Episode 4 of Showband Heroes – ‘Remembering when we danced together’ features Maurice Cooney, who played bass with some of the finest musicians and greatest vocalists of his day, including Jim Farley, Roly Daniels, Brendan Quinn, Cahir O’Doherty and Red Hurley. Maurice’s band, which featured his brother, Harry, then went on to win Britain’s iconic TV Show, ‘New Faces’. Here, Maurice talks candidly about his life as a musician and how it all came to an abrupt end in 1996 – but also how a wonderful twist of fate brought him happiness that he never even imagined.
In 2020, TaRP recorded a number of online events in its limited series, ‘Music – A Bridge Over Troubled Waters’. The response left the producers in no doubt that music could re-connect, reawaken and re-invigorate the common, cross-community bond that endured even through our darkest days. For that series, musicians were mainly drawn from the folk/acoustic genre. This time, the focus is on stars from the showband, cabaret and rock groups who entertained mixed audiences from the early Sixties through to the late Seventies; many of whom still attract large audiences to dancehalls and concerts. Ironically, the Showbands remain the unsung heroes of their time, but now their priceless legacy is finally being acknowledged and honoured.
Produced and presented by Stephen Travers.
Online Producer: Tracy Dempsey
Executive Producer: Eugene Reavey
Co-Executive Producer: Joe Campbell
‘Showband Heroes – Dancing in the Dark’, ‘Speaking for Myself’ and ‘Music – A Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ are Truth and Reconciliation Platform educational projects, hosted by The Miami Showband Peace Centre Online and assisted by consultant and coach, Tracy Dempsey. The ‘Showband Heroes’ and ‘Speaking for Myself’ series are assisted by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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