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Pat Touhey chronology and gig count

1865 Feb 26	Born Galway
1868?	Emigrated to USA
c. 1876	Started playing pipes (when 11 years old)
1885 Sep 4	First newspaper reference, with Harrigan's Double Hibernian Co. "John Eagan" is also listed as appearing. Touhey toured wth the company probably Sep 1885 - May 1886.
1887 April-Feb 88	Appears in play "Inshavogue", NYC, Syracuse, Buffalo, etc.
1888	Plays at Kerrigan's Pleasant Hour saloon, NYC.
1888 Oct-Dec	Appears in play "The Ivy Leaf", Atlanta, Milwaukee
1889 Jan-Sep?	Appears in play "The Fairy's Well", NY, PA, etc.
1890 Aug-Dec	Appears in play "The Ivy Leaf", NYC, Syracuse, etc.
1891 Dec	Runs "At Liberty" ad in NY Clipper
1892-93	Appears in plays "Irish Inspiration" and "The Rambler From Clare"
1893 July 15-	At Chicago World's Fair. Officially called the World's Columbian Exposition, ran from May 1 to Oct. 30, 1893. Unclear how long Touhey was there.
1894 April 8	Perhaps first vaudeville billing. Proctor's, NYC as Brannigan, Wells and Touhey. This may be James Touhey, however.
1895	Appeared in play "True Irish Hearts." Contracted in June for a "season" at Gannon's Pleasant Hour, Chicago.
1896 March - Nov 1897	Finley and Touhey 9 known engagements, NYC and Chicago. Touhey's first name not mentioned. Almost certainly Pat and not James Touhey.
1896 July 18 - ?	With Dobbins & Cohen's Irish Village, Bergen Point, Long Island, NY.
1896 Oct - March 1897	Perhaps with Whitney Opera Company's production of "Brian Boru"? With Shamus O'Brien Opera Company, Jan - Feb 1897.
1897 March - May	Appears in play "The Boys of Kilkenny"
1898 Feb - April 1900	Touhey and Mack 35 known engagements, NYC Boston, Chicago, etc. Many with Rice & Barton's Extravaganza Co. First vaudeville act where "Pat Touhey" is named.
1900 June - Aug 8 1903	Touhey and Lacy 20 known engagements, NYC, Boston, Detroit, Phila, etc.
1901 April 9	Gaelic Society concert, NYC
1901 May 18	Earliest ad for selling cylinder records of his playing.
1901 July 13	Touhey interview in Irish World.
1901 Nov	Touhey and Whalen 2 engagements, Boston and Springfield, Mass.
1903 Jan	Touhey and Bradley 2 engagements, Mass.
1903 April 19	Gaelic Society concert, NYC
1903 Aug - Aug 1905	21 known solo vaudeville engagements, Phila, Toledo, St. Louis, Chicago, several in Mass., etc.
c. 1904	Records cylinders for Capt. O'Neill, now in the Ward Irish Music Archives
1904 April	Gaelic Society concert, NYC
1904 April 30 - Aug 20	Performs at Irish Village, World's Fair, St. Louis, through Aug 20 at least.
1904 Oct 1	Third annual Feis Ceoli and ball of the Irish Music Club of Chicago
1905 March 13 - 18	Appears in play "Shandon Bells" Boston
1905 March 24 - May 28	With Ireland's Own Band 9 known engagements, Buffalo, Rochester, etc.
1905 Sep 15 - Jan 1907	Appears in play "A Rocky Road to Dublin" approx 67 known engagements, northeast, mid-Atlantic, central US.
1906 July 9	First mention of Pat and May Touhey performing together.
1907 May	Ad for Pat and May Touhey in Variety seeking work.
1907 April - Sep	Pat and May Touhey 7 known engagements in Illinois, Indiana, billed as "The Touheys" in Mass.
1907 Oct 6	First mention of Burke and Touhey and of "The Birthday Party" skit.
1907 Oct - June 1908	24 known engagements , Mass, upstate NY, Detroit, Toledo, etc.
1908 Jan	Burke & Touhey heavily reviewed engagement at Pastor's, NYC.
1908 April 22	Charles Burke & Henrietta Carter are wed.
1908 July 5-Aug 30	No known engagements.
1908 Aug 15	Touhey's address changes from 1388 Bristow, N.Y. to East Haddam, Conn. East Haddam house purchased Aug. 21, 1908.
1908 Aug 31 - May 1909	Burke & Touhey 18 known engagements, Toronto, Atlantic City, NYC, Mass, etc.
1909 June - Aug	No known engagements.
1909 Aug	Burke & Touhey split up.
1909 Aug - Oct	Ads for Pat and May Touhey in Variety seeking work.
1909 Oct - Dec	Pat & May 2 known engagements, Maine, Mass.
1910 Jan - Dec	Pat & May 10 known engagements. Billed as "Touheys" in Mass, Rhode Island.
1911 March	Pat & May 3 known engagements, Texas, New Orleans.
1911 Sept	Burke & Touhey back together.
1911 Sept - March 1912	Burke & Touhey 12 known engagements Iowa, Chicago, New England.
1912 Mar?	Burke, Touhey split up.
1912 March - May	Pat & May 6 known engagements, New England
1912 June - Sep	No known engagements.
1912 Oct - Feb 1915	Pat & May 20 known engagements, New England, Saratoga Springs, Milwaukee, etc. Billed as "The Touheys" in Pittsburgh.
May 1913 - Feb 1914	Billed as "Pat Toohey Trio" with addition of Tom Connelly.
1915 March - Nov	No known engagements.
1915 Jun 17	Touhey makes out his will at East Haddam, Conn. Leaves all to May (Mary)
1915 Dec	Burke, Touhey reunite; first mention of the skit "Casey's Visit", Dec 26
1915 Dec - Jan 1917	Burke & Touhey 7 known engagements NYC Chicago, etc.
1917 Nov - May 1918	Burke & Touhey big western tour 28 known engagements Minneapolis, Vancouver, Portland, San Diego, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Waco, etc.
1917 Dec 4	First mention of skit "Going to the Wedding."
1918 Feb	Burke taken ill in San Francisco.
1918 June - Dec	2 known engagements
1919 Jan - April	Burke & Touhey 13 known engagements Binghamton, Troy, Phila, Boston, etc.
1919 May 23	Touhey runs "Partner Wanted" ad in Variety.
1919 June - Sep	No known engagements.
1919 Aug 6	Touheys buy house in Freeport, NY, take out $2700 mortgage.
1919 Aug 21	Touheys sell house in East Haddam for $2,100.
1919 Sep 20	Trial recording with Victor; not released.
1919 Oct - June 1920	Burke & Touhey 26 known engagements NJ, NY, PA, etc.
1919 Nov 12, 14	Records 5 tracks with Victor; 4 later released.
1920 Feb	1st of three 78rpm recordings released by Victor.
1920 Sep 6	Francis O'Neill writes that Touhey is "afflicted with diabetes"
1920 Sep - May 1921	Burke & Touhey 10 known engagements NY, CT, Brooklyn, etc., mention of skit "Easy Money."
1921 March	2nd of three 78rpm recordings released by Victor
1921 Sep 26	Burke & Touhey last known engagement, Brooklyn.
1922 March 16	Pat Touhey's apparent last gig, Tom Ennis Association Ball St. Patrick's Eve, NYC.
1922 Aug 17	Newspaper notice that Touhey sold his home in Freeport, NY.
1922 Sep 5	Touheys sell house in Freeport, NY, move to The Bronx.
1923 Jan 10	Death of Pat Touhey.
1923 March - June	Probate proceedings for the Touhey estate at Bronx County Surrogate Court, Bronx, NY.
1924 March	3rd of three 78rpm recordings released by Victor.
2005	Na Píobairí Uilleann releases a CD of 36 tracks of Touhey's piping.

Touhey's known engagements by year.
An engagement here defined as both a single gig, e.g., a Gaelic Society concert, and as a set of shows performed under contract, e.g., a vaudeville stand in one theatre or as a cast member of a play perfoming in one theatre.

36 years

Nick Whitmer, Ithaca, NY, USA
first compiled Dec. 2013, most recent additions Feb. 2026

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