Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Tributes have been paid throughout the afternoon to the Irish traditional musician Joe Burke who has died at the age of 81.
A native of Kilnadeema, Joe was a master accordion player who inspired generations of musicians to take up the button accordion and his playing was known and admired all over the world.
Joe was born in 1939 and began playing at the age of four, buying his first accordion in the 1950's.
In 1956, he was a founding member of the Leitrim Ceili Band and toured the US with the band five years later.
Proficient in many instruments, Joe won many accolades and awards during his life, most notably RTÉ's Traditional Musician of the Year in 1970, AIB traditional musician of the year 1997 was awarded in Musical Mastery from Boston College in 2000.
On his return from the United States in 1992, Joe continued to teach and perform music.
Joe is survived by his wife, musician Ann Conroy Burke.
