It isn’t the Guinness or Dublin, the town he was born in 57 years ago.

Nor is it the rolling green pastures that carpet the country.

“I miss the music the most,” Carty said.

“I used to go back home every five years but it’s been about eight years since the last time.

“If I was to go back again it would be to County Clare because it is such a strong music area.”

Carty moved to Australia 30 years ago, since establishing himself as an important member of the south-west music community.

It is fitting, then, that in his time of need the same community will come together this Saturday in his honour.

A fundraiser, called One for Tommy, is at the Crossley Hall from 7pm.

Many of the musicians who have played alongside Carty will gather to do so again and, at the same time, raise money to help him as he deals with the advanced stages of Huntington’s disease.

Carty was diagnosed with Huntington's disease in 1998.

This debilitating condition has provided Carty with plenty of challenges.

Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle co-ordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia.

“It’s under control at the moment… it’s been steady for the past six years,” Carty said of his battle with the disease.

“The biggest impact it had was about six or seven years ago when I was driving taxis.

“Passengers were pointing out to me that the engine was surging when I was driving because my control of the foot pedals were not what they once were.

“I had driven taxis for 25 years so that was a blow to have to stop.”

While Carty had to give up work, his passion for playing music could not be curtailed.

Carty has remained a regular at sessions across the region, playing his guitar with the gusto.

It is when the guitar is in his hands that Carty can escape to another place.

“I do go into a zone, It’s a different world when I’m playing,” Carty said.

“It’s amazing to be part of a rocking session, when everything sounds sweet and you have good players all around you.”

An unabashed fan of Carty’s is singer-songwriter Shane Howard.

Over the years, Howard has shared many sessions alongside Carty and is in awe of his contribution.

“For more than 30 years, Tommy has been the great encourager of traditional Irish music in south-west Victoria, teaching and connecting trad players all across the district and the country,” Howard said.

“Irish traditional music had essentially been lost, to this most Irish of settlements, over the years.

“Tommy’s role in revitalising that musical tradition in the region is remarkable.

“We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“This is our chance to give something back at a time when he needs it.” 

Carty has rich heritage to draw on when it comes to passing on his love of Irish music.

He is the youngest of eight children and is a tailor and cutter by trade.

Carty cut his musical teeth playing Old Sheeling Hotel in Raheeny, a suburb in the north of Dublin.

The pub was known as a hotbed for Irish traditional players with the likes of the legendary Christy Moore frequent visitors.

The young Carty watched and listened, soaking up as much of the experience as he could.

Carty’s desire to broaden his horizons musically meant he made the move west, to County Clare.

It was here that his love of music and his ability to play to a high standard went to another level.

But the battle to make a living as a musician in a struggling economy was one that proved overwhelming.

It eventually sent Carty, like so many of his countrymen over generations, across the ocean to the promise of a new land.

Carty found a place on the other side of the globe that opened a world of new opportunities, while, at the same time, managed to feel like home.

“You see people around here and they have very Irish mannerisms and you realise they have Irish backgrounds,” Carty said.

“A lot of the landscape is very Irish as well.”

While he is small in stature, Carty has become a giant of south-west music.

Despite the restrictions of Huntington’s disease, Carty will extend that creative reach at the session in his honour on Saturday night.

For the man himself, the fact so many friends have already committed to play alongside him, and for him, is a humbling experience.

“It is just marvellous to have something like this happening,” Carty said.

“The messages of support I have received already have been incredible.

“It means a hell of a lot. I’m looking forward to a great session.”