Pauline Morgan (née McMahon) (born 1947)

Pauline Morgan (née McMahon), affectionately known as Pauline ‘Jacko’, is a cherished tradition bearer from Kylemore, Co. Clare. The youngest daughter of Jacko ‘John Tom’ McMahon, Pauline grew up in a house where music, story, and ritual were tightly woven together. Jacko, a celebrated player of concertina, flute, and tin whistle, passed on his love for music to Pauline and her siblings — Noreen, Mary, and Paddy — all of whom learned to play.

Today, Pauline still lives in the McMahon family home, nestled near Lough Fergus, a lake steeped in local lore and healing traditions. In a conversation I had with her in early 2025, she recalled the May Day rituals of her childhood with great clarity. On that morning, before sunrise, dozens of people would gather beside the lake to collect its sacred water — believed to cure ailments in cattle and protect crops from pests. As noted in historical accounts, the lake water was prized for its healing powers, especially “for curing cattle, especially of ‘the worm’,” and was even used to “give a good churning” and “clear a garden of caterpillars.”

Pauline remembers how, after filling their bottles, the visitors would come into the McMahon house to dance, and her father Jacko would play music for them, filling the room with tunes and laughter.