Music legend recalls win at first Fleadh Cheoil in Mullingar

When Bro Redmond appeared before Hubie Magee’s class at the CBS in 1951 and asked who wanted to learn to play the tin whistle, Hubie didn’t put up his hand to volunteer. Fortunately for him, Bro Redmond wasn’t having it, and he handed the young Magee a tin whistle and instructed him to be at practice that evening.

Reluctant at first, Hubie did as he was told, and – two weeks later – won an all-Ireland title at the first fleadh, held in Mullingar that year.

Speaking on the Market Square on Saturday as he was honoured by the Westmeath Comhaltas committee for that achievement, Hubie told the Westmeath Examiner about those weeks 75 years ago.

“Bro Redmond came in with 10 flageolets held between his fingers and his thumbs in front of the class and he said to us, who would like to play the flageolets lads? The whole class, of course, went mad to play it, except me.” He told the class there was no cost and “10 hands got the tin whistle, and he had one left”.

“I was sitting in the front row, he pointed to me, but wasn’t looking at me, it was one of those gestures, and he asked why I didn’t put my hand up. I said ‘I don’t want to learn the tin whistle, sir’, so he handed it to me and said, ‘be down at the practice tonight’.

“Out of the fear of God, I went to the practice, and two weeks later, I won at the Fleadh Cheoil.”

Hubie still doesn’t know how he picked up the music so quickly, but it stood to him, as he is best known now as long serving director of Mullingar Town Band (now Band Director Emeritus).

He hadn’t played music, not least because his family were unable to afford instruments or lessons. His father was musical, though “he didn’t impose it”. An orphan, originally from Lurgan, County Armagh, Hubie’s father was sent to Artane in Dublin as a child and played with the marching band there.

He came to Mullingar as an apprentice saddler, at a shilling a week. “He got to love the town,” Hubie recalled, “he joined the local brass band” and he settled in the town.

Asked about the 1951 fleadh, Hubie said: “The day of the competition for the flageolet, we were told to be at St Mary’s Hall. We didn’t know anything, we were as innocent as the day is long, my mother didn’t even know we were competing, but there were 40 kids, and two were recalled – me and another kid.

“When we were waiting to play again, the young fella that I played against said to me, ‘I have no difficulty picking a tune, I have oceans of music’ – I can remember him saying words like that to me. I said, ‘well, I have terrible difficulties, I have only two tunes and I’m only two weeks playing’.

That didn’t hold Hubie back and he went on to win at the first fleadh, making him a living link to the origins of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and a legend in local music circles.