http://www.irishcentral.com/topics/the+heart+of+Mike+Rafferty IrishCentral the heart of Mike Rafferty en-us http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/from_the_hob/the-heart-of-irish-traditional-musician-mike-rafferty-130414663.html http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/from_the_hob/the-heart-of-irish-traditional-musician-mike-rafferty-130414663.html Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:45:27 PDT Mike RaffertyShortly after midnight on September 13, the heart of Mike Rafferty, the genial Irish musician who held fast to the East Galway musical tradition in which he was reared around Ballinakill, stopped beatingComing two weeks shy of his 85th birthday and a year since he was proclaimed a national treasure in Washington, DC for sharing that tradition and weaving it into America’s tapestry, the passing suggested that his earthly work was done and he could leave us knowing that he had left his mark with so many who enjoyed his company and his music READ MORE ]]>