George Desmond Hodnett
Encyclopedia
George Desmond "Hoddy" Hodnett (25 February 1918 - 23 September 1990) was an Irish musician, song-writer and long-time jazz and popular music critic for the Irish Times.
. His father, who came from a prominent Cork
legal family, became a colonel in the Irish army after 1922. His mother, Lauré Faschnacht, came from Murten
, a small town near Bern in Switzerland
.
He was educated at the Catholic University School
(CUS), Leeson St. and Coláiste na Rinne at Ring, County Waterford
. He studied law at Trinity College
, Dublin but preferred the music and theatres of the city to a legal career. He played jazz piano, trumpet and zither (he was probably the only zither-player in Ireland at the time). He became part of the bohemian milieu that congregated around the Catacombs in Fitzwilliam Place, which included Brendan Behan
and Gainor Crist (the original Ginger Man
).
In the 1950s Hodnett was composing satirical tunes for revues at the Pike Theatre in Herbert Lane (where he was also residential pianist) and for other Dublin theaters. After folk and traditional music became popular he reviewed this music also, and was still reviewing jazz and Irish trad music for the Irish Times to just before his death.
In 1969 he took part in the occupation of Georgian
buildings in Hume Street
(which became known as the Battle of Hume Street). He sustained injuries when being forcibly removed. He was a guest on the first broadcast of the Late Late Show
on RTÉ
on Friday, 5 July 1962.
His best-known song was "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)
". It was composed for a revue in 1958 and was not seriously intended for public performance. Ronnie Drew
of The Dubliners
knew of the song and sang it at the Gate Theatre
in 1966. It was an immediate hit.
Life
Hodnett was born in Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. His father, who came from a prominent Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
legal family, became a colonel in the Irish army after 1922. His mother, Lauré Faschnacht, came from Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
, a small town near Bern in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
He was educated at the Catholic University School
Catholic University School
Catholic University School is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, Ireland. It is run by the Marist Fathers.-Origins:...
(CUS), Leeson St. and Coláiste na Rinne at Ring, County Waterford
Ring, County Waterford
Ring is a Gaeltacht region on a peninsula in the western half of County Waterford, Ireland, approximately seven miles south of Dungarvan town.Ring has many town lands but the main village is situated in Baile na nGall...
. He studied law at Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, Dublin but preferred the music and theatres of the city to a legal career. He played jazz piano, trumpet and zither (he was probably the only zither-player in Ireland at the time). He became part of the bohemian milieu that congregated around the Catacombs in Fitzwilliam Place, which included Brendan Behan
Brendan Behan
Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:...
and Gainor Crist (the original Ginger Man
The Ginger Man
The Ginger Man is a 1955 novel by J. P. Donleavy.First published in Paris, the novel is set in Dublin, Ireland, in post war 1947. Upon its publication, it was banned in the Republic of Ireland and the United States of America for obscenity....
).
In the 1950s Hodnett was composing satirical tunes for revues at the Pike Theatre in Herbert Lane (where he was also residential pianist) and for other Dublin theaters. After folk and traditional music became popular he reviewed this music also, and was still reviewing jazz and Irish trad music for the Irish Times to just before his death.
In 1969 he took part in the occupation of Georgian
Georgian Dublin
Georgian Dublin is a phrase used in the History of Dublin that has two interwoven meanings,# to describe a historic period in the development of the city of Dublin, Ireland, from 1714 to the death in 1830 of King George IV...
buildings in Hume Street
Hume Street, Dublin
Hume Street is a street in central Dublin located between Ely Place and St. Stephen's Green. It is named after the family of surgeon Sir Gustavus Hume....
(which became known as the Battle of Hume Street). He sustained injuries when being forcibly removed. He was a guest on the first broadcast of the Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
on RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
on Friday, 5 July 1962.
His best-known song was "Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)
Monto (Take Her Up To Monto)
Monto is an Irish folk song, written by George Desmond Hodnett, music critic of the Irish Times, and popularised by the Dubliners.-Lyrics:Well, if you've got a wing-o, Take her up to Ring-o...
". It was composed for a revue in 1958 and was not seriously intended for public performance. Ronnie Drew
Ronnie Drew
Joseph Ronald "Ronnie" Drew was an Irish singer and folk musician who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin...
of The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
knew of the song and sang it at the Gate Theatre
Gate Theatre
The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
in 1966. It was an immediate hit.