Athlone bids farewell to one of its best known characters

Athlone and Coosan has lost one of its best loved characters and traditional musicians with the passing of Larry Benson after a short illness last week, at the age of 87. A well known fiddle player and musician for decades in the Athlone area and indeed, the length and breadth of the country, Larry is most fondly remembered for his association with Sean's Bar where he worked as a barman and was a regular fixture at music sessions there for over 30 years. In the 1960s, he was one of the main members of the instrumental and extremely popular Ciaran Kelly Ceilí band, who played all over Ireland. When one of the other members of that band, singer Brendan Shine later set up his own group. Larry joined him and was an integral part of that band for close to a decade. He actually met his late wife Mary Patricia while playing saxophone in an earlier band in which she was singing, before turning his attentions to the fiddle and traditional music. "He was one of nature's great gentlemen and a great character," fellow musician and friend Billy Henshaw said in tribute this week having played music with Larry for many years. "He was a tremendous musician and was well known in every area, particularly along the Shannon". He spent 22 years of his working life as a fitter in Gentex before working as a barman in Sean's Bar. Larry was also closely asociated with Grogan's of Glasson where he played music for over 20 years, as well as The Jolly Mariner. A keen boatman and fisherman, Larry loved nothing better than travelling up Shannon in his cruiser and stopping along the way to play music in hostelries from Killaloe to Boyle where people always had a warm welcome for him and were glad to see him come back year after year. A member of the Inland Waterways Association, Larry was also a keen supporter of the Shannon Rally every year. Extremely popular in music circles locally, Mr Benson won a second place medal for playing the fiddle in an All-Ireland Fleadh in years gone by and had appeared on RTE television on several occasions with various bands. In more recent years, he was known to give great encouragement to young and not so young musicians who wanted to perfect their craft. He also passed on his love of music to his family and extended family, many of whom are themselves accomplished local musicians. Timmy Donovan of Sean's Bar said this week Mr Benson was a total gentleman and was very popular at music sessions in the pub down through the years with many people keen to get the chance to play with someone as good as him. Meanwhile, Cllr Kevin 'Boxer' Moran this week paid his own tribute to the late Larry Benson, describing him as a great friend to all in the Coosan area who will be very sadly missed. "The sayings and the craic you'd have with him, you can only cherish them. He was always a man of positivity and one of the best fiddle players you could ever meet," he said. "As well as being a wizard with a fiddle he was also a wizard of knowledge on all kinds of current affairs and the state the country was in," Cllr Moran added. From Shancurragh, Hillquarter, Coosan, where he lived all his life, Larry Benson is predeceased by his late wife Mary Patricia and son Lawrence. He is survived by his four daughters Ann, Jacqueline, Laura and Brenda and six sons Terry, Seamus, David, Noel and Kenneth, sisters Nuala and Carmel. He is also sadly missed by nephews, nieces, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, large group of relatives and many friends. He was buried following funeral Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Coosan on Saturday morning in Cornmagh Cemetry.