learned at my mother’s — knee...[his mother, Sarah Makem, was an internationally renowned source for folk songs] I would do songs that I’ve learned from her, and there’s songs that I picked up; I don’t go out to listen to people to learn songs, but if I hear a song that I like I’ll make an attempt to get it and learn it, and then I write some songs myself.

RO: You've had a relationship with Pete Seeger?

TM: Yes, for a long, long, long time.

RO: What comes to mind when you think of Pete Seeger? TM: Well, Pete would be the voice of American song, and when I say songs I mean all kinds of songs...He’s done more for American music than anyone I know. _

RO: Are you still in contact with Liam [Clancy]?

TM: We bump into each other every once in a while. RO: Do you have any plans of _ ever playing with him [again]? TM: No, I don’t have any plans...both of us did the Guiness Fleadgh here a couple months ago, both the one in Boston and the one in New York, so we were chatting and

talking...

RO: How do you see the state of Irish music?

TM: I think it’s fantastic, there’s a lot of young people doing traditional music, and they’re absolutely fabulous. I

must say that in the United States and in Canada they have to be given great credit for keeping the tradition going — some of the players are just absolutely sensational.

I regret that the song tradition seems to be forgotten about, although it’s equally important — if not more important be- cause it would have been there before the instrumental tradi- tion — but I’m absolutely ecstatic that the instrumental stuff is so popular around the world. I would be a little hesitant about some of the attempts at new music, I wouldn’t be too fussy about it...some of the stuff I’ve heard I would be very opposed to as it’s damaging the culture.

RO: Is there any song that you can look at and say “that’s my proudest moment”?

TM: I never even thought of that. “Four Green Fields” would be the song most people would know, but I’ve written other songs that were equally good, I think “The Winds Are Singing Freedom” is a good song.

RO: What do you listen to these days? TM: What do I listen to? I listen to some of the new traditional people, and I listen to a bit of classical music, and once in a while I would like the older American country singers — I like Willie Nelson very much.

I would be very fond of what the Barra MacNeils do...]

as

saw them in concert in Glas- gow, last year I think it was, and they were superb...there

- Was some other music on but

they blew away whatever was on the stage with them. I think they were just superb.

RO: Is there any person or group that you can say you enjoyed sharing the stage with the most?

TM: Well, Pete Seeger would certainly be one.

RO: What are your thoughts on the developments in Northern Ireland?

TM: I think it’s very regretta- ble that anyone should be able to hold peace back, and progress. Very regrettable.

“T think it’s very regrettable that anyone should be able to hold peace back, and progress.

Very regrettable.”

RO: Do you see the role Tony Blair’s played as positive?

TM: Yeah, it’s positive enough...I must say that he’s to be admired for taking the stand he has taken, but he’s going to have to stand up and push a bit more and say “Look, this is how it is, these are the realities — get on with it.”

RO: You've never written an autobiography.

TM: No.

RO: Any plans?

TM: No, because I wouldn’t want to be sued! Nah, I’m only joking. I have a book out called Tommy Makem’s Secret Ireland, published by St. Martin’s Press in New York, but it’s about traveling in make a dart for Ireland.

RO: Any plans in coming back to the Island?

TM: I don’t know, I'd love to come anytime but I don’t know of anything in the near future. Perhaps in the next

millennium! .

RO: Do you plan on continu- ing into the next millennium indefinitely?

TM: Oh God yes!

RO: No plans for retirement? TM: Ohno. END

THE ESSENTIAL TOMMY MAKEM: 1. Four Green Fields

2. The Winds Are Singing Freedom

3. Peter Kagen And The Wind

4. The Cobbler

5. Waltzing With Bears

6. The Town I Loved So Well

7. O'Donnell Abu

8. Brennan On The Moor 9. Johnnie MacAldoo

10. Rambles Of Spring