'People call me a storyteller': Island ceilidhs part of entertainer's life for 20 years

Tom McSwiggancan't help himself he loves to tell a good story and a good joke. He also loves to sing and play music.

"I like to be known as amusicianand a singer but a lot of times people call me a storyteller."

It is that combination that keeps the audience entertained at ceilidhsperformed at the Women's Institute halls in Malpeque, P.E.I., and Stanley Bridge, P.E.I., all summer.

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McSwigganhas been performing withMike Pendergastfor 20 years since he retired to P.E.I. in 1996. He attended his first Island ceilidhat the time, saying it was quite different from theceilidhs he went to in Ireland.

"We started the ceilidhs and I wanted some humour and I wanted some good music so it was just the two of us for the first couple of years."

They are now joined byPendergast's son, Shane and Andy Doucet along with dancer, Veronica Murray.

'Feel blessed'

"I feel blessed that with all that talent, I can hide behind them so maybe nobody pays any attention to the old guy on the stage, hopefully."

McSwiggansaid between him andPendergast, they have great interaction with the audience and between the two of them, keep the jokes going.

"Sometimes I even enjoy them myself. I'm just joking,"McSwiggansaid with a laugh.

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He said there is never a lack of new material and his family of five children and eight grandchildren help him out, even making it a competition over who can tell the best joke.

"My eight-year-old granddaughter said to me recently, 'Papa, I have joke for you. Did you hear the one about the butter?' And I said no and she said, 'Well I can't tell you because you might spread it around.'"

McSwiggansaid the secret to joke telling is to keep them short.

Theceilidhsare performed Wednesday in Malpeque and Thursday in Stanley Bridge until the end of September. Both nights are from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

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