Episode 2.19 (Mary Agnes Kennedy): Finding a New Voice in Old Songs

In season two of the "Finding Home" podcast series, Irish American Archives Society Executive Director Margaret Lynch interviews an array of Clevelanders with specialized knowledge and stories about the history of the Irish in Cleveland. This episode features an interview with Mary Agnes Kennedy. As singer Mary Agnes Kennedy recalls, music and singing were a huge part of her growing up years. Her mother, Carole Anne Kennedy, played Irish music on a portable record player and made the family sit down for the Mike Comer radio hour. Music was everywhere--at family parties, school choirs and plays, television theme songs and jingles, even events on Fleet Avenue that a Polish neighbor organized. Kennedy reflects on the mentors and community influences that gave her confidence and staying power as a singer.