Jim McCormack (1909-1985)
Jim McCormack, affectionately known to all as “Shamus,” was a beloved figure in Kilfenora, remembered equally for his lyrical flute playing, deep knowledge of horses, and the warmth of his character. Born in 1909, Jim was the youngest child of Peter McCormack, whose eventful personal life saw him marry three times. Jim’s mother was Lizzie Slattery, a musically gifted woman and sister to Michael Slattery, one of the co-founders of the Kilfenora Céilí Band in 1909. Lizzie and Peter’s marriage endured for 40 years and produced six children—every one of them musical—but Jim, even among such company, was considered special.
Growing up in a musical household that doubled as a rambling house and pub, the McCormack home was a hive of social and cultural life in the village. Jim was a publican by trade, taking over from his father. The pub was called McCormack’s that was across from the Chuch on the main street in Kilfenora. It housed one of the few gramophones in Kilfenora, and visitors were greeted with music at any hour—whether from records or from live tunes played by Jim or one of his siblings. Family members recall him dancing in the kitchen on Sunday mornings to Gus Ward’s flute music, a vivid image of joy and musical spirit.
Jim’s instrument was the timber flute, and he played it with great elegance and tone. Though it’s not known exactly who taught him, the quality of his playing and his reputation speak for themselves. He began performing with the Kilfenora Céilí Band as early as the 1920s and remained an integral part of the group for decades, right through to its decline in the 1970s. It is a testament to his skill that he was able to hold his own as the sole flute in a band dominated by four strong fiddles—a role requiring not only musicality, but a powerful tone and presence. His playing was admired for its beauty and strength, even if, by the 1950s, recordings reveal signs of difficulty with breath control—likely the legacy of a life of cigarettes.
Despite this, Jim’s musicality remained evident. Alongside Gus Tierney and Jerry Lynch, he won an All-Ireland trio competition in 1955, a clear indication of his continued virtuosity and standing among his peers. His flute playing, when at its best, was both stylish and commanding.
Outside of music, Jim had a great passion for horses—dealing, showing, training, and breeding them. He was particularly associated with the well-known breeding stallion Autumn Gold, with whom he travelled the horse show circuit in the summers. On matters of music or horses, Jim was always ready to speak with authority. His views were strongly held, his conversations animated, and his personality marked by clarity, conviction, and good humour.
In 1954, at the age of 45, Jim married his childhood sweetheart Susan Burke, also from Kilfenora. Though they had no children of their own, Jim remained closely involved with the musical life of the parish. He took great interest in the next generation, including his step-grandnieces, the grandchildren of his stepbrother Mikie McCormack, who were then playing in junior bands led by Gus Tierney in the 1980s. Among them was Annemarie McCormack, who today plays with the current Kilfenora Céilí Band, continuing the family legacy.
Jim McCormack, Jerry Lynch & Gus Tierney
Kilfenora ceilí band - Recording studio 1955
From personal collection of Betty Lynch (neé Hegarty)
McCormack (Jims sister married to John Joe Lynch)
Asked Anne Marie Rynne about photo
There’s a photo of him playing with Kitty Linnane
Gerard Linnane shared it to facebook
loads about him in Garry’s thing
From Garry Shannon’s:
Additional genealogical information re. Jim McCormack
An Indian Summer
On 25 April 1899 Peter married for the third time, Lizzie Slattery, mentioned above. Born in 1870, she was a sister of the famous musician Michael Slattery, and musically gifted herself. (Her mother was Kate Jordan, her grandmother Mary Lynch, sister of John & Terry; her great-grandmother, Mary McMahon of Oughty, from whom – according to some – all the subsequent musicality of the Lynches derives). She succeeded in the delicate role of stepmother, and made Peter an excellent wife for over forty years. However, she was destined to die before him, on 18 June 1942, aged 72. They had six children, to which I add the three already born, giving dates of birth and death:
| Name | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Mother |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annie | 11 Nov 1893 | 19 Jan 1976 | Mary O’Loughlin |
| Mikie | 29 Aug 1895 | 20 Apr 1969 | Mary O’Loughlin |
| Freda | 28 Oct 1898 | 21 Mar 1966 | Bridget Corry |
| May | 13 Aug 1900 | 01 May 1977 | Lizzie Slattery |
| Katty | 08 Jun 1902 | 05 Jan 1938 | Lizzie Slattery |
| Lil | 03 Feb 1904 | ~1985 | Lizzie Slattery |
| Hannie | 19 Aug 1906 | 08 Apr 1925 | Lizzie Slattery |
| Bridie | 29 Jun 1907 | 28 Oct 1925 | Lizzie Slattery |
| Jim | 05 Aug 1909 | 29 Mar 1985 | Lizzie Slattery |
Jim McCormack (1909–1986)
Being the youngest child and a boy into the bargain, Jim was adored by all the family, especially his five sisters. Despite a 14-year age difference, he and my father were always close. While all Lizzie’s children were very musical and could play some instrument (fiddle or concertina, or piano), Jim was considered special and learned the timber flute, from whom I don’t know. In my childhood I thought he played it so beautifully, and it was obviously a quality instrument.
In 1910 the eldest in the family, Annie, went to work in Dublin, her father having paid well for her five-year apprenticeship as a lady shop assistant in Lee’s of Rathmines, a most reputable firm. In 1921 she married Sean Rynne of Clouna (Ennistymon), a Civil Servant in Dublin. Jim, as a teenager, spent some holidays with them there, a privilege not easily granted to his sisters. Sean Rynne, though not related to Annie, was a nephew of her stepmother, Lizzie, and thus a first-cousin of Jim, and the extended Slattery family. All rather complicated.
Jim’s two great lifelong interests were Traditional Music and Horses, on both of which he spoke readily and emphatically, as a specialist. All his views were strongly held.
In 1954 he married a childhood sweetheart from Kilfenora, Susan Burke. They had no family. While he was alive, it never occurred to me to ask the questions to which I now seek answers: e.g. who bought the flute for him, when and where? who taught him to play so well?
Etc. I end with a brief note on his five sisters:
May, married Jim Nagle of Lisdooney, Kilfenora, five children. Played the fiddle.
Kathy married (1921) John Joe Lynch of Clogher, five children. Died following a birth, 5 January 1938.
Lil, a National Teacher in Oatfield, Sixmilebridge. She married a local man, Michael Kelly, 1944. He was a fiddler and she played the piano-accordeon, having studied classical piano. They were part of the local traditional music scene in South Clare for almost fifty years. They had no family.
Hannie in February 1925 married a Kilfenora man, Peter O’Brien of Ballyshanny. She was to inherit the farm of her childless aunt, Mrs Torpey of Ballygowann, and following their marriage the young couple moved into the Torpey home. After six weeks of marriage, Hannie developed meningitis. It went undiagnosed, and she died within a few days, aged 19, April 1925.
Bridie, aged 18, developed tuberculosis following Hannie’s death, and died Oct 1925.
Garry Shannon
Name Instrument Date of Birth Died
Place of Birth
Jim “Shamus” McCormack Flute
Aug 5th 1909
Mar 29th 1985
Kilfenora
I have included in the appendix an excerpt of a letter from Jim’s step-nephew, Fr. Fabian McCormack, (appendix 7) who was very helpful in the genealogical aspects of this thesis. According to this document, Jim’s ancestry is quite interesting, in that his father, Peter married three times. In 1893, at the age of 33, he married his first wife, Mary McMahon née O Loughlin. They had two children, Annie and Mikie (grandfather of Annemarie McCormack of the present Kilfenora band). Mary died after a miscarriage shortly afterwards.
Peter’s second wife was Bridget Corry whom he married in1898 but she died in childbirth.
Undeterred, he married again in April 1899. This time, he married Lizzie Slattery, sister of Michael Slattery, the fiddler who co-founded the Kilfenora in 1909. She is reputed to have been musically gifted herself, being a descendant (as Peter himself was) of the Lynch / McMahon line (see fig. 3 pg. 14). Lizzie bore Peter six children and their marriage was to endure 40 years whereupon she pre-deceased him.
All Lizzie’s children were musical, including Lil, who played piano and piano- accordeon with the band in the late ‘20s and the 30s. The youngest, Jim, however, was regarded as special (see appendix 7). He learned the timber flute and was a highly regarded exponent. He started to play with the Kilfenora
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band as early as the 1920s and his tenure with them lasted right up until the decline in the ‘70s
Jim’s other passion was horses, dealing, showing, training and breeding. He is remembered for his association with the popular breeding stallion Autumn Gold with which he did the horse show circuit in the summer.
He lived all his life in Kilfenora village. Their home was a “rambling house” where people regularly dropped in on social visits. McCormack’s had one of the few gramophones in the town and they were very fond of the old 78s in the ‘50s. Music could be heard there at any time of day or night. Jim loved dancing and he’s still remembered for dancing in the kitchen on Sunday mornings to the music of Gus Ward on the flute.
Jim married his childhood sweetheart, Susan Burke in 1954 at the age of 45. They had no family. He maintained an interest in musical developments among the youth in the parish and liked to follow the progress of his nieces, the grandchildren of his step-brother, Mikie in junior bands coached by Gus Tierney in the early ‘80s. One of those nieces, Annemarie McCormack, today plays with the present Kilfenora band.
We hear from the excerpt of his solo playing in the ‘50s that at that stage, he was already past his prime as a musician and was having problems with the breathing, the legacy of a life of cigarettes, no doubt (see disc 3). It must be pointed out, however, that to be the only flute in a band of four strong fiddles, Jim must have had extremely good tone and volume when at his best. Not only that but the fact that along with Gus Tierney and Gerry Lynch, he won an all- Ireland trio competition in ’55 indicates that he was also a player of no little skill.
