My father Tomás Marrinan from Ennistymon Co.Clare married and settled in Dunmanwy, Co. Cork in 1946. My mother Nellie Daly came from a musical family and prominent West Cork poets were members of the Ó Dálaigh clan. She had a great voice and was a winner at Feis Maitiú in Cork in 1928.

I was born in 1947 and at the age of two I was sent to my grandmother in Illaunbaun Ennistymon Co.Clare. I returned to Dunmanway at the age of five to go to school. Those childhood days in Clare appear more idyllic with each passing year and those Dunmanway schooldays also hold very happy memories. My mother never missed an opportunity to have us singing around the fire in those pre-television days.

We always looked forward to visits from uncle Jack Daly especially on Fair Days. He was a great singer and always had the mouth organ at the ready. We often visited my aunts at Shinagh and Cloutiquirk where we had many musical nights. My mother and her siblings could knock a tune out of most instruments even a comb!!

When I was about ten we got a grammophone from America with a supply of records. I think one of the first records my mother bought was one of Bridie Gallagher. She had already taught us The Rose of Arranmore and songs from West Cork like The Boys of Kilmichael and Skibbereen and snippets of songs in Irish from her schooldays. She had part of a version of Ar Éirinn Ní Nósfhainn Cé Hí, which she called My Home in Glandore, a song which I later heard the great Tom Linehan singing in Miltown Malbay.

Through my father's work with the Department of Agriculture we had many contacts with the farming community around Dunmanway and had mighty nights at many threshings and stations. What a pity there was no technology to record those wonderful people, their dancing songs and stories. We learned to appreciate the history and games associated with the historic town of Dunmanway and surrounding areas and our enlightened teachers and community leaders kept us busy at work and at play. We were proud of The Dohenys GAA Club and the birth-place of Sam McMaguire and regular tournaments were organised for hurling and football. We had many concerts especially the annual pageant on St. Patrick's night which involved all the young people,organised by the late Sean Lomasney.

While enjoying those idyllic schooldays in Dunmanway part of my mind and heart was always in Clare. My father would have me write regularly to my Grandmother and of course I was landed back in Clare for most school holidays where I met up with other cousins from variuos places. In this "Tír na nÓg" among the meitheals of relations and neighbours in the bog and in the meadows I received another education. While Irish had not been the spoken language for more than 100 years many of those wonderful people seemed to enjoy encouraging me to use the Irish I had learned at school. Proverbs were regularly quoted in Irish, and when my Uncle Seamus himself a schoolteacher was in the company we had what we called the " School around the Meadow".

At the firesides at night I heard stories and songs and recitings from McCurtain "the last of the hereditary bards of Thomond" as he described himself. His poem Slán le Cluain an Átha in which he gives honourable mention to the Marrinan Clan was often referred to. The exciting lifestyle of Máire Rua, Cromwell and other stories of Ireland's troubles were also to the fore. We were mesmerised when my grandmother's friend Jack Foudy came on Sundays as they traced relations and the exploits of the many friends and relations who had gone to America.

I attended many cattle fairs in Miltown and Ennistymon where just like in Dunmanway, I heard the exciting singing and music of the old tinkers. Accounts of Swarees in the1930's and 40's when the music was provided by people like Johnny and Felix Doran made us understand what was meant by "the good old days". I could'nt believe it when I met Willie Clancy at the Irish College in Inis Oirthir in 1961and I spent many nights just leaning on the door-post of the pub listening to the master. Uncle Seamus brought us to Fleadhanna Cheoil and I particularly remember Miltown Malbay and Scarriff where I was found,"lost" in a group of musicians by exasperated cousins.

At school particular emphasis was given to writing compositions/essays and learning poetry off by heart At home I sometimes made up two line or four line rhymes sometimes mimicking what had been said by some adult. My parents were not amused! On going to boarding-school I found some freedom to write poems and had the eventual distinction of having my poems notebook confiscated. Having taken up employment in the late 1960's I continued to write poems and ballads but an over enthusiastic landlord tidying out my flat dumped my masterpieces!.

When I arrived in Waterford in 1970 I met Martín Ó Muirgheasa who was involved with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. I was encouraged to attend the many events organised by Comhaltas. Later in the 70's I met Paddy Berry the great Wexford song guru at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann who introduced me to a wonderful group of traditional song afficionadoes. They encouraged me to sing my own compositions. Each year we travelled to Miltown Malbay to the Willie Clancy Summer School where I met Tom Munnely and got great opportunities to perform my songs, thanks to Muiris Ó Rocháin. Over the years I have also been invited to various Singers Clubs which have done so much to promote traditional singing. A special word of thanks to Jim Walsh of the Cork Singers Club.

To see Michael's traditional Irish farmhouse in County Waterford - which is available for rental accommodations - click here.

I am indebted to great people like Robbie McMahon, Seamus McMathúna, the late Paddy Tunney, Muintir Shúilleabháin from Coolea, the late Paddy Lalor from Tipperary, the late Liam Ryan of the Nire Valley and the many musicians who invited me to sing at their sessions.
This project could not have been commenced without the help of my old school friend Tony Canniffe who understands my idiosyncracies. My own songs would never have been available were it not for the attention of my wife who has always been the first to endure them and to eventually consider them worth typing. Thanks to two members of my Comhaltas branch Craobh na gCumarach, Alice Fitzgerald and Máire Govers for their encouragement and to Benny McCarthy of Danú for his advice. Finally thanks to Liam Clancy for his encouragement over the years and for the use of his studio in Ring, to Bruno Staehelin whose technical wizardry kept me on track and to Gary Ó Bríain for his sympathetic production and music.