Born in Lower Island Cove, Conception Bay, on April 11th, 1923, Kevin traced his ancestry back to the village of Cloyne in County Cork, Ireland. The family moved to Bay de Verde in 1931, where his father fished for a living. Kevin also became a fisherman and raised nine children with his wife, Mary Noonan. He was often sought out for his skills as a carpenter, cooper, and blacksmith, but he also found time to learn and play accordion and fiddle. With a large repertoire of Irish tunes, Kevin often performed at folk festivals around NL. He played on the Conception Bay Folk Arts album The Lonesome Boatman, released in 1982, and was awarded the Stompin’ Tom Connors Award at the East Coast Music Awards in 1998. Kevin passed away on June 26, 2008.

Collector’s Note: I visited Kevin at his home one day in 1978, and we spent a pleasant afternoon playing tunes together. Kevin was very proud that his son Darcy, who was about 10, could play along on the guitar. My tape recording of the session with Kevin had deteriorated badly. Still, my written notes revealed that, after prompting Kevin for some local tunes, he played several gems that “used to be played for dances years ago.” He also said, “I give up playing them kind of tunes,” showing a preference for the more intricate Irish tunes. Kevin played other old local tunes, such as Coming from the Races and Dr. Keilly-O.