Andy Conroy

Andy Conroy (1911 – 1999) was one of John’s best friends. Andy was a man that I knew well and met often when I was younger. He was frequently with my Grandfather and used to spent a lot of time with my family during Christmas and at other times throughout the years. He was a quiet man who I remember being very friendly and I actually never knew he was a piper until later on in my life, I had just never seen him play.

Andy was born in Lough Glynn, Co. Roscommon and was related to the great Roscommon blind piper Johnny Gorman, although they never met as Gorman died in 1917. He played the flute and whistle from an early age and then the pipes. He moved to London in the late 1920’s and then returned to Dublin before the outbreak of the second world war where he met John.

In the 1950’s Andy moved to America and lived there until 1973 when he came back to Ireland and settled in Capel Street next door to the Kelly home. Source 

Credit: Photo of Andy Conroy from John Kelly Seniors personal documents.