The outstanding contribution of the late Pete Vallely of Tullyherim, Derrynoose to the Irish Song tradition will be recognised at the coming Tommy Makem Festival.
Born in 1926 to Mary Ann (nee Mooney) and James Vallely he was the youngest and only boy of five children. His father died when he was ten months old and his mother taught and encouraged the children to sing from an early age with old traditional songs such as “Naming the Child’, ‘Newry Mountains’, ‘The Ho Boy in the Corner’ to name but a few.
Pete won his first singing competition in 1934 aged eight in Newry. Annie Clare Gorman, his teacher, brought him there in her car, a rare luxury in those days. He competed in and won the Ulster Fleadh on a number of occasions throughout the 40’s and 50’ and was recorded in the early 60’s by Ciarán Mac Mathúna for Raidió Éireann’s ‘Céilí House’ singing the Tyrone ballad ‘Old Ardboe’.
His love of traditional music and song continued throughout his life, a legacy he and his wife Kathleen nurtured in their six children who in turn pass on to the next generation. He continued to perform favourites such as ‘The Green Fields ‘Round Ferbane’ and ‘The Mulcaire River’ at local concerts, sessions and competitions well into old age. Pete passed away in April 2010 aged 83 years.
A spokesman for the Tommy Makem Festival of Song said that the legacy of Pete Vallely to the song tradition would be formally recalled along with several other people who had made outstanding contributions to the Song Tradition, including three Americans and the late Marty Marrinan from Co Clare. The spokesman said that the Derrynoose man was one of those outstanding and committed Irish singers who helped keep a proud tradition alive.
A specially composed citation will be recited in his honour and a framed scroll presented to his wife Kathleen on October 7 at the City Hotel in Armagh at the annual Keepers of the Tradition night. And to show how his tradition has been passed on, members of his family who have already made a name for themselves with their superb abilities in song and music, will perform in the concert after the presentations.
Born in 1926 to Mary Ann (nee Mooney) and James Vallely he was the youngest and only boy of five children. His father died when he was ten months old and his mother taught and encouraged the children to sing from an early age with old traditional songs such as “Naming the Child’, ‘Newry Mountains’, ‘The Ho Boy in the Corner’ to name but a few.
Pete won his first singing competition in 1934 aged eight in Newry. Annie Clare Gorman, his teacher, brought him there in her car, a rare luxury in those days. He competed in and won the Ulster Fleadh on a number of occasions throughout the 40’s and 50’ and was recorded in the early 60’s by Ciarán Mac Mathúna for Raidió Éireann’s ‘Céilí House’ singing the Tyrone ballad ‘Old Ardboe’.
His love of traditional music and song continued throughout his life, a legacy he and his wife Kathleen nurtured in their six children who in turn pass on to the next generation. He continued to perform favourites such as ‘The Green Fields ‘Round Ferbane’ and ‘The Mulcaire River’ at local concerts, sessions and competitions well into old age. Pete passed away in April 2010 aged 83 years.
A spokesman for the Tommy Makem Festival of Song said that the legacy of Pete Vallely to the song tradition would be formally recalled along with several other people who had made outstanding contributions to the Song Tradition, including three Americans and the late Marty Marrinan from Co Clare. The spokesman said that the Derrynoose man was one of those outstanding and committed Irish singers who helped keep a proud tradition alive.
A specially composed citation will be recited in his honour and a framed scroll presented to his wife Kathleen on October 7 at the City Hotel in Armagh at the annual Keepers of the Tradition night. And to show how his tradition has been passed on, members of his family who have already made a name for themselves with their superb abilities in song and music, will perform in the concert after the presentations.
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