When Bantry musician John Minehane bought his first saxophone from Duffy’s Circus for £25 in 1950, the story of the Regal Showband began. Together with the O’Sullivan brothers, Paddy who played button and piano accordion and Murt who played chromatic accordion, pianist Donal O’Donovan, trumpeter Seán O’Leary and drummer Seán Clifford, the lads began playing for dancers in and around their County Cork hometown and soon made a name for themselves on the dancing circuit.

For a while they became The Regal Orchestra, augmenting the band with British and German musicians such as Len Ashton and Walter Rittmeir, and playing big-band arrangements in the style of Glenn Miller. For strict-tempo dancing they would pack more than 1,000 people into Cork venues such as The Arcadia.

However, in the late 1950s, and now with musicians like Len McCarthy and Kevin Lynch on board, they took a long look at the Irish dancing scene and took the big step of becoming a professional showband. Some of the lads decided to hold on to the day-job and left the band.  Skibbereen trumpeter Gordon Hanly came in as arranger. Drummer Benno Hausmann joined from Maurice Mulcahy’s band, Vocalist Michael Noonan joined and the Regal Showband took to the highways and bye-ways of Ireland to play in dance-halls and marquees from Culdaff to Dingle.

There were quite a few changes in personnel in the early days. Musicians such as Jack Brierly, and Marco Petrassi went through the ranks. Mick Aherne came in as guitarist and vocalist Jimmy Cotter replaced his cousin Michael Noonan. With their tailor-made mohair suits with black velvet collars, the Regal were known for their smart appearance as well as their professional musical programme.

However, it wasn’t until a young, handsome Cork singer named Declan Ryan joined the band in the early 1960s that the band made their big breakthrough. In 1965, their record, “I Need You / Hurting Inside” on the Decca label, topped the Irish singles charts and they were packing in huge crowds wherever they played. They appeared on RTE’s “Showband Show” and numerous live radio shows.

Around this time they were joined by a young Belfast saxophonist named Des McAlea, who later left to join the Miami Showband. Des (stage name Des Lee) was an injured survivor when three members of the Miami were murdered in 1975.  Drummer Benno was killed tragically in a boating incident in Cork harbour in the 1980s.  Kevin Lynch and Gordon Hanly have also passed away in the past decade.

Though they continued for a few years after four of the band left to form The Arrivals in 1967, the Regal Showband’s best years were from 1960 to 1966. Some new musicians joined to replace those who had left and at one point, they became The Treetops, fronted by Pat Lynch. Along with The Dixies, they ensured a strong presence for Cork showbands during those happy dancing days.

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Footnote: In 1990, Benno Haussman was drowned while working as a fisheries officer off the coast of Cork. (Scroll down for story)

1964: Love Me / You Know Her  (King KG 1010)

1965: I Need You / Hurtin' Inside (Decca F12202, also Emerald MD 1014)

1966: A True, True Love / I Hurt Too Much To Die (Emerald MD 1031)

1967: The Blarney Stone / I'm Ashamed of You (Pye 7N.17296)

1969:
Lindy, Lindy / When Two Worlds Collide (Honey COMB 03)
Hello There Santa / Everybody Sing and Dance (Honey COMB 13)