A leading box player of the Sliabh Luachra style, O’Leary learned from Pádraig O’Keeffe and played for decades with fiddler Denis Murphy at Dan O’Connell’s pub in Knocknagree. He carried a huge store of polkas and slides, and a book of his tunes collected by Breandán Breathnach and edited by Terry Moylan appeared in 1994. A bronze statue of him stands in Killarney.
Johnny O’Leary
Button accordion player; Sliabh Luachra
- Born
- 6 June 1923, Maulykeavane, County Kerry
- Died
- 9 February 2004, Killarney, County Kerry
Further reading: Wikipedia · Dictionary of Irish Biography