The Shadow of the Shamrock – Flora Lynagh

The following story is one of the many featured in a book called ‘The Shadow of the Shamrock’. The book was written by Marjorie Head and published in 2007 with input from members of the Gympie Irish Club. The book is available for sale through the Gympie Family History Society. At the time, it was ‘A project of the Gympie Irish club which aims to record the history of the Irish in Gympie through selected biographies of some of Gympie’s most colourful Irish personalities set in context of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of their times.’

Flora Lynagh

Flora Edna Loweke was born on the 13th of December 1915 the middle child of parents August William and Sarah Jane Loweke of Imbil. Flora had two sisters Beryl Beatrice born 6th February 1914 and Dulcie Mabel 5th October 1917. Their grandfather, Peter Henry Sutton, was a pioneer of Moy Pocket, and after whom Sutton Road is named.

All three girls attended Imbil School. When Flora’s mother died in June 1925, leaving August with three young daughters plus his farm work, to attend to, the girls (as soon as they were old enough) were sent to board at St. Patrick’s Convent School in Gympie. At St. Patrick’s Flora was introduced to the piano and violin by the Sisters of Mercy, many of whom were Irish or of Irish ancestry. Flora played the piano and violin and sang at St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and weddings, under the guidance of the nuns. During this time she was also exposed to Irish traditional music and though we don’t know whether she had any Irish ancestors on her mother’s side (Loweke of course is German) she acquired a love of all thinkgs Irish, which was to last her who life, with some extraordinary results.

After leaving school Flora moved to Brisbane to attend business college. It was here that she met and married Victor Lynagh. In the fifites and sixties Flora had a dance bandh which played at many venues around Brisbane. She thus came to the attention of Mick Maloney and Bill Hanly of the Irish Association who asked her whether she could play for their Irish dancers. Flora had never played for Irish dancers but set her considerable talents to the task by listening to recordings of Irish dance musicians, and even sending to Ireland for Irish dance sheet music. From the mid-sixties for about the next fourteen years, Flora volunteered her time every Saturday to play the piano for the dancers, becoming very proficient in the art of Irish dance music. This requires great rhythm, and the ability to play tunes at different speeds according to the different dances and standards of the dancers.

Flora played the music for many Irish dancing competitions in the Brisbane area, often travelling long distances by train, and also accompanied dancers to Australian championships held in the various capital cities, to play their set dance music.

The legacy of her dedication to, and involvement in, Irish dancing now lives on. Her daughter Vicky, is a teacher of Irish dancing and runs the Lynagh School of Irish dancing in Brisbane and is also an adjudicator of Irish dance competitions. Vicky has held several positions, including president, in the Australian Irish dancing Association (Queensland brand). Several of Flora’s grand daughters are Irish dancers and one, Vicky’s daughter Bridget Cox, has several times been Queensland Champion, and won and Australian championship in 2005.

This story was compiled by Kathy Punter 

Sources:  ‘The Shadow of the Shamrock’ – this book is available for sale from The Gympie Family History Society and you may purchase a copy via our Book Store, or, from our rooms at 1 Chapple St, Gympie: