Born near Bodyke in East Clare in 1916, Martin Rochford started learning fiddle aged ten. He was won over to the uilleann pipes when he heard the travelling piper Tony Rainey playing. In a note to Liam McNulty of the Pipers Club in the late 1980s, Martin wrote:
“I remember a Saturday evening in 1935, the Model Y Ford had just come to Ennis, and Tony Rainey was playing in O’Connell Square in the town. He played a full set, concert pitch, and he was a great regulator player. He had a lady collecting money while he played. Among the tunes he played was The Heather Breeze and it was so good that someone, from Kilmaley, I think, asked him to play it again.” He added: “Rainey used to sell the pipes when he got very dry.” (Published in An Piobaire).
So taken was Martin by him that he decided to learn the uilleann pipes. Tony Rainey sold him a practice set. He later formed a friendship with another travelling piper, Johnny Doran, who often visited, parking his caravan nearby and playing in the house. Felix Doran was another regular visitor. Martin learned The Swallow’s Tail from Johnny and always played his version of The Copperplate. Leo Rawsome was another visitor to the district.
Sean Reid, the piper and engineer, who did a lot of work encouraging young pipers in County Clare in the 1940s in particular, was introduced to Martin. In 1947 he brought a group which included Martin Rochford, Paddy O’Donoghue and Willie Clancy to Dublin to compete in the Oireachtas (Willie Clancy won a first).
Martin played the fiddle and uilleann pipes in the easy East Clare style, like his friend Paddy Canny, with whom he often played, and Paddy’s father Pat. In the latter years he continued to play the fiddle but could only manage a practice set of pipes due to a swelling in his hands.
Martin drove a lorry, farmed and worked his lime kilns while raising a family with his wife Kathleen. He was very friendly with Willie Clancy, he knew Junior Crehan for 60 years, Tommy Kearney was a great friend and the younger generations visited him regularly; Kevin Burke, Martin Hayes, (he plays Martin Rochford’s on the Live in Seattle album), Mary MacNamara all have a lot to thank Martin for and plenty of pipers called all the time as well. There are strong and interesting similarities in the fiddle styles of Martin Rochford and Martin Hayes from Feakle. He welcomed the playing of younger musicians, but was critical of fast music at “hurricane speed.”
The Clare Champion wrote of him in their obituary: “He never regarded his heritage as his own private property but rather as something which he should encourage and pass on. To this end he was always willing to meet fellow musicians to teach and write tunes and his house was a Mecca for lovers of Irish music worldwide.” He died in October, 2000.
With special thanks to Peter Laban and Eugene Lambe.