Lily Lynch née O’Dea (1898-1952)

Lily Lynch, born in 1898 and raised in Ballybreen, came from a musical family—the daughter of Pat Lynch, whose name is still remembered in the traditions of North Clare. When she married John O’Dea, a farmer from Ballygannor, in 1921, she brought more than her fiddle to the household; she brought the foundation of a musical legacy. That same year, the couple welcomed their first child, Kitty, who would grow up to become the celebrated bandleader of the Kilfenora Céilí Band. Lily and John would go on to raise thirteen children in all.

Though her husband’s family wasn’t known for musical ability, Lily’s own background ensured that the music remained alive in the home. According to Kitty, it was from her mother’s side that the musical talent flowed. Lily’s love for music was evident, and she encouraged it in her children from a young age. Her daughter’s early lessons in classical piano were guided by Molly Conole, a teacher in the local primary school, and Kitty later received her secondary education in the convent boarding school in Kinvara.

Lily lived to see the beginnings of a tradition that would span generations. Kitty’s first public outing with the band was at a céilí in Labane in the late 1930s—an early chapter in a long and influential musical career. Lily’s influence continues to echo through the generations, not least in her great-granddaughter, the renowned fiddle player Siobhán Peoples, who is being honoured with a TG4 Gradam Ceoil award in 2025.