Farewell Dear Immigrant
One of the great teachers in Irish music died yesterday. Mr. Tom McCaffrey, from Ireland, but living in Cleveland for more than a 1/2 century, passed away, at 90 years old. He has taught so many music, but he has affected many times that, by his gentle spirit, constant laughter that simmered just below the surface until bursting out like he couldn’t contain it anymore, kind words only way of living, steady guidance while showing the possibilities that the fiddle had to offer and great love of a sessiun.
I remember we were roomies in Milwaukee, at the Milwaukee Irish Fest a few years ago. He had on his trademark hard shoes and black socks, but he broke from trad and wore shorts to the blisteringly hot fest. His feet had to be painful, walking all over the festival, but he didn’t slow down. And when the sessiun started in the entertainers hotel afterward, Tom was so happy his feet danced right alongside his fingers. Throughout the weekend, entertainers came up to him and thanked him for his influence, but that night and the one after, Tom played long, long into the night, so happy to just play, with otehr great musicians, maybe more well known than he, but no less gifted, giving or memorable. I crashed somewhere around 3:00 a.m., Tom came in a fair bit after that.
He was the gentlest guy you could ever meet, yet he had strength - of character, of passion for the music and passing it on to each and every person, of any age, that would listen and absorb what he had to say, and to teach. Seeing those long fingers glide over the fiddle, seemingly dancing of their own volition, while he seemed to be looking somewhere else all together. Then he would catch your eye, wink, slip his tongue out at the corner of his lips and bounce his head with a smile, while the music flowed steadily, gracefully, and like Tom, with great love of life, people and the awesome tradition that is, Irish music.
Tom
by John O’Brien, Jr.
Fleet fingers, delicate, long
Yet like you, cordwood,
light presence, unwavering yet strong
ripples whose end is never known, seen,
or maybe even imagined.
The future generations,
whose music and art were, are and will be,
prickled by Tom, or his ripples.
And they will ripple onward.
Generations forward and backward
all from the simple, loving, humorous guiding touch
of Tom McCaffrey.
Safe Home.