Barney McKenna or Banjo Barney, From Donnycarney as he is known amongst his fellow musicians, (born December 16, 1939) is an Irish singer and musician who plays the tenor banjo, mandolin, and melodeon. He is most renowned as a banjo player. McKenna, born in Dublin, has played the banjo since an early age, beginning because he could not afford to buy the instrument of his choice, a mandolin. He has been a member of The Dubliners since 1962; prior to that, he spent a few months in The Chieftains. In addition to his work on traditional Irish music, he also plays jazz on occasion. December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Old 6-string zither banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. Its name is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza. ... Carved and round backed mandolins (front) A mandolin is a small, plucked, stringed musical instrument, descended from the mandora. ... The terms melodeon and melodion can refer to any of several related musical instruments of the free reed aerophone family: A type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... The Dubliners are an Irish folk band, one of the older bands in music today. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Chieftains are an Irish musical group founded in 1962, known for performing and popularizing Irish traditional music. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ...