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Finbarr Dwyer (1946-2014), Cork – Republic of Irelandby Rob Howard |
Finbarr Dwyer, one of Ireland’s most highly regarded 2-row diatonic button accordionists and also a composer, passed away on February 8th at the age of 67. He was born in Castletownbere, County Cork, on September 20th 1946, and came from a musical family. Both of his parents played accordion and his father also played fiddle. His brothers Richard and Michael (died 1996) likewise played accordion, while his brother John, born in 1933, played fiddle. In 1969 he won the All-Britain Irish traditional accordion title, and went on to record numerous albums. Finbarr Dwyer was an enigmatic musician who performed extensively until around 1990, when he took an extended break from live performance. Then in 2007 he surprised many by returning to live performance for a couple of years, after which he was overtaken by illness. These live performances varied from stunning displays of his accordion musicianship to unpredictable shows where he would forsake the accordion to play electric guitar. |