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Traditional Music
The House of McDonnell is mentioned in a number of traditional Irish poems & songs; they, and many others, are regularly
performed during the Friday night traditional music sessions throughout the year, when musicians from all over Ireland come
to play in one the best known traditional music venues in the world. Some of the most famous names in Irish music have played
here in recent years.
The internationally renowned singer-songwriters Brian Kennedy and Tommy Sands, the traditional flautists Marcus O'Murchu
and Seamus MacMathuna are but a few of the musicians who have played at our sessions. However the core of our musical activity
is centered around our local musicians, who play the traditional music of North-East Antrim, justly renowned for its beauty
and simplicity. Men and women such as Dick Glasgow, Chris McCormick, Marie McLean, Michael Sands, Catherine McLean, John Moulden
and Paul McAuley have devoted a lifetime to the study and practice of this music, and the fruits of their labour can be heard
for free simply by dropping in on any Friday night for a pint of good stout and some whiskey to follow.
Unlike many pub sessions in Ireland, sessions at Tom's are open to all, regardless of the type of music our visitors play
or express an interest in. Recent months have seen Australian didgeridoos, Austrian zithers, African djembes, Breton pipes,
Peruvian pan pipes, Jazz pianos and Flamenco guitars, not to mention tea-chest basses from the Skiffle era!
At Tom's we believe that traditional music is not something that should be preserved indefinitely in a set form, but
something that should change and evolve of its own accord. That is why we particularly value the contributions of our local
young musicians, and young musicians from throughout the world, who are always welcome regardless of their musical background.
If you happen to be passing by and have an instrument to hand, bring it along and join the session, you will be assured of
a good welcome! We hope this page has given you an appetite to find out more about music at the House of McDonnell, and hope
you will take the opportunity to explore the rest of our extensive site. Whether your interest is in music, history, whiskey,
or just finding out where the craic is in Ireland, you are sure to find something here to suit.
Don't forget that sessions can be arranged for parties, touring groups or traditional music societies. If you are interested
in arranging a session at Tom's, use our information request form; but be sure to give at least 28 days notice, so we can
arrange the type of session that best suits you.
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History
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The House of McDonnell was first established as a spirit-grocery and stabling facility to provide passing travelers with refreshment
and rest after a hard days slog along the roads of mid-Eighteenth Century Ireland. To this end the pub was built with complete
stabling facilities for both horses and coaches, and so could be considered to be an early service station! The stabling operation
was so large that it occupied fully 3/4 of the ground upon which the pub now stands. Sadly, the horse is no longer the primary
means of transportation in Ireland and the stable blocks, although still standing, are now redundant. The pub itself occupies
the ground floor of its original building, and the present interior dates from around 1870. It is one of the few pubs in Ireland
to retain its original traditional interior, and both the interior and exterior of the bar are now among the few pubs in Ireland
listed on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.
From the end of the Nineteenth Century, the pub was known locally as "The Store", a name which was in use until
the 1960's, when the glass window above the front door bearing the name was accidentally broken. "The Store" was
used because at this time the pub was a "Spirit-Grocery", a type of business unique to Ireland which supplied, as
the name suggests, both spirits and groceries. The license of a "Spirit-Grocer" was that of a "wine, tea and
spirit merchant", and many receipts from this time are available for inspection at the bar, testifying to the appetite
of the locals for wine, tea, and especially spirits, with whiskey being bought by the gallon!
After 1922 and the partition of Ireland, Spirit-Groceries were no longer permitted in Northern Ireland, although many
are still to be found in the more rural areas of the south.The business lost its grocery end and became a pub, which it remains
to this day
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