Joe ‘John Tom’ McMahon (1895-1981)

Joe ‘John Tom’ McMahon was born in March 1895 in Kylemore, one of four siblings in a family where music was the common language. Joe played the concertina, while his brothers Jacko ‘John Tom’ McMahon played concertina, flute, and whistle, and his sisters Mary and Annie played concertina and fiddle respectively. Together, the McMahon siblings formed a core part of Kylemore’s local musical tradition — their tunes passed down by ear, played with soul, and shared generously.