Jim Morrison Ceili Band, Co. Antrim!

I was lucky enough, earlier this week, to be given this lovely old photo of whatI understand was an old north Antrim Ceili Band.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/northantrimbirds/33546684788/in/dateposted-public/

The names I have for the musicians are:

Back Row: John White, John Beattie, Alex Elder, Kenneth Adams.

Front Row: Jim Morrison, Hazel Gillen, ?, John McAleese, Tommy Owens, Marion Bigger, Miss Doherty, Eileen Louden, Robbie Colgan & Hugh McCurdy Hamilton.

One name is missing, for one of the Fiddlers to the right of the Piano in the front row. The missing man may be a Jim McBride, but if so, I don’t know which one he is. If anyone can solve this wee problem, I’d be delighted to hear from them.

Also, I don’t know the proper name of the band, so have in the meantime named it after the conductor, standing to the left.

I’d be interested to learn a little more about this band, including the name of the band & also the venue in the photo.

Interesting to see two Cellos in the line up.

Cheers,
Dick

Great photo! Do you know what year it was taken? Looks like late 60’s/ early 70’s from the dress and hairstyles.

I think it’s the Northern Province Ceili Band, They were all from Antrim, and broadcast regularly on Radio Erins Ceili House.

Hi Dick

It doesn’t help your query much, but Jim Morrison taught my mother the fiddle at Ballymoney High School in or around 1961. She’s lived/worked in and around Ballymoney all her life, so I’ll show her the photo and see if she can come up with anything to help you. What a nice photo it is!

m.d.

Interesting, thanks folks.

Another Ballymoney man told me this evening that he thought they were called - The Ballymoney Orchestra.

He was a school pal of the Kenneth Adams in the photo & he reckons this photo was taken around 1958.

Cheers,
Dick

Mystery solved ~ I met someone who is actually in the photo last week, Alex Elder, at our weekly session in Ballymoney, who was able to inform me that this is a photo of the - Ballymoney Orchestra from 1958.

I suppose it really was a bit unlikely to have seen two Cellos in a Ceili Band, but after all, not unheard of to see a Saxophone in the line up.

Cheers,
Dick