Corkonians abroad: Life in Boston, the 33rd Irish county

How did you end up in Boston, Jonathan?

I landed in Boston on a Friday, dropped the bags in Quincy, at the Diggs, “a family friend from home”, and headed straight to the local Irish bar, Paddy Barry’s, which was renowned for giving musicians a start.

Coincidentally, it is owned by a great Shanbally man Gerry Hanley.

He told me to open for the musician the following night.

That was it, I was in. I would spend the next couple of years labouring by day, playing music by night, working the bar, and doing anything to stay afloat.

I was very lucky to have a huge Cork diaspora around me always throwing a gig my way for this or for that (notably, any time the Cork County Council would arrive, I’d be sent to sing a couple of songs).

Tell us a little about the culture of your new home?

The culture here would be pretty similar to home.

Boston and the surrounding areas are pretty much like the 33rd county. Good working-class people who enjoy a beer, and most who understand ‘the craic’ and aren’t afraid to hurl a few insults. “Bustin ya balls” they call it.

Most people here on the south shore of Boston have grandparents or parents who are straight “off the boat” so they tend to take a liking to an Irish lad.

A lot of opportunities come your way from that.

When you move away, it doesn’t matter what part of Ireland you’re from. We’re not all in the same boat, but we are all in a storm.

What has been the biggest challenge?

One challenge I did have was learning to read a crowd.

People would see me play on a Friday or Saturday night when the bars are hopping and see me do Tell Me Ma or Rattlin Bog and hire me to play an event like an 80th birthday for their grandparents. Luckily, I have an old catalogue of Christy Moore’s and Joe Dolan’s to keep them happy.

As the years progressed, I kept grinding and my life became gigs Monday-Sunday.

The stages got bigger and the crowds got rowdier.

It did take away from my own social life as I was never available to do anything with my own friends or close people around me, but I’d always make up for it around Thanksgiving and Christmas and call round and take myself back down to earth.

That’s the great thing about Cork people. You could end world hunger, but to your own you’re still a langer, haha.

Tell us about your career so far?

In 2016, I was spotted playing at Paddy Barry’s by the GM of a bar group in Boston and ended up playing Downtown for many years at The Black Rose.

Cork musicians were always the big draw in Boston. Two other bands that played there at the time were The McTeggarts and Sunday’s Well.

Jimmy Byrne (RIP) from The McTeggarts and Seanie Cunningham from Sunday’s Well were both from Cork and widely known for their crowd-rocking and lively sets mixed with Irish, country and mainstream stuff. I had big shoes to fill.

I watched them on my breaks and always picked their brains for advice, which they were always happy to give.

I started to gain popularity among young Irish immigrants and Irish Americans with my mix of upbeat Irish, country, Top 40 and bangers.

I flew through a couple of years where I played most bars around town in a flash.

I played some charity gigs for The Claddagh Fund in 2018 and ended up opening for The Dropkick Murphys on their St Patrick’s Day Show at The House of Blues (equivalent to Cork Opera House).

When covid hit, I started to do some live videos and gained some traction, which was short-lived. I lost the bug for a while and had burned myself out.

I am now the house band at Boston’s ‘best award-winning Irish bar’, The Dubliner.

I also operate The Dot Tavern along with my wife Maeghan.

We’ve also just started our own loaded baked potato company, Beantown Potatoheads.

Tell us about some memorable moments you’ve had so far?

In March, 2019, I was tasked to sing the national anthem for a Bruins game at TD Garden in front of 20,000 people the same night as Conor McGregor dropped the puck for them.

I’ve opened shows for Brendan Grace and played in the same shows as Mundy, The Wolfe Tones, and others.

Last year, I trained for my first amateur boxing bout and won with a second-round stoppage.

I also ran the Boston Marathon for a Boston Fire Department charity.

Tell us your thoughts on opportunity - and how a different part of the world might offer more opportunities?

I do feel like a lot of people let their circumstances dictate their vision for the future, and feel because they come from a certain place or community, that the odds are stacked against them.

When you’re in a never-ending cycle Friday to Friday, it’s easy to lose sight of the dream.

I feel the only way to break that cycle is to break the chains and change your surroundings and circumstances. Start fresh. You’d never know what could happen.

What is the hardest part of being away from your hometown?

It is tough being away. I’ve missed my daughter growing up, which was the hardest part.

Birthdays, weddings, funerals. It never gets easier.

The only reason I’m doing this is because I promised my mam that I would make her proud. If I didn’t ever make it big time, at least I’d give it a good go.

Every day I wake up I say this is for my family.

I have my ups and my downs but as long as I keep the goal in sight, I stay pretty in the middle.

What do you miss most about Cork?

The thing I miss most about being home is my family.

It’s pretty different these days though, we can Facetime whenever we want, which makes it that much easier.

Marty Hogan, from Ballincollig, says: “I remember we had to wait for a phone call in the bar and everyone would go quiet to see if United won the soccer”.

I do miss a chicken baguette from Donatellos and a chicken roll from the garage.

I miss the buzz and atmosphere you feel in town around Christmas time. That feeling can’t be replicated.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would you do?

My ideal day back in Cork would be to spend it with my daughter Molly and do whatever she wants. Maybe go to bingo on a Wednesday night with my nan and get a Looneys on the way home. Maybe a few pints on a Sunday with my family in our local, and a Dacent Munch on the way home.