Hugh O’Donnell

Hugh O’Donnell has been associated with folk music in this area for more than thirty-five years. From the early days at the Cartford Arms with Tom Walsh, through the Schooner Coffee Bar in Preston, cutting his “Geordie” teeth at the High Level Bridge in Newcastle with Johnny Handle, Joe Crane and others, and the founding of the Preston Folk Club with the legendary Ralph Smith in the late ‘60s. He has also been a member of the Newcastle Kingsmen on and off since 1969, and was a founder member of Garstang Morris Men.

Hugh has been a musician in many guises including Tom Tiddler’s Ground with Brian Dewhurst and Chris Parkinson, The New Britannia Band with Tom Walsh and Chris Parkinson, The Old Peculiar Band and the Archie Fisher Roadshow (touring with Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem), and has backed a number of artists on their recordings, including Mike Harding and Ken Nicol.

Nowadays he can still be found at Preston Folk Club at the Moorbrook on Fridays, playing around with Tom Walsh, Rob Malaney and others.