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