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Tom O’Carroll

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Although St. Patty’s day is a month away, Irish entertainers can always be found at Cathy O’Clarke’s Irish Pub & Grille.

This week’s entertainer is Tom O’Carroll, a folklorist, who plays the guitar and sings various Irish as well as American songs.

Although no children were there the night I went to hear O’Carroll, would you believe he had the audience singing Puff the Magic Dragon?

They also sang along with Molly Malone and a few other sing-along songs. What a whooping good time they were having!

O’Carroll certainly knows how to make the audience come alive.

“I learned That’s Amore because people come in from Naples and they love to sing along. Some need a little coaxing and that’s fine, you know. A little bit of this helps,” O’Carroll said pointing to his beer.

He’s noticed on occasion that some families who come to dine bring an elderly loved one even though that person may be in a state of confusion. While O’Carroll entertains, he said that suddenly the music appears through the gloom and that person’s eyes light up and the family rejoices.

“It’s a small contribution, but it means a lot to people,” he said. That’s what a good entertainer does — bring joy when least expected. O’Carroll is certainly good at that.

His tunes go from slow to frolicky and gay to instrumental. He tells jokes and stories to keep the crowd going, and they love it. Those who leave and have enjoyed the performance usually put money in the tip jar. It’s also enjoyable to hear people applaud and whistle when they hear a song that makes them feel good which also tells the entertainer he’s appreciated.

O’Carroll played a beautiful rendition of a Spanish instrumental song called La Romance. Written in the 19 century, O’Carroll made it sound as though two guitars were playing. But it was O’Carroll alone with no background tracks. It was truly masterful.

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, O’Carroll lives in Massachusetts. He’s been entertaining at O’Clarke’s for the past five years as well as traveling all over the country and abroad.

“Music drew me in as a child,” he said. “I had no choice in the matter. I just found myself singing and when I was five years old, I got a plastic guitar and I even managed to make it sound okay.”

By the time he was 10 years old, he said he got a real wooden guitar and the music just never stopped. As O’Carroll tells it, he went to school and they had an old banjo in the attic. The school fixed it up and he taught himself to play it.

“I also had formal music training but I was too impatient and just wanted to play. I played the double bass in the school orchestra and the clarinet. But I don’t anymore. My instruments now are the guitar, the tin whistle, mandolin, banjo and bodhrán (Irish drum), but I don’t bring them all with me,” he commented.

O’Carroll will perform Friday through Sunday, Feb. 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. He will return for four days from Feb. 28 through, March 1.

Visit his website at www.tomocarroll.com to hear some of his songs. He also has two CD’s that can be purchased at Cathy O’Clarke’s Irish Pub & Grill located at 591 S. Collier Blvd. Phone: 642-9709.