learned last week following a fascinating and heart-warming conversation with Dromore-based singer, Oonagh McArdle.

Having recently won first place in the ‘Senior Ladies Singing in English’ category at the All-Ireland Fleadh at Mullingar, Oonagh described the victory as having come ‘full circle’, having previously won the same award in the age 15-to-18 category exactly a decade ago, in 2013.

Oonagh explained how she coincidently won both titles 10 years apart singing the same song.

“It was the song ‘Brockagh Brae’, which was written by Geordie Hanna, that I performed in both competitions,” the 27-year-old singer reminisced. “I always prepare numerous songs when entering competitions, and, just by chance, it was this same song I was asked to sing when it came to the final round on both occasions.

“When it comes to a lot of those old Irish songs, I think it is important to sing them how they were sang maybe 50 or 60 years ago, allowing us the opportunity to carry on that little piece of history.”

Geordie Hanna, a native of Derrytresk and a regular visitor to the aforementioned ‘Number 9’ has been described through the years as ‘a true great of Irish traditional singing’ alongside his sister, Sarah Anne O’Neill.

Both siblings have penned and performed an array of songs containing rich themes of local history, specifically in the East Tyrone area, which allows them the rare opportunity to share that little piece of home with rest of the world.

Carrying on such a rich tradition as the Hanna siblings once did, Oonagh then explained where her interest in singing blossomed from.

“I started singing in a choir when I was younger, and it was our conductor, Alice Hughes, who discovered that I had a voice,” she reflected. “She would often make me sing without a microphone to help me develop how I project my voice.

“Shortly after that, I started going to music classes in Dromore with Margaret McElholm.

“It wasn’t long until I entered my first Fleadh, and, in 2007, I won the Ulster title.”

Of course, for Oonagh, the Ulster title was just the beginning of her journey, as she has since been crowned with the prestigious All-Ireland title on two occasions in 2013 and 2023.

The ballad singer continues, “I was attending singing sessions all over Ireland, and as I started entering the senior competitions, I found myself going up against people whom I have admired for years…

“It was quite bizarre!”

Oonagh lists some of her biggest inspirations in singing as Rita Gallagher, Geordie Hanna, Margaret McElholm and Tommy Dunne.

“Tommy Dunne hosts regular singing sessions in his cottage up in Derry,” she explains.

“The first time I attended a session there, I knew right away that this was the sort of place, and sort of thing, that I wanted to be a part of.

“Very few of these songs were ever physically written on paper, so it’s all about learning them from memory in order to carry on the story, and it also grants us the opportunity to prepare and perform the songs in our own unique way.”

Oonagh then concluded, “It’s just such an honour to be able to play a part in keeping a tradition like this alive.”

So, there we have it, folks.

Despite my original concern that the once prominent ‘ceili house’ in the community is now a thing of the past, I will sleep better tonight, assured that people like Oonagh have drawn inspiration from those precious days gone by.

And will, with a bit of luck, be able to pass those old tunes on for generations to come; keeping the rich history of not only County Tyrone, but the whole island of Ireland, alive in the form of traditional song for the world to enjoy.