William F. Hanafin (1875-1924) and his brother Michael C. Hanafin (1880-1970) were born in Callinfercy, County Kerry, Ireland. The farmhouse of their parents, Bessie and Cornelius Hanafin, was a regular gathering spot for Irish traditional dancers and musicians. Both brothers became musicians, with William specializing in fiddle and uilleann pipes and Michael in fiddle and step-dancing.

The Hanafin brothers immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in the late 19th century, where they became celebrated performers within Irish traditional music circles. Their mentors and colleagues included Daniel Sullivan, Patsy Touhey, and Daniel Moroney. The Hanafins wrote and recorded their own music, and Michael won a gold medal for step-dancing. Michael's son Cornelius M. "Connie" Hanafin (1903-1985), an accordion player, performed along with his father and eventually became a highly respected bandleader. William’s son William Francis “Bill” Hanafin (1904-) was also active in Irish music circles in Boston. And William’s nephew by his brother Cornelius J. Hanafin (1877-1972), William F. “Billy” Hanafin (1916-1996), a Boston police officer, was also a fiddle player.

The Boston branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish Musicians Association) is named the "Reynolds-Hanafin-Cooley Branch" as a tribute to Michael Hanafin, and a memorial to the Hanafin Brothers was unveiled in Milltown, County Kerry in August of 2003 by CCÉ.

Sources

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann - Boston. "CCE Northeast Regional Hall of Fame Inductees Michael C. Hanafin and William Hanafin." https://cceboston.org/hall-of-fame/michael-and-william-hanafin-hall-of-fame-2004/. Accessed December 16, 2013.

Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840–1911. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.

O'Neill, Francis. Irish Minstrels and Musicians. Chicago: Regan Printing House, 1913.