Johnny Patterson Tribute Takes Centre Stage In Ennis

Arts and Entertainment - Theatre

Thursday, 13 May 2010 21:29

Written by Denise Lyons

A powerful new tribute show to the forgotten genius and extraordinary life of circus performer Johnny Patterson from County Clare will take centre stage at Glór Irish Music Centre tonight and tomorrow night.

Although his story may have been forgotten many of the Feakle natove’s hit songs can still be heard today such as The Garden Where the Praties Grow, Goodbye Johnny Dear or The Stone Outside Dan Murphy’s Door.

Ballad maker, song writer, musician and circus entertainer, John Francis Patterson was born in 1840 in Kilbarron near Feakle.

When John Swallow's circus came to Limerick Johnny got a part-time job in the circus band. Having spent five years in the British Army he bought his way out for £20.

While on tour in Cork with Swallow's circus Johnny gave a solo performance in which he told jokes and sang songs. His musical ability and his rapport with the audience was evident and he was given a two year contract. He was billed as "The Irish Singing Clown."  At the age of thirty five Johnny Patterson was a national success and it was reputed that he could hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

In the United States Johnny became one of the best known and highest paid entertainers of his day. He composed songs like "The Hat my Father Wore", "Bridget Donoghue", "Shake Hands with your Uncle Dan" and the famous emigrant song "Goodbye Johnny Dear." His song "The Stone outside Dan Murphy's Door" tells of his youth in Ennis and a shop known as a meeting place for boys and girls.

In 1887 he joined up with an Australian called Joe Keeley and the Keeley and Patterson circus toured Ireland that year.

Johnny was on tour in Tralee in May, 1889 and decided to sing "Do your best for One Another" - a song which was to prove fatal. His son Johnny junior (who had also joined a circus) recalled the sad event as follows -
"Johnny had two small flags, one was green with a harp, the other was red with a crown. He symbolically wore the two flags together but a small section of the audience objected to his sentiments. A row broke out and while making an effort to save the circus equipment, Johnny was struck on the head with an iron bar and then kicked, before the crowd could rescue him".

This event took place on Monday and Johnny was taken to O'Sullivan's Hotel. His condition deteriorated on Thursday and he was taken to Tralee Fever Hospital. He died there on May 31st 1889 at the age of forty nine. He was buried in the plot of his friend Ted Eager, in the New Cemetery in Tralee.
In 1985 a memorial plaque was unveiled on Johnny's grave. In 1989, the centenary of his death, the Ennis Arts Festival paid tribute to Ireland's famous clown and used a circus theme for their programme of events.

For more on Johnny Patterson see www.clarelibrary.ie

Tickets for ‘Johnny Patterson: The Singing Irish Clown’ by Little John Nee  are on sale. 

For more see the Glór website