One Bearded Irishman

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32313, 3 June 1970, Page 8

One Bearded Irishman

The most spectacular in the display of beards at the national folk festival at the Wellington polytechnic at the week-end belonged to the Irish folk-singer, Declan Affley. His combination of red beard, black hair and a 6ft 51n frame defeated other offerings. A transplantation to Australian soil has not affected Mr Affiey’s Irish nationalism. He is a practitioner of the cultures and laments of "Quid Ireland,” and a seeker after transplanted Irish ballads in the nascent folklore of the Australian outback.

This made him > doubly useful to the producers of the film recently made in Australia of the life and times of Ned Kelly, and starring Mick Jagger, of

the Rolling Stones. Mr Affley was musical adviser and arranger of folk music for the film.

He makes no secret of his Irish nationalism. He says he despises the foreign stuff in other people’s folk music, and enjoys the close personal contact which folk singing brings between artist and audience. Declan Affley gives the impression of fearing neither man nor beast. He admitted, however, to being apprehensive in the presence of the rotund, middle - aged A. L. Lloyd, whose authority in the world of folk music was not questioned at the festival. Mr Affley rated the New Zealand festival as much better technically than its Australian counterpart.