Crowley brothers comments and selected references

Ed, John (sometimes named Jack) and Thomas Crowley were active in the Irish music scene in New York City, particularly in the 1920s. There are several references to them in newspapers as performers, either as individuals or as the Crowley Brothers. They played for dances, and associated with pipers Michael Carney and Eddie Burke, among others. Ed Crowley was president of the Irish Music Club in 1923. There is one reference to John Crowley playing accordion at a dance.

Tom Crowley was mentioned as a pupil of Roscommon piper Johnny Gorman (1861-1917) and other references suggest that the family was from Roscommon. Michael Kelly figured out that the best match was the family of Patrick Crawley (1845-1923) who lived in the townland of Taughnoose. In which case Thomas was born 1871, Edward 1873, John about 1884 and Patrick about 1889.

Despite this information I have been unable to find records confidently linking this family in Ireland with the brothers in New York. Census, immigration and city directory information in the US is ambiguous or not to be found. Much of the difficulty is because of the number of identically-named Crowleys in New York at the time.

One exception is a death notice for Patrick J. Crowley, a "native of Taughnoose," born 1889, who died in The Bronx, New York, May 1968.

A full set, attributed to the Crowleys, is owned by a descendent of a Crowley brother who remained in Ireland. It is in the style of the Taylor brothers and "very rough" in construction. Rick Lines has identified three old Taylor-style sets which appear to have been made by a single unidentified maker. They resemble the set played by Jack [John] Crowley in the 1916 photograph of New York musicians. There may be some connection between the four sets and further research is in order.

An announcement about the forthcoming Garvey Benefit, Dec. 8, 1923, says that "Mr. [Tom] Crowley will also have a new set of bagpipes of his own, which will be played for the first time on that occasion." No telling who might have made this set.

Nick Whitmer June 2020
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"Cloonfad Ladies to Have Annual Ball" [Tom as student of Gorman] NY Advocate Feb. 11, 1922 p. 2 column 5
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0071.pdf

"CROWLEY-PATRICK J" [obituary] NY Advocate June 8, 1968 p. 7 column 3?
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1968 c - 0484

Hayden, James A. "Plenty of Good Talent Volunteer for the Garvey Benefit." [Tom Crowley plays Gorman's pipes] NY Advocate Dec. 8, 1923 p. 2 column 3
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0898.pdf

Lines, Rick emails June 2020, and his unpublished inventory, "The Crowley Brothers (NYC) Sets?" undated. 8 pp.

"Tom Ennis Association Ball St. Patrick's Eve." [John Crowley plays accordion] NY Advocate March 11, 1922 p. 2 column 3
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0104.pdf