When McCormack made a visit back to Athlone

100 years ago last week, a special lunch was hosted by General Séan McEoin at his home in Custume Barracks, Athlone, for John McCormack.

The occasion was the first visit home in at least a decade by the Athlone-born internationally-renowned singer, who was partaking in a series of concerts in Dublin.

A rare picture from this historic occasion on August 15, 1923, has recently been unearthed by Katie McCay, a great grand daughter of Michael Killkelly and Mary Kilkelly (née Foy) both of whom are included in the photo, along with their daughters, Dr Ethel Kilkelly and Kitty Kilkelly.

Kitty Kilkelly, wrote in her diary, of the occasion.

‘One day in I923 General and Mrs. Sean McEoin called to see my father and mother, we lived in Cloghan House then.

They said that John McCormack was coming to lunch at their house in Barracks, they invited me, also and my sister Dr. Ethel who was home from England on holiday. We were all delighted and soon after on Aug I5th I923, the luncheon took place. With Count John McCormack were Archbishop Curley, Edwin Schneider and Mr. McSwiney (his manager), other guests included Mrs. Molly Curley, Mrs Collins O‘Driscoll, Mr & Mrs McDuffy and Miss May Duffy.

After Grace was said we were all seated, John looked round anxiously and scanned the faces, then he said 'where is George Hurley?' At once a message was sent off to find him, and a little later George arrived, John had not forgotten his old friend. After luncheon John, who was in great form that day, went off with Gen. Mc Eoin to play a game of tennis and then afternoon tea was served in the drawing room.

John then sang five songs. Edwin Schneider accompanying him. The two I remember best were ‘The Meeting of the Waters’ and 'Who is Sylvia’ both favourites of my father. They all signed my autograph album.”

McCormack's connection with the Kilkelly family is well known as Michael Kilkelly was instrumental in encouraging the young McCormack including helping him to organise his first concert in the Fr. Mathew Hall to raise funds for his voice training in Italy.

In his blog as Historian in Residence with Westmeath County Council, Ian Kenneally put the visit in context.

“When John McCormack arrived at the port of Dun Laoghaire on August 9 1923, he was revelling in the success of his recent European tour in which he performed to audiences in cities such as Berlin, Prague and Paris. His fame extended across the globe, although he was especially successful in the United States. By then, according to historian Gordon Ledbetter, McCormack could fill virtually any American concert hall. In New York, he regularly moved between Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera and the Hippodrome, always performing to full houses.”

McCormack performed in Dublin's Theatre Royal during the visit, and Kenneally says, a visit by his old friend Canon Crowe of St Peter's in Athlone to McCormack in his hotel resulted in arrangements being made for McCormack to visit his home town for the first time in a decade.

Kenneally writes: “McCormack drove from Dublin along with his manager and accompanist. Also in the car was Michael Curley, Archbishop of Baltimore, who was in Ireland to visit his mother. Like McCormack, Curley was from Athlone and both men had known each other as schoolchildren, a fact that was repeated in many newspapers, including the Westmeath Independent:

“McCormack and Curley arrived in Athlone around 2.30pm and visited ‘the beautiful and picturesquely situated residence of the distinguished ecclesiastic’s mother’ at Golden Island. There, after being joined by Seán MacEoin, they remained for about an hour. While at Golden Island the party was photographed by members of the press although Athlone citizens who hoped to catch a glimpse of the singer were to be disappointed. When the press first reported that McCormack was to visit Athlone, a reception committee was formed with the intention of providing a public welcome for the singer. At the last moment, however, those plans were cancelled after McCormack, according to the Westmeath Independent, ‘intimated his desire to see his old Athlone friends without being made the object of show or display of any kind’.

“McCormack’s refusal of a civic reception, although understandable, caused ‘keen disappointment to those whose anxiety was to accord the great singer a reception worthy of the town of his nativity’. A large number of people congregated in Athlone, ‘all anxious to participate in the civic welcome’ but once McCormack’s car left Golden Island it drove directly to Custume Barracks. When the vehicle passed through the entrance to the barracks the guard turned out and saluted while the local army band ‘struck up a popular selection of Irish airs’. It was in the barracks that McCormack, amid a small group of selected guests, was given his official welcome to the town.”

McCormack's visit was short and he returned to Dublin for more concerts and a reception in which he was granted the freedom of the city by Dublin Corporation.

*Ian Kenneally's full article can be read on the Decade of Centenaries Blog on Westmeath County Council's website.