Pete St John treats crowds to Fields of Athenry, Dublin in the Rare Auld Times on a Famine ship

Dublin musicians were out in force on the National Famine Commemoration Day when an impromptu concert started on the Jeanie Johnston

A little bit of magic was captured on the National Famine Commemoration Day in Dublin, on board the Jeanie Johnston Famine ship. The man who wrote Ireland’s most famous song “The Fields of Athenry”, Pete St John,  was serenaded by some rare musical Irish talent and luckily someone caught it on video.

Read more: How "The Fields of Athenry" became Ireland’s most famous song

Pete St John was joined by Brian Furlong (guitar and singing), Kevin Glackin (fiddle), and Roy Buckley (singing) as they entertained the crowds on what looked like a wonderful sunny day. In the second half of the video the group performs another St. John classic, “Dublin in the Rare Auld Times” and the songwriters even treats the crowd by singing a poignant and fitting verse.

IrishCentral spoke with music Roy Buckley, who performed St. John’s “Field of Athenry” in the video. He said he was just “glad somebody caught this on video!”

St John’s career has been a prolific one. Buckley told IrishCentral “The legendary Pete St John, the man who wrote The Fields of Athenry, Dublin In The Rare Old Times, The Ferryman, The Mero, Tara Tansey, Hey Johnny McGory, Danny Farrell, Ringsend Rose and lots more great Irish folk songs.”