In Memory - Donal Ring (1935 - 2022)
by Dermot Lyons
B&F May 2022
Year 45 No 05
On 5th March 2022 the accordion world lost one of its greatest bandleaders with the passing of Donal Ring Snr, founder and leader f the Donal ring Ceili Band from Cork, at the age of 86.
Donal formed his band in 1958 and the band continued to perform up to his passing. Born in Grenagh, Co. Cork, Donal was second in a family of six, two of whom, Jerh and Michael, played in the band at various times. Indeed, family has always played a huge role in the band, with sons Dermot and Donal Jnr and daughters Mary and Breda all taking to the stage with their dad, while his wife Brydie handled all band correspondence.
Success was not instant and 1958 -66 were tough years on the road, but a television appearance on Trom agus Eadrom catapulted the band skyward and from then on it was six nights a week for roughly 10 months a year.
A regular visitor to the UK, Holland and Canada, Donal was invited to tour Scotland by the late Bruce Lindsay Snr in 1988, and continued to travel to the UK until the last few years. Donal was a lifelong friend of Sir Jimmy Shand and indeed Jimmy played at Donal’s 21st Anniversary dance in Connolly Hall, Cork in 1979 to a packed house.
Such was the high esteem in which Donal was held in Scotland that he received the Fife Council Person of the Year Award from the Provost in 2008. At home in Ireland his achievements included Cork Person of the Month, presented by the Mayor of cork, and Hohner All-Ireland Champion Ceili Band back in 1961.
On a personal note, I’m privileged to have been asked to write this and would add that with Donal’s passing, I have lost my musical idol and, above all, a wonderful friend.
My sincere sympathies go to his wife Brydie, his sons Dermot and Donal Jnr, daughters Mary, Breda and Frances, and his wider family.
Donal formed his band in 1958 and the band continued to perform up to his passing. Born in Grenagh, Co. Cork, Donal was second in a family of six, two of whom, Jerh and Michael, played in the band at various times. Indeed, family has always played a huge role in the band, with sons Dermot and Donal Jnr and daughters Mary and Breda all taking to the stage with their dad, while his wife Brydie handled all band correspondence.
Success was not instant and 1958 -66 were tough years on the road, but a television appearance on Trom agus Eadrom catapulted the band skyward and from then on it was six nights a week for roughly 10 months a year.
A regular visitor to the UK, Holland and Canada, Donal was invited to tour Scotland by the late Bruce Lindsay Snr in 1988, and continued to travel to the UK until the last few years. Donal was a lifelong friend of Sir Jimmy Shand and indeed Jimmy played at Donal’s 21st Anniversary dance in Connolly Hall, Cork in 1979 to a packed house.
Such was the high esteem in which Donal was held in Scotland that he received the Fife Council Person of the Year Award from the Provost in 2008. At home in Ireland his achievements included Cork Person of the Month, presented by the Mayor of cork, and Hohner All-Ireland Champion Ceili Band back in 1961.
On a personal note, I’m privileged to have been asked to write this and would add that with Donal’s passing, I have lost my musical idol and, above all, a wonderful friend.
My sincere sympathies go to his wife Brydie, his sons Dermot and Donal Jnr, daughters Mary, Breda and Frances, and his wider family.