On Tommie Potts and The Liffey Banks (with Martin Hayes)

Three Castles Burning

More than just one of Ireland's most beloved musicians, Martin Hayes is also the author of Shared Notes: A Musical Journey. In his memoir he introduces us to a host of brilliant characters, ranging from childhood friends and relations in East Clare to those who would become central to The Gloaming. One figure we meet is Tommie Potts, a Dublin firefighter from the Coombe and a fiddle player. The Liffey Banks remains a beloved record. In this excerpt from a conversation at London's Féile MOTH, Hayes discusses Potts and revisits a tune that means much to him.