Martin Reilly
Honored April 26, 2028
Born into a musical family on a farm in Aughafin, near Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Martin is the youngest of 13. His father Jimmy and mother Kathleen played the fiddle.
Martin learned to play the tin whistle and button accordion from his father by the fireplace, where there were many ceilis held on the flagstone floor in front of the blazing fire. Martin’s brothers also played music while his sisters danced.
His father Jimmy was one of the original members who launched the first Mullingar Fleadh Cheoil in 1951. Martin played in the local junior ceili band under the tutelage of local piano accordionist Anita McLoughlin. They won first place at the Fleadh in 1963.
In 1965, Martin and his brother Tommy played at the final crossroads/bonfire dance in Cranleybeog. In those days. a barrel was placed in the center of the crossroads and set on fire to light up the night while locals played and danced for hours.
In 1969, Martin emigrated to Luton, England, joining his sister Ann, where he continued training to become a diesel mechanic while playing music in the Harp Club and at local weddings with Galway box player Martin Neylon. After a couple of years in Luton, Martin traveled to New York to see his sister Mary. He met Nora Cuffe from Lismore, County Waterford, in the Shamrock House in East Durham, where they spent many weekends at sessions in Kelly’s. They married in May 1974 and settled in Whitestone, N.Y.
He went to work for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in May 1978, where he continued until his retirement in 2015. They immersed their three children – Marie, Brenda and Martin – in Irish culture.
Martin spent many years at Feiseanna spending countless hours playing and encouraging all the kids to play tunes. He also regularly played with well-known musicians in the New York area such as Paddy Reynolds, Johnny Cronin, Andy McGann, Martin Wynne, Joe Madden, Mike Rafferty, Jack Coen and many others.
In the summers, Nora traveled with the kids to Waterford where they were surrounded by music and dancing. Both Marie (fiddle) and Martin (accordion) went on to tour extensively with the late Hall of Famer Mick Moloney, Riverdance and Cherish the Ladies. Brenda learned to play the flute with Jack Coen and was also an accomplished Irish dancer. Marie’s husband Seamus, a Spiddal native, plays flute and Martin’s granddaughter Nora has danced at the World Championships and also plays piano. Martin continues to play frequently at local sessions and events and has passed his love of the music onto the next generation.
Martin is deeply honored to be recognized as one of the newest members of the CCÉ Hall of Fame and congratulates his fellow recipients.