I don’t remember the very first time I came across Martin O'Brien. He just started arriving at the sessions Quentin and I were doing in Ennis. Initially, I noticed that he didn’t play a lot of tunes, however it was clear that he was very comfortable sitting there with his concertina on his lap. I could see that he was one of those people who just loved traditional music. Even though he wasn’t playing all the time, he was soaking the reels and jigs and hornpipes into his psyche and, most importantly, he was excited about being part of the session and the creation of music.
What surprised, amazed and delighted me, along with everyone else, was how quickly he became a good player. I knew he was working hard with the help of Mary Mac Namara and others. I knew he was going to festivals and concertina workshops. Every time he came to a session he had a new tune and interestingly, that was always the first tune he would play on the night. They were all good solid tunes.
He became a good musician and the audience started to enjoy the way he gets lost in his music. He forgets about everything but the tune when he plays. His gaze is fixed but he’s not aware of his physical environment. His body moves in a perfect relaxed rhythm with the music. Those watching the performance, as well as his fellow musicians, know that this is real and not contrived. They know it is the most necessary ingredient for good art. They know it is heart and soul - Eoin O’Neill
