Seán McGuire - Irish Traditional Fiddling (1969)

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Seán McGuire, Roger Sherlock & Josephine Keegan - Irish Traditional Fiddling (Outlet - SOLP 1002 - 1969)

One of the vast numbers of recordings made by the Ulster fiddle maestro and innovator Seán McGuire, and re-released on CD shortly before the collapse of the Outlet label in 2004. Here he is accompanied by the wonderful composer and piano accompanist Josephine Keegan, and as an added bonus there are two tracks by the sligo flute player Roger Sherlock. McGuire's classically-inspired style is not for everyone, but it is difficult to be entirely unimpressed by the sheer virtuosity of his technical prowess, and both McGuire and Sherlock are masters of the unexpected variation, bringing lovely innovations and surprising intervals to well-known tunes. This rip was made from what was obviously a much-played LP and subsequently the sound quality has deteriorated somewhat, generating a small amount of distortion in the upper frequencies. The names of the Reavy and McGann tunes would be much appreciated...

1. Speed the Plough/Tom Ward's Downfall [Reels]
2. Reavy's/Reavy's [Reels]
3. Casadh an tSugain (Twisting the Hay Rope) [Air]
4. Slievenamon [Hornpipe]
5. The Duke of Leinster/The Duke of Leinster's Wife [Reels]
6. The Boy in his Pants [Jig]
7. The Dairymaid/The Holy Land [Reels]
8. Jackie Coleman's/Roger's Fancy [Reels]
9. The Gold Ring [Jig]
10. Se Fearr Mo Mhuire [Air]
11. Andy McGann's/The Humours of Scarriff [Reels]
12. Mama's Pet/Mama's Pet [Reels]
13. The Banks [Hornpipe]
14. The Humours of Ennistymon/Brendan Tonra's [Jigs]

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Cathal McConnell & Robin Morton - An Irish Jubilee (1970)

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Cathal McConnell & Robin Morton - An Irish Jubilee (Topic - 12T290 - 1976)

An unusual album from two of the original members of The Boys of the Lough, recorded in 1969, about two years before the band was formed. Many of the ballads have their origins in Ulster, home of both McConnell and Morton, who are from Fermanagh and Antrim respectively. This album, with arrangements of flute, concertina, whistle, voice and bodhrán, will not be to everybody's taste, but there are a number of fine songs, as well as many lovely tunes, the most interesting of which is 'The Blue Angel', a composition of the Belfast pianist Liam King, and a tune which has in recent years re-emerged as a session tune under the title of 'The Flying Crowbar'.

1. Nil se 'na La (It's Not Yet Day) [Air]/The Humours of Winnington [Jig]
2. The Hiring Fair at Hamiltownsbawn [Song]
3. Three out of One [Hornpipe/Jig/Reel]
4. Matt Hyland [Song]
5. The Dusty Miller/McDermott's [Slip Jigs]
6. On the Banks of a River Near Blackwatertown [Song]
7. McNamara's (Connie O'Connell's)/The Blue Angel (King's Fancy) [Jigs]
8. The Gauger's Song
9. Gather Round the Fire/Brereton's [Reels]
10. Mary from Murroogh [Song]
11. Tiocfaidh an Samhradh agus Fairsing Feir (Summer Will Come with Plenty of Hay) [Air]/Planxty Reynolds [Waltz]
12. Thousands are Sailing to Amerikay [Song]
13. Caoineadh Ui Dhomnaill (Lament for O'Donnell) [Air]
14. The Irish Jubilee [Song]/The Glass of Beer/The Longford [Reels]

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Julia, John & Billy Clifford - The Star of Munster Trio (1977)

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Julia, John & Billy Clifford - The Star of Munster Trio
(Topic - 12TS310 - 1977)

Recorded between 1964 and 1976 this album features fiddler Julia Clifford, sister of Denis Murphy, her husband John on accordion, and their son Billy on flute. Much of it was recorded around a single microphone in Eric and Lucy Farr's kitchen, so the sound quality isn't brilliant, but the quality of the music shines through, and Julia Clifford's playing is, as always, a thing of beauty.

1. Dublin Porter/The Mountain Lark [Reels]
2. The Lark in the Bog [Jig]
3. The Mountain Road/Paddy Cronin's [Reels]
4. The Ballydesmond/The Knocknaboul [Polkas]
5. Boil the Breakfast Early/Bunker Hill [Reels]
6. The Red-Haired Boy [Air]
7. The Crooked Road to Dublin/The Clare [Reels]
8. Bill Black's/O'Donovan's [Hornpipes]
9. John Mahinney's (Old Joe's)/The Leitrim Fancy [Jigs]
10. Grandfather's Thought/Madam if you Please [Hornpipes]
11. The Chicago [Reel]
12. Napoleon's Retreat [Set Dance]
13. Connie the Soldier/The Humours of Glin [Jigs]
14. The Palatine's Daughter [Air]
15. Jim Mac's [Hornpipe]
16. Cherish the Ladies [Jig]
17. The Harlequin [Hornpipe]
18. The Old Bush/Within a Mile of Dublin [Reels]

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Mick Hanly - As I Went Over Blackwater (1982)

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Mick Hanly - As I Went Over Blackwater (Green Linnet - SIF 3007 - 1982)

The second solo album from Mick Hanly, once again excellently produced by Dónal Lunny, and featuring a number of very well-known musicians from the traditional music scene of the 1970s and 1980s, including Andy Irvine (hurdy-gurdy & voice), Seán Hanly (bodhrán), Matt Molloy (flute), Noel Hill (concertina), Paddy Glackin (fiddle), Declan Sinnot (electric guitar), and Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, synthesizer & voice). It is, if possible, even better than Hanly's first album, and his voice is absolutely magnificent. Several songs are taken from the Penguin Book of Folk Ballads, while the melodies are Hanly's own, as is the well-known 'Jessica's Polka'. The jewel of the album, however, is Hanly's epic version of 'The Dewey Dens of Yarrow'. He recorded a version of this with Mícheál Ó Domhnaill on 'Celtic Folkweave', later made famous by the Bothy Band, but this shorter version makes little sense, and as a story is entirely meaningless. Hanly took a number of versions of this song from Child, and collated them to create a meaningful narrative, put to his own music. With Matt Molloy's lovely flute accompaniment, this is a hauntingly beautiful song, as is Hanly's version of 'As I Went Over Blackwater', learnt from his grandmother, whom, he says, 'still launches into this and other assorted fragments the minute the sherry bottle is taken from the press to make the Christmas cake'. On this track Declan Sinnot's slide guitar points the way towards Hanly's evolution into a successful American folk and country artist, and the move away from traditional Irish music altogether that came shortly after this album.



1. Jack Heggarty
2. The Guerriere and the Constitution
3. Every Circumstance
4. The Dewey Dens of Yarrow
5. Miss Bailey/Jessica's [Polka]
6. I Wish My Love Was a Red, Red Rose
7. Off to California/The Plains of Boyle [Hornpipes]
8. The Scourge of the Nation
9. As I Went Over Blackwater

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Taking Flight....

What are your thoughts?

Is this a new album, or a replacement for an old, worn-out copy?

What do you think of Casey's technique, his intonation, his interpretation of the tunes?

Are you acquainted with traditional Irish fiddle music, or is this the first time you've heard unaccompanied traditional Irish music played on this instrument?

I would welcome your thoughts, impressions, opinions, anecdotes...

If you want to share in return, post a comment, or send an email, it would be appreciated.

All the best, and happy listening...

DR

John McGreevy & Séamus Cooley - McGreevy & Cooley (1974)

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John McGreevy & Séamus Cooley - McGreevy & Cooley (Philo - 2005 - 1974)

Séamus Cooley, brother of the better-known South-East Galway box player Joe, travelled with the Tulla Céilí Band in 1958 to Chicago, where he decided to remain, becoming a key figure in the Irish musical community of the city. There he met and played with Chicago-born John McGreevy, with whom he was to collaborate on this lovely unaccompanied album, recorded in 1974. There are a number of North Connaught tunes, and several sets from the 78 era, but the style of playing is more akin to the flowing sound of South-East Galway and North-West Clare than it is to the fiery and staccato style of Coleman country. The sound quality is impaired slightly by the hiss of the tape from which the rip was made, but on the whole it is reasonably good, and McGreevy's absolutely lovely playing in particular shines through.

1. The Broken Pledge/Julia Delaney [Reels]
2. Seán sa Ceo/Michael Preston's [Reels]
3. Jimmy Neary's/Jim Ward's [Jigs]
4. Down the Broom/The Gatehouse Maid [Reels]
5. Sliabh na mBan/Mo Bhuirnin Ban [Airs]
6. Seán Ryan's [Hornpipes]
7. Ginny's Favourite/The Bird in the Bush [Reels]
8. The Reel of Bogie
9. The Crooked Road to Dublin/The Moving Bog [Reels]
10. The Skylark/Roaring Mary [Reels]
11. The Plains of Boyle/The Boys of Bluehill [Hornpipes]
12. McGreevy's/Father Kelly's 2 [Reels]
13. The Lilting Banshee/The Butcher's March [Jigs[
14. Ownie Davy's/Money in Both Pockets [Reels]
15. Tim Maloney's/Cooley's [Reels]
16. The Chicago/Reidy's [Reels]
17. The Trip to Vermont [Hornpipe]

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Tommy Peoples - An Exciting Session with one of Ireland's Leading Traditional Fiddlers (1976)

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Tommy Peoples - An Exciting Session with one of Ireland's Leading Traditional Fiddlers (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann - CL 13 - 1976)


Tommy Peoples' first commercial album, recorded live between October 1974 and January 1976. On several tracks there is a very quiet guitar accompaniment, provided by Finian de Brun, but much of the music is entirely unaccompanied, except for occasional outbursts from an understandably excited audience. The playing is truly magnificent, and while several sets will be familiar from other recordings Tommy made in the 1970s, the sheer exuberance and technical precision is rarely matched on any of his other albums. Particularly excelllent here are the versions of 'The Green Hills of Tyrol' and 'The Green Fields of Glentown', while 'Jenny's Welcome to Charlie' is an absolutely superb rendition, played with all the Donegal fire and brilliance for which Tommy Peoples so rightly became famous. Yet another wonderful recording that has yet to be re-released on CD. Unfortunately, due to spindle wear on the LP there is a small amount of tonal distortion on the last tracks of this rip.

1. Jackson's/The Oak Tree [Reels]
2. Port na bPúcaí [Air]
3. The Salamanca/Lucy Campbell [Reels]
4. Doctor O'Neill [Jig]
5. The Green Hills of Tyrol [Reel]
6. Mulqueeney's [Hornpipe]
7. Jenny's Welcome to Charlie [Reel]
8. Farewell to Ireland [Air & Reel]
9. O'Callaghan's/Galway Bay [Hornpipes]
10. The Green Fields of Glentown [Reel]
11. Bovaglies Plaid [Air]/The Highlander's Farewell [Strathspey]/The Boyne Hunt [Reel]
12. The Bank of Ireland/The Shaskeen [Reels]
13. The Geese in the Bog [Jig]
14.McCahill's/Danny Meehan's [Reels]

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The Mountain Top (1976)

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The Mountain Top (Comhaltas Ceoltórí Éireann - CL14 - 1976)

Bobby Gardiner – Accordion
Roger Sherlock – Flute
Geordie Hanna – Voice
Vincent Broderick – Flute
Paddy Fallon – Bodhrán
Cáit Ní Chuis – Fiddle
Jim McGreevy – Accordion
Anne Mulqueen – Voice
Jim McKillop – Fiddle
Peter Carbery – Pipes
Kevin Taylor - Piano

A recording made by the musicians on the CCÉ tour of the USA in 1976. Unfortunately the production is entirely inadequate, and considerable wear on the LP from which the rip was made compounds the existing sound quality issues. However, there are some interesting selections, including three Vincent Broderick compositions played by the East Galway flute player himself, and a nice version of 'The Maid Behind the Bar' played by Antrim fiddler, Jim McKillop.

1. Bobby Gardiner – The Mountain Top/Sporting Nell [Reels]
2. Roger Sherlock – Tripping to the Well/The Kiss Behind the Door [Polkas]
3. Geordie Hanna – Caroline of Edinburgh Town [Song]
4. Vincent Broderick & Paddy Fallon – The Rainbow's End/The Crock of Gold [Reels]
5. Cáit Ní Chus – The Lament for Staker Wallace [Air]
6. Jimmmy McGreevy – The Musical Priest/The Concert [Reels]
7. Roger Sherlock & Paddy Falon – The Dairymaid/The Old Blackthorn/O'Keeffe's Plough/Callaghan's [Reels]
8. Jimmy McGreevy – The Old Grey Goose [Jig]
9. Céilí Band – Down the Broom/The Gatehouse Maid [Reels]
10. Anne Mulqueen – My Blue-Eyed Mountain Queen [Song]
11. Jim McKillop – The Maid Behind the Bar [Reel]
12. Vincent Broderick & Paddy Fallon – The Spider's Web [Jig]
13. Peter Carbery – The Chattering Magpie/Gerry Commane's Favourite [Reels]

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Mick Hanly - A Kiss in the Morning Early (1976)

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Mick Hanly - A Kiss in the Morning Early (Mulligan - LUN 005 - 1976)


This is the first solo album from Mick Hanly, in my opinion one of the best and most under-rated interpreters of traditional songs of the entire 1970s Irish revival. All the songs are taken from Colm Ó Lochlainn's second book 'More Irish Street Ballads', with the exception of Hanly's own cracking little composition 'The Reluctant Pirate'. Hanly's sweet tenor is well reproduced with the aid of Dónal Lunny and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill's admirably crisp production, with his skill as a traditional singer made particularly apparent on the unaccompanied track 'Song of Repentance'. He is joined by a number of musicians crucial to the 1970s Irish revival, including Paddy Glackin (fiddle), Triona Ni Dhomnaill (harpsichord), Rick Epping (concertina), Peter Brown (pipes), Matt Molloy (flute), and of course Dónal Lunny (bouzouki).


1. Farewell Dearest Nancy
2. The Merchant's Daughter
3. My Johnny was a Shoemaker
4. Song of Repentance
5. Rosemary Fair
6. A Kiss in the Morning Early
7. An tSean Bhean Bhocht [Hornpipe]
8. The Verdant Braes of Screen
9. Cod Liver Oil
10. The Reluctant Pirate

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Paddy Carty & Conor Tully - Traditional Music of Ireland (1985)

Paddy Carty & Conor Tully with Frank Hogan - Traditional Music of Ireland
(Trad Ireland - TradCD 002 - 2009)

Although this doesn't technically qualify as a 'rare recording', it most certainly qualifies as ceol állain. Originally released by GTD on cassette in 1989, this spellbinding album was recorded shortly before Paddy Carty's death, and it truly is one of the great flute and fiddle albums. Carty's flowing East Galway sound is perfectly complemented by Tully's rich and lyrical playing, and Hogan's mandola accompaniment is consistently tasteful and sympathetic. This really is an incredible recording of the rich, lonesome sound of East Galway, and I cannot recommend it enough.

You can listen to Carty & Tully play 'Molly Bawn & Ryan's Rant' on the Trad Ireland website, where you can also buy the album, direct from the manufacturers.

You can also hear them play 'Come West Along the Road', and buy the album from Custy's Music.

You can hear extracts from 'Ryan's Rant' and 'Brian O'Lynn' at Claddagh Records, where you can also buy the album.


In the USA it is possible to buy the album from Copperplate Distribution, and they provide extracts from the tunes 'Red Tom of the Hills', 'Dowd's Favourite', and 'Galway Bay'. Copperplate have also posted the CD liner notes, and reproduced a press review by Earle Hitchner, originally printed in The Irish Echo.

Another source to buy the album in the USA is Celtic Grooves, and you can also buy the album from Ossian USA.

Denis Doody - Kerry Music (1978)

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Denis Doody - Kerry Music (Mulligan - LUN 019 - 1978)

Denis Doody, born in Ballinahulla near Ballydesmond, was the grandson of the fiddler and contemporary of Pádraig O'Keeffe, Din Tarrant. He remembers hearing Pádraig O'Keeffe and Tom Billy play when he was a child, but it was the accordion that he picked up, largely teaching himself, and mostly playing alone. He emigrated to England when he finished school, settling in London until his return to Ireland in 1964, when he struck up acquaintance with Johnny O'Leary and Denis Murphy. These players were to influence his playing enormously as he returned to the music of his home region, though for ornamental intricacy and rhythmic deftness he is, in my opinion, unmatched within the old-style Sliabh Luachra accordion tradition. This absolutely cracking unaccompanied album speaks volumes of his sheer virtuosity and unrivalled lightness of touch.

1. Johnny Cope's/Din Tarrant's [Polkas]
2. The Glen Cottage/Baile an tSamhraidh [Slides]
3. Terry Teahan's/Cousins Delight [Polkas]
4. The Ballinahulla polkas
5. Nehyl's fiddle/O'Mahony's [Hornpipes]
6. The Scart/Going to the Well for Water [Slides]
7. The Priest/The Barna [Slides]
8. Denis Murphy's/Lacha Cross [Polkas]
9. The Munster/Kitty's Wedding [Jigs]
10. Well I Know What Kitty Wants/The Brosna [Slides]
11. The Tourniore Lass/Johnny O'Leary's [Polkas]
12. The Quarry Cross/Abbey's Green Isle [Slides]
13. The Lonesome Road to Dingle/The Man from Glauntaun [Slides]
14. The Green Cottage 1/The Munster Bank [Polkas]
15. Callaghan's/The Kaiser [Slides]
16. Johnny Cope [Hornpipe]
17. The Blackwater Polkas
18. The Gallant Tipperary Boys/This is My Love, Do You Like Her? [Slides]
19. Tureengarbh Glen/The green Cottage 2 [Polkas]
20. Box the Monkey/The House in the Glen [Jigs]
21. The Groves of Gneenveguilla/Jack Reedy's [Polkas]
22. Chase Me Charlie/Kiely Cotter's [Slides]
23. The Gullane/Jimmy Doyle's Favourite [Polkas]

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Bobby Casey - Taking Flight (1979)

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Bobby Casey - Taking Flight (Mulligan - LUN 018 - 1979)

'Taking Flight' is an absolute classic. Recorded in 1977, this is the one and only commercially-available studio album made by the master fiddler from West Clare. Kevin Crehan has written an interesting essay on Casey, which you can read here, and there is a little more information on the CCÉ website, here. It is difficult to do justice to Casey's absolute mastery of the instrument: the complexity of his ornamentation, intonation, rhythmic control, the deftness of his improvisation, and simultaneously, his absolute fidelity to the melody of the dance tune or air. This is one of the best fiddle albums ever recorded.

1. Tuttle's/The Ragged Hank of Yarn [Reels]
2. Seán Ó Duibhir a Ghleanna [Set Dance]
3. Rakish Paddy [Reel]
4. The Drunken Gauger [Set Dance]
5. Down the Back Lane/Donnybrook Fair/Scully Casey's [Jigs]
6. The Graf Spey [Reel]
7. Poll Ha'penny [Hornpipe]
8. The Porthole of the Kelp/The Connaught Heifer [Reels]
9. The Dear Irish Boy [Air]
10. The Garden of Daisies [Set Dance]
11. The Nightingale/The Pipe on the Hob [Jigs]
12. The Old Bush/My Love is in America [Reels]

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John Doonan - Flute for the Feis (1972)

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John Doonan - Flute for the Feis (Leader - LEA 2043 - 1972)

A lovely album from piccolo player John Doonan, accompanied by Henry Eglington (accordion), Phil Murray (acoustic bass), and Dave Price (piano). You can have a listen to one of Doonan's sets over on the Folk Archive Resource North East (FARNE) website. Doonan, from Hebburn in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was All-Ireland and world piccolo champion, and played at Fiesanna and festivals the world over, competing and providing music for dance competitions, a fact that accounts for the preponderance of Set Dance tunes on this recording, and for the lovely Sean Nós dance steps that can be heard on track 10. Track 14 is an interesting example of Murray's lively bass playing, and pretty funky stuff considering how traditional is Doonan's North Connaught-influenced style of playing. All in all this album is a surprising little gem.

1. Seán Maguire's/The Banshee [Reels]
2. The Hunt [Set Dance]
3. Smash the Windows/Off She Goes [Single Jigs]
4. Bonaparte's Retreat [Set Dance]
5. The Sport of the Chase [Slip Jig]
6. The Flowers of Antrim/The Quarrelsome Piper [Hornpipes]
7. The Coolin [Air]
8. The Fermoy Lasses/Sporting Paddy/The Dawn [Reels]
9. The Ace and Deuce of Piping [Set Dance]
10. Saddle the Pony/Shandon Bells [Jigs]
11. The Little Heathy Hill [Set Dance]
12. The King of the Fairies [Set Dance]
13. Eileen Aroon [Air]
14. Bonnie Kate/Jenny's Chickens [Reels]

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Kevin Taylor - Irish Traditional Music (1978)

320 kbps



Kevin Taylor with Mary Conroy - Irish Traditional Music
(Inchecronin - INC 7418 - 1978)

A very interesting album, not least for Taylor's skill on the accordion, but particularly for his somewhat virtuosic interpretations of dance tunes on the piano, which are very lovely indeed. Taylor learned his music first from his father, the great West Limerick flute player Paddy Taylor, then from playing with the likes of Roger Sherlock and Seán Maguire at sessions in pubs such as the King's Head in Fulham Broadway. He was immersed in the music from a young age, and while he claimed to have started on the piano due to 'the musical laziness inherent amongst the Taylors', his mastery of the music on that particular instrument really needs to be heard to be believed.

1. The Gooseberry Bush/The Cup of Tea [Reels]
2. Katie Taylor's/Paddy Taylor's [Reels]
3. Eileen Curran/The Sandymount [Reels]
4. The Tailor's Twist [Hornpipe]
5. The Cook in the Kitchen/Sixpenny Money [Jigs]
6. The Garden of Daisies [Set Dance]
7. The Dogs Among the Bushes/The Fisherman's Island [Reels]
8. Con Curtin's Twins/The Knights of St. Patrick [Jigs]
9. Within a Mile of Dublin/Johnny Allan's [Reels]
10. The Colliers [Jig]/The Colliers [Reel]
11. The Boys of the Lough [Reel]
12. Paddy O'Brien's/Paddy O'Brien's [Jigs]
13. The Job of Journeywork [Set Dance]
14. The Pinch of Snuff/The Flax in Bloom [Reels]
15. Lady Gordon/Mary McMahon [Reels]
16. Aggie Whyte's/The Bloom of Youth [Reels]

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Paddy Canny - Traditional Fiddle Music from East Clare (1955)

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Paddy Canny - Traditional Fiddle Music from East Clare (Private Recording - Unknown Year/RTÉ Archives - 1955)

Paddy Canny, the legendary East Clare fiddler, had a recording career spanning over four decades, and his one and only solo album, recorded close to his 70th year, is a masterpiece. It can still be tracked down from a few sources: for those in the USA, it can be ordered here, from Celtic Grooves, and those in Europe can seek it out here, from the fantastic Cló-Iar-Chonnachta label and distribution company, or from Veteran. The following tracks are mostly single tunes, recorded on a basic machine, and ripped from a magnetic tape, so the sound quality isn't fantastic. The fiddling, however, is what one would expect from a master like Paddy Canny. Tracks 1-29 are derived from a private tape recording posted by Bernie Stocks over on Ecotonal Music some time ago. The final three tracks come from the RTÉ archive. They were recorded in 1955, and were broadcast on Céilí House in 2004.

1. The Yellow Tinker [Reel]
2. Coppers & Brass (The Humours of Ennistymon) [Jig]
3. The Repeal of the Union [Reel]
4. The Cliffs of Moher [Jig]
5. The Star of Munster [Reel]
6. The Bunch of Green Rushes [Reel]
7. The Graf Spee [Reel]
8. The Boys of Ballisodare (G) [Reel
9. The Trip to Athlone [Jig]
10. The Boys of Ballisodare (F) [Reel
11. Johnny's Wedding [Reel]
12. Lucy Campbell [Reel]
13. Bunker Hill [Reel]
14. The Heathery Breeze [Reel]
15. The Pigeon on the Gate [Reel]
16. The Gallowglass [Jig]
17. Miss Johnston [Reel]
18. The Galtee [Reel]
19. The Bunch of Keys [Reel]
20. Down the Back Lane [Jig]
21. The Maids of Mitchellstown [Reel]
22. The Repeal of the Union [Reel]
23. The Tap Room [Reel]
24. The Earl's Chair [Reel]
25. Seán Sa Cheo [Reel]
26. Seán Ryan's [Jigs]
27. The Mullingar Lea [Reel]
28. The Humours of Scarriff [Reel]
29. The Steampacket [Reel]
30. Gan Ainm/Gan Ainm [Mazurkas]
31. St.Ruth's Bush/Seán Sa Cheo [Reels]
32. The Luckpenny/Father O'Flynn [Jigs]

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Mick Hanly & Mícheál Ó Dhomhnaill - Celtic Folkweave (1974)

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Mick Hanly & Mícheál Ó Dhomhnaill - Celtic Folkweave
(Polydor - 2908 013 - 1974)

An excellent album (despite the appalling title) and a precursor to Ó Dhomhnaill's work with the Bothy Band and Nightnoise. A number of the tracks will be familiar to fans of the Bothy Band, including 'The Hag at the Churn', 'An Bothán A Bhaigh Fionnghuala', 'The Banks of Claudy', and 'The Heathery Hills of Yarrow'. The album was produced by Dónal Lunny, and it would seem that he learned from some of the mistakes he made in the studio this time round. Track 10 in particular is a terribly bad mix, but on the whole the production is adequate, though it's certainly not up to the standard of the material he was producing just a year later. It would seem that the master tapes of this recording were destroyed in a fire at the headquarters of Polydor Ireland some time in the 1970s, and subsequently this album has never been re-released. It features a number of big guns from the 1970s scene, including several members of Planxty, and future members of the Bothy Band:

Mick Hanly – Guitar/Dulcimer/Voice
Mícheál Ó Dhomhnaill – Guitar/Voice
Liam O'Flynn – Pipes/Whistle
Dónal Lunny – Bodhrán
Matt Mollloy – Flute
Tommy Peoples – Fiddle
Declan McNeils – Bass
Triona Ní Dhomhnaill – Harpsichord

There are two pieces of mouth music in both Irish and Gàidhlig, songs in Irish and English, two Breton tunes, and only one Irish dance tune. 'No Love is Sorrow' was composed by the original members of Pentangle, and appears on their album 'Solomon's Seal'.

1. Bíodh Orm Anocht [Puirt-a-beul]/The Hag at the Churn [Single Jig]
2. The Bold Princess Royal [Song]
3. The Banks of Claudy [Song]
4. Éirigh's Ciur Ort Do Chuid Éadaigh [Song]
5. The Glasgow Barber [Song]
6. Songbird (No Love is Sorrow) [Song]
7. The Heathery Hills of Yarrow [Song]
8. Gan Ainm/Gan Ainm [An Droiou]
9. The Hiring Fair at Hamiltownsbawn [Song]
10. Bríd Óg Ní Mháille [Song]
11. An Bothán A Bhaigh Fionnghuala [Puirt-a-beul]

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The Home I Left Behind (1974)

320 kbps



The Home I Left Behind (Comhaltas Ceoltórí Éireann - CL9 - 1974)

Bobby Gardiner – Accordion
Peg McGrath – Flute
Paddy Berry – Voice
Deirdre Collins – Whistle
Marie Grimes – Voice
Brendan McGlinchey – Fiddle
Dónal de Barra – Accordion/Whistle
Anne Mulqueen – Voice
Pádraig Ó hlarnáin – Accordion
Eugene Nolan – Flute
Denis Ryan – Fiddle
Gabriel McKeon – Pipes
Brendán Mac Eachráin - Piano

A recording made by the musicians from the CCÉ tour of the USA in 1974. Paddy Berry is on form, though betraying signs of a slight cold that adds to his already nasal style, and his song is a favourite in Wexford, his particular treatment having set the mould for many of the younger generation of traditional singers from that part of the country. Other tracks of interest are the slides, played by Dónal de Barra on whistle rather than accordion, the beautiful air played by Eugene Nolan, and the fiddling of Denis Ryan and Brendan McGlinchey, who plays a fiery version of the 'Star of Munster' in G instead of the usual key of A.

1. Bobby Gardiner – The Dublin Reel/Rip the Calico [Reels]
2. Peg McGrath – The Castlebar Races/Old Tipperary [Jigs]
3. Paddy Berry – Balllyshannon Lane [Song]
4. Deirdre Collis – MacDermott's/Moloney's Favourite [Reels]
5. Marie Grimes – An Buachaill Caol Dubh [Song]
6. Céilí Band – The Cook in the Kitchen/Whelan's [Jigs]
7. Brendan McGlinchey – The Salamanca/The Star of Munster [Reels]
8. Ceilí Band – Lucy Campbell/The Jolly Tinker [Reels]
9. Dónal de Barra – The Tidy Girleen/The Templeglantine [Slides]
10. Anne Mulqueen – The Home I left Behind [Song]
11. Pádraig Ó hlarnáin – The Bunch of Keys [Reel]
12. Eugene Nolan – Caoine an Spailpin [Air]
13. Denis Ryan – Reevey's [Hornpipe]
14. Gabriel McKeon – The Gander in the Pratie Hole/Sixpenny Money [Jigs]

Download

Martin Mulvihill - Traditional Irish Fiddling from County Limerick (1978)

320 kbps



Martin Mulvihill with Mick Moloney - Traditional Irish Fiddling from County Limerick (Green Linnet - SIF 1012 - 1978)

An absolute gem of an album, and a real testament to the magic and beauty of the old West Limerick fiddle style. It's quite simply a crime that this magnificent album hasn't been released on CD. I first got to know of Martin Mulvihill's playing through the music of another absolutely fantastic West Limerick fiddler, Diarmuid O'Brien, whose album 'Cairde Cairdín' is in my opinion one of the best fiddle albums of the last ten years, and another reminder of the wonderful musical heritage of the region. He acknowledges Martin Mulvihill as probably the greatest single influence on his music. The sweet tone and fluidity of the West Limerick fiddle style, as well as its absolute rhythmic solidity, seems distinct from the more heavily accented sound of the wider Sliabh Luachra region, with which the music of West Limerick shares a number of stylistic features, as well as a great deal of the repertoire. Although Martin Mulvihill spent most of his life abroad in England and the USA, he retained the regional style in which he was immersed as a young player for the rest of his life. There are a few releases featuring Mulvihill tracks, including the Rounder Records compilation 'Celtic Winds', which you can listen to here. Mulvihill released two teaching tapes, and another lovely album entitled 'The Humours of Glin', also on cassette. These can be purchased from Global Village Music via iTunes, but be warned, the recording quality is very poor, and whoever made the transfer made an absolute balls of the levels, resulting in considerable distortion. This, it would, seem, is characteristic of Michael Schlesinger's cavalier attitude towards the rights of both his consumers and the artists he is contracted to represent. In fact, it's enough to make you question the possession of copyright by businesses with no concern for the cultural value of the 'product' they 'own'...

I have increased the bit-rate from 128 to 320 kbps on the advice of a fellow listener, and I plan to re-rip much of the material previously posted. I'll post a reminder when I've done so, and anyone who wants better quality recordings can download the new version. In case anybody's wondering why I leave most of the hiss from the LPs on the rips that I make, it's because I find that the digital distortion from the clean-up process is even worse than the analogue hiss captured in the recording in the first place...


1. The Road to Abbeyfeale/Lord Kitchener's Pipes [Jigs]
2. The High Road to Glin/The Low Road to Glin [Reels]
3. Limerick is Beautiful [Air]
4. Paddy Scanlon's/Buddy Furey's/The Kinard [Polkas]
5. McAuliffe's/Maggie Shanley's/Denis Enright's [Slides]
6. Flynn's (Behind the Ditch in Páirc Anna)/Dillane's [Hornpipes]
7. Bridget Flynn's/The Star of Munster [Reels]
8. The Rathcrogan (The Floating Crowbar)/The Bag of Spuds/O'Connell's Trip to Parliament [Reels]
9. The Pride of Moyvan/The Cross at the Wood [Reels]
10. Breen's/The Hangman's Rope [Hornpipes]
11. The Ballyloughlin/Seán Duine Dóite [Jigs]
12. Mulhaire's/The Morning Mist [Reels]
13. The Vales of New Direen [Air]
14. The Queen of the Fair/Langstrom's Pony [Jigs]
15. Con Mullane's/Dando Dillane's (The Banks of the Ilen) [Reels]
16. Wallace's Cross/Tarmon's/Pat Enright's [Polkas]


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Bobby Casey - BBC Archive Recordings (1966-71)

128 kbps



Bobby Casey - BBC Archive Recordings (1966-71)

These are a number of tracks recorded by Reg Hall and Bill Leader between 1966 and 1971 as part of an album project that sadly never came to fruition. Of the 137 tracks in the archive, 18 have been released on the Bow Hand label on an album entitled 'The Spirit of West Clare', a recording that is becoming increasingly difficult to locate. Veteran seem to be one of the few companies in England with copies in stock, and in the USA it can be purchased here, from Ossian USA and Celtic Grooves Imports. The remaining tracks include duets with Andy O'Boyle, Tommy McCarthy, an unidentified accordion player, and an unidentified flute player. The tracks I have included here feature Bobby Casey playing solo fiddle, and singing a fine old ballad 'Sweet Inniscarra', and the duet material will follow. I have avoided repeating any of the tracks that found their way onto the Bow Hand release, which is, of course, the pick of the bunch, and I would absolutely urge anyone with an interest in this music to buy the album without delay. Particularly interesting tune selections here include the set dances 'Jockey to the Fair', and 'The Three Sea Captains', two Connaught polkas, the 'Dublin Reel' played in G, and the well-known Clare tune 'The Cliffs of Moher', also played in the unusual key of G major.

The image of Bobby Casey I have used is taken from a lovely painting by the artist Jane Ridout, whose work can be viewed here.

Once again, thanks to KR for this material. It's very much appreciated...

1.The Ragged Hank of Yarn/The Dublin Reel/The Woman of the House [Reels]
2. The Three Sea Captains [Set Dance]
3. The College Groves/Colonel Frasier [Reels]
4. Bantry Bay [Hornpipe]
5. The Cliffs of Moher/Brian O'Lynn [Jigs]
6. Mother's Delight/Jenny's Welcome to Charlie [Reels]
7. The Banks of the Suir [Air]
8. Sheehan's/The High Reel[Reels]
9. The Stranger [Hornpipe]/Rodney's Glory [Set Dance]
10. Cherish the Ladies/The Maid in the Meadow/Fasten the Legging/Coleman's Cross [Jigs]
11. Martin Wynne's 2/The Moving Bog/Jenny's Chickens/The Reel of Mullinavat [Reels]
12. Memories of Ballymote/Gurteen Cross [Polkas]
13. The Roscommon Reel/The Hare in the Heather [Reels]
14. Chief O'Neill's Favourite/The Rights of Man [Hornpipes]
15. The Dunmore Lasses/Gilbert Clancy's/The College Groves [Reels]
16. Sweet Inniscarra [Song]
17. Jockey to the Fair [Set Dance]
18. The Sunshine Hornpipe/The Cuckoo [Hornpipes]
19. The Liffey Banks/The Boys of Ballisodare/The Woman of the House/Tansey's/The Graf Spey/Ballinasloe Fair [Reels]

Download

Séamus Begley & Jim Murray - Live at Liberty Hall (2003)

128 kbps




Séamus Begley & Jim Murray - Live at Liberty Hall (RTÉ - 2003)

A concert at Liberty Hall, Dublin, in the summer of 2003, recorded by RTÉ. There are a number of unusual tunes, including an untitled fling in A major, and a four-part version of the Tulla Polka. Any help with tune titles would be greatly appreciated...

1. The Morning Lark [Jig]/Na Ceannabhain Bhana [Slip Jig]
2. Mo Ghile Mear [Song]
3. John Brosnan's/Nell Fee's [Polkas]
4. The Greencastle/Walsh's [Hornpipes]/The Gypsy Princess [Barndance]
5. I Wish My Love Was a Red, Red Rose [Song]
6. Rathawaun/The Road to Lisdoonvarna/Dan Cronin's [Slides]
7. Sleabh Gheal Ghua [Song]
8. Cape Clear [Air]
9. Taureen Derby/Gan Ainm/The Tulla [Polkas]
10. Mickey O'Callaghan's Fancy [Hornpipe]/The Road to Glentaun/Gan Ainm [Flings]
11. We Won't Go Home 'Til Morning/Gan Ainm [Polkas]

Download

Seoda Ceoil 2 (1968)

Séamus Ennis, Seán Keane, Seosamh Ó hÉanaí & John Joe Gannon -
Seoda Ceoil 2 (Gael Linn- CEF022 - 1968)

Gael-Linn intend to re-release their entire back catalogue, so I have removed the download link. Sorry about that... The folks at Gael-Linn tell me that both Seoda Ceoil 1 & 2 will be re-released towards the end of next year, so that's good news.

The second of the Seoda Ceoil series produced by Gael Linn and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, featuring Dubliners Séamus Ennis and Seán Keane, Connemara Sean Nós singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney), and Westmeath box player John Joe Gannon, whose selection of tunes provides a welcome glimpse into the musical heritage of the county. He recalls that single jigs were as popular in Westmeath as double jigs and reels when he was a young man in the late 1930s, and he plays a number of tunes learned from his father, James Gannon of Streamstown. Seosamh Ó hÉanaí's selection of Sean Nós songs from Connemara are a powerful testament to his reputation as one of the finest singers in the tradition, and Séamus Ennis and Seán Keane, in no need of introduction, are also on top form in this very traditional recording.

1. Séamus Ennis – Cois Abhann na Séad [Air]/O'Callaghan's [Hornpipe]
2. Séan Keane – The Oak Tree [Reel]
3. Seosamh Ó hÉanaí – Amhrán na Páise [Song]
4. Séamus Ennis – Miss Monaghan/The Flags of Dublin/Hand me Down the Tackle [Reels]
5. John Joe Gannon – James Gannon's/The Castlebar Races [Jigs]
6. Seosamh Ó hÉanaí - D'Éirigh mé ar Maidin [Song]
7. Seán Keane – Jenny's Welcome to Charlie/The Connaught Heifer [Reels]
8. Seán Keane – The Wind that Shakes the Barley/Kelly's Drowsy Maggie [Reels]
9. Séamus Ennis – Crónán na Máthar [Air]/T'Athair Jack Walsh [Jig]
10. Seosamh Ó hÉanaí – A Chailín Bhig na Luachra [Song]
11. John Joe Gannon – The Green Gates/Miss Thornton [Reels]
12. Seán Keane – Willie Clancy's/Garret Barry's [Jigs]
13. Séamus Ennis – Colonel Frazer/The Braes of Busby [Reels]
14. John Joe Gannon – Tom Moran's Fancy/The Streamstown Jig [Single Jigs]
15. Séamus Ennis – O'Keeffe's Speed the Plough/The Merry Blacksmith/The Music of the Forge [Reels]

Vincent Griffin - Traditional Fiddle Music from County Clare (1977)

128 kbps



Vincent Griffin- Traditional Fiddle Music from County Clare (Topic - 12TS338- 1977)

The first of two albums recorded by East Clare fiddler and teacher Vincent Griffin. The second album, recorded in 2000, was not made available on general release, but can be purchased directly from Vincent himself. Contact details are available here. Griffin's playing on this recording is a blend of the traditional East Clare style with the Sligo playing of the 78-era, with a heavy emphasis on Michael Coleman's style in particular. The characteristic East Clare intonation and exchange of Fs and F#s comes through nonetheless, and Griffin certainly has his own unique manner of expression. He is accompanied on a number of tracks by harp and piano, played by Geraldine Carrig. The Mayo air Se Bhfath Mo Bhfuartha (The Cause of my Sorrow) is particularly beautiful, and Carrig's harp accompaniment is very sweet indeed.

1. Fahey's 1/Fahey's 2 [Reels]
2. Fahey's/The Cliffs of Moher [Jigs]
3. Paddy Ryan's Dream/Mamma's Pet [Reels]
4. Martin Rocheford's/The Sligo Maid [Reels]
5. The New Century/The Cuckoo [Hornpipes]
6. Coleman's/Gan Ainm/Coleman's Cross [Jigs]
7. Lord MacDonald's/Ballinasloe Fair [Reels]
8. The Reefs/McFadden's Favourite [Reels]
9. The New Year's In/Youghal Quay [Reels]
10. Se Bhfath Mo Bhfuartha [Air]
11. Lord Gordon's [Reel]
12. Dr Gilbert's/The Queen of May [Reels]
13. The Trip to Sligo/Garret Barry's [Jigs]
14. The Night in Ennis/The Maid Behind the Bar [Reels]
15. Crowley's 1/Crowley's 2 [Reels]
16. Lady Anne Montgomery/Down the Broom/The Gatehouse Maid [Reels]

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Kevin Burke & Ged Foley - Live at the Cobblestone (2004)

128 kbps



Kevin Burke & Ged Foley - Live at the Cobblestone (RTÉ - 2004)

A good quality recording made by RTÉ at the Cobblestone, Smithfield, Dublin, in July 2004, the year before the release of their album 'In Tandem'. Burke's version of the Graf Spey, played here in C, is particularly sweet, as is Eanach Mhic Coilin, which he really gets his teeth into.

1. Art O'Keeffe's/Liz Kelly's [Slides]/Bill O'Malley's/The Newmarket [Polkas]
2. The Long Acre/Cuz Teahan's [Hornpipes]
3. Across the Blackwater/Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh [Jigs]
4. The Diamantina Drover [Song]
5. The Pigeon on the Gate/The Hare in the Heather [Reels]
6. The Ebb Tide/Eanach Mhic Coilin [Reels]
7. Caisleán an Oir/The Humours of Tullycrine [Hornpipes]
8. Jenny Picking Cockles/The Graf Spey/John Stenson's 1/John Stenson's 2 [Reels]
9. Itzikel [Freilach]
10. Bonnie Kate/Jenny's Chickens [Reels]

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Johnny Cronin & Joe Burke - Cronin & Burke (1977)

128 kbps



Johnny Cronin & Joe Burke - Cronin & Burke (Shanachie - 29005 - 1977)

Johnny Cronin, brother of Paddy, a native of Gneevegullia, Co. Kerry, was well-known as a fiddle player in New York throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His bowing technique, once typical of the Kerry style, underwent significant change after his emigration to the USA in 1956, particularly under the influence of Andy McGann, with whom he played a great deal. Joe 'Banjo' Burke, originally from Johnstown, Kilkenny, emigrated to New York in 1972, having spent much time in England. He was well-known as a singer among the Irish musical community in New York, as well as playing banjo regularly with the likes of James Keane, Jesse Owens, Paddy Reynolds and Andy McGann. Piano accompaniment is provided by Belfast-born Jerry Wallace, originally a piccolo player, the knowledge of which gave him the intimate awareness of tunes he felt necessary to provide convincing accompaniment.

1. The Ships are Sailing/The Longford Collector [Reels]
2. The Cat Rambles to the Child's Saucepan/The Bunratty Boys [Slides]
3. Doherty's/Toss the Feathers [Reels]
4. Liam Browne's/As I Went Out Upon the Ice/The Ballydesmond [Polkas]
5. Martin Wynne's/The Pride of the Bronx [Reels]
6. The Top of Cork Road/The Wandering Minstrel [Jigs]
7. Micho Russel's/The Old Copperplate [Reels]
8. The Leprechaun/Dingle Regatta [Slides]
9. Drag Her Round the Road/Martin Wynne's [Reels]
10. The Plains of Boyle/The First Sign of Light [Hornpipes]
11. Farewell to Ireland/The Blackthorn Stick [Reels]
12. O'Keeffe's/Johnny Leary's [Slides]

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Richard O'Mealy - BBC Recordings (1943)

320 kbps



A set of recordings made in 1943 by the BBC in Belfast, collected by Ken McLeod and cleaned up by Ronan Browne. It is quite possible that O'Mealy was duped, as he was reputedly reluctant to be recorded because people, he felt, would be less likely to come out to hear him perform if they had access to his music at home. His percussive, staccato style is lively and driving, and his regulator work is really quite exceptional. Ronan Browne has written some incisive analyses of O'Mealy's piping, which can be read here. Those who wish to read more about O'Mealy's life and music may also be interested in this presentation, made by Ken McLeod and Ronan Browne, which can be viewed here. Robbie Hannon also presented a very interesting programme on O'Mealy on RTÉ's The Long Note in 1984, which you can listen to here.


1. O'Mealy's [Hornpipe]
2. The Cork (The Harvest Home) [Hornpipe]
3. The Rambling Pitchfork [Jig]
4. The Blackbird [Set Dance]
5. Drops of Brandy [Slip Jig]
6. The Sligo Lasses [Reel]
7. Smash the Windows [Single Jig]
8. The Donegal [Reel]
9. The Mountains of Pomeroy [Air]
10. The Maid at Mourneshore [Air]

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Jimmy Power - Irish Dances Recording Sessions (1967)

128 kbps




Jimmy Power - Irish Dances Recording Sessions (1967)


These are the original recording sessions from Jimmy Power's album 'Irish Dances', which, unsurprisingly, was intended to provide accompaniment for dancing, something that is obvious from the plodding pace of the set dances and hornpipes. Reg Hall provides the piano accompaniment on all tracks except that on Dowd's Favourite, where the piano is played by Paul Gross. Power was often employed to provide music for dance competitions, something he is said to have described as 'one of the most tiresome tasks in the field of Irish music'. He is well-known as one of the hosts of the legendary session at The Favourite in Holloway, and is one of the musicians featured on the album 'Paddy in the Smoke'. This collection of recordings includes the material that was to appear on the Clan Records album 'Irish Dances' (233 003), and a number of other recordings that didn't make it. The set dances and hornpipes are slow and ponderous, but much of the other material is brisk, and Power's light and staccato style is quite lovely.

Many thanks to KR for providing this material.

1. The Doon/Rakish Paddy [Reels]
2. The Irish Girl [Slip Jig]
3. Kitty Come Down from Limerick [Slip Jig]
4. The Hunt [Set Dance]
5. Contentment is Wealth/T'aithar Jack Walsh [Jigs]
6. The Poppy Leaf (Keane O'Neary's) [Hornpipe]
7. Planxty Dury [Waltz]
8. The Maid Behind the Bar/The Bunch of Keys [Reels]
9. Dowd's Favourite [Reel]
10. The Pipe on the Hob/The Cliffs of Moher [Jigs]
11. Bonaparte's Retreat [Set Dance]
12. The Derry [Slip Jig]
13. The Idle Rogue/The Westmeath [Jig]
14. The Drunken Sailor [Hornpipe]
15. The Sport of the Chase [Slip Jig]
16. Martin Wynne's 2/Never was Piping so Gay [Reels]
17. Coleman's/The Promenade [Hop Jigs]
18. Garret Barry's/The Knights of St Patrick [Jigs]
19. Planxty Davis [Set Piece]
20. The Four Courts [Reel]
21. The Gold Ring [Jig]
22. The Piper through the Meadow Straying [Set Dance]
23. When Sick is it Tea you Want?/Do you want any More? [Jigs]


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Roger Sherlock - Memories of Sligo (1978)

128 kbps



Roger Sherlock - Memories of Sligo (Inchecronin - INC 7419 - 1978)

A beautiful recording of Sligo-born flute player Roger Sherlock, subtly accompanied by Mary Conroy on guitar. Sherlock's tune selection seems a fairly accurate representation of North Connaught musical tastes, with reels predominating, followed by polkas, and only one set of jigs. The most interesting tune selection is the eleventh track: two well known slip jigs played in 3/2 time, in the style of north-east English triple hornpipes. Rarely heard in Irish music, these are the elusive and, now, contentiously-titled hop jigs known throughout Ireland before the decline of the triple hornpipe as a popular dance tune in the late-Eighteenth Century.

1. The Turnpike Gate/The Killavil Fancy [Reels]
2. Dowd's 9/Jack Maguire's [Reels]
3. The Duke of Leinster/The Duke of Leinster's Wife [Reels]
4. Morrison's/The Trip to Sligo [Jigs]
5. Fred Finn's/The Sailor on the Rock/Gan Ainm [Reels]
6. The Return of Spring/The Mountain Spring [Polkas]
7. The Queen of May/Anderson's [Reels]
8. The Pinch of Snuff/The Ships are Sailing [Reels]
9. The Dairymaid/The Rising Sun/Tom Billy's/Callaghan's [Reels]
10. The Galway Rambler/The Boys of the Lough [Reels]
11. The Foxhunter's/Comb your Hair and Curl it [Hop Jigs]
12. The Lads of Laois/Mama's Pet [Reels]
13. Dash to Portobello (Seán Ryan's)/The Pigeon on the Gate [Reels]
14. Tripping to the Well/The Kiss Behind the Door [Polkas]
15. The Flowers of the Red Mill/The Sreetplayer [Reels]


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Tommy Healy & Johnny Duffy - Memories of Sligo (1978)

128 kbps

Tommy Healy & Johnny Duffy - Memories of Sligo (Topic - 12TS335 - 1978)

Tommy Healy and Johnny Duffy are musicians of the old South Sligo style, heavily influenced by both the recordings of famous émigrés Paddy Killoran and Michael Coleman, and the music of the dance halls and kitchen dances for which they played in their youth. The tune selection here is very much representative of the Sligo repertoire, with several notable exceptions, in particular 'The Lancers', derived from Spagnoletti's La Dorset, an early 19th Century piece originally published as Figure 1 of 'The Original Lancers' Quadrille', and 'Mrs Kenney', a lovely mazurka named after a 19th Century fiddle player from Dublin. They are accompanied on piano by Reg Hall.

1. The Tarbolton/The Longford Collector/The Sailor's Bonnet [Reels]

2. The Wandering Minstrel/Fasten the Legging/The Smash (Coleman's Cross) [Jigs]

3. The Rights of Man/The Honeysuckle [Hornpipes]

4. The Boys of the Lough/The Devils of Dublin [Reels]

5. The Scotsman over the border/Tell her I am [Jigs]

6. The Montua/The Happy Days of Youth [Reels]

7. Fred Finn's [Reel]

8. The Lancers [Jig]

9. The Gold Ring/Richard Brennan's Favourite [Jigs]

10. Miss McLeod/The Wild Irishman [Reels]

11. The Old Grey Goose [Jig]

12. The Humours of Lissadell/Sweeney's Dream [Reels]

13. The Cavan Lasses (Coppers and Brass)/The Rose in the Heather [Jigs]

14. The Enchanted Lady/The Holy Land [Reels]

15. Mrs Kenney [Mazurka]

16. Martin Wynne's 1/Martin Wynne's 2 [Reels]

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John Bowe & Mary Conroy (1977)

128 kbps




John Bowe & Mary Conroy (Inchecronin - INC 7417 - 1977)


Recorded in 1977 on Brendan Mulkere's Inchecronin label, Bowe's vigorous and inventive button accordion playing is pleasantly accompanied by Conroy's muted, almost piano-like, chord progressions on the guitar. It's a lovely accordion album altogether, and Mulkere was obviously on form when he wrote the sleeve notes: 'This record is especially for those who want to listen for construction, continuity and balance in the music.

If you are tone deaf this sleeve will make a nice poster'...


1. Ryan's Rant/Fahy's [Reels]
2. The Sailor's Cravat/The Reel of Bogey [Reels]
3. The Monaghan/In Memory of McKeigue [Jigs]
4. The Downfall of Paris [Set Dance]
5. John Bowe's Favourite/Mulhair's [Reels]
6. The Repeal of the Union/The West Clare [Reels]
7. Thomond Bridge [Hornpipe]
8. The Pensioner who Kissed his Granny/The Scottish Four Courts [Reels]
9. The Ashplant/The First House in Connaught [Reels]
10. Bowe's/Seán Ryan's [Reels]
11. The Drunken Sailor [Hornpipe]
12. Eleanor Kane's/Paddy on the Railroad [Reels]
13. The Thatched Cabin/The Maids of Castlebar [Reels]
14. The Japanese Hornpipe
15. The Teetotaller/Paddy Taylor's [Reels]


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Brendan McGlinchey - Live at the West London Folk Club (1973)

128 kbps



Recorded in November 1973 by Terry Yarnell, it features Brendan McGlinchey playing unaccompanied to the West London Folk Club. The sound quality is reasonable, and despite the considerable traffic noise in the background, McGlinchey's characteristically crisp and precise playing shines through. He is featured in an interesting article and interview here.

A friend indicated some mistakes on the track list which I have just ammended, many thanks Jürgen...

Also, track 19 seems to be corrupted. I included it simply as a point of social interest, not because it possesses any particular musical merit. Members of the Irish commmunity living in Britain during the Troubles will recall the significance of the Irish national anthem, played at the conclusion of social events (something that is far less contentious in these days of cute and fashionable Celticism). Those who are unable to download it, and wish to do so, can contact me on pashadragutreis@yahoo.co.uk



1. Bonnie Kate [Reel]
2. Cherish the Ladies [Jig]
3. Dr Gilbert's/The Queen of May [Reels]
4. Drowsy Maggie/Farewell to Ireland [Reels]
5. The Drunken Sailor [Hornpipe]
6. Jenny's Welcome to Charlie [Reel]
7. Kitty Come Down from Limerick [Slip Jig]/Crowley's/Lucy Campbell [Reels]
8. Lord Gordon's/The Maids of Castlebar [Reels]
9. Splendid Isolation/Lawries's [Reels]
10. The Blackbird [Hornpipe]
11. The Queen of the West [Hornpipe]
12. The Coolin [Air]
13. Knocknagow [Jig]
14. The Bride's Favourite/Paddy Taylor's [Jigs]
15. Dicky Sherlock's [Reel]
16. The Steampacket/Trim the Velvet [Reels]
17. Gan Ainm/The Pigeon on the Gate/The Donegal [Reels]
18. Gan Ainm/Tom of the Hills [Reels]
19. Amhrán na bhFiann [March]


Download

Traditional Irish Music from Galway and Clare (1977)

128 kbps

Bobby Casey, Gabriel McKeon, Raymond Roland, Liam Farrell & John Roe - Traditional Irish Music from Galway and Clare (Standfast Records - PINE 1216 - 1977)

Featuring musicians from the London Irish scene of the late 1970s, this is a lively recording made by the long defunct label Standfast Records. Three of the musicians, Raymond Roland (Accordion), John Roe (Piano), and Liam Farrell (Banjo), were members of the group Le Chéile, recently re-formed in the absence of the late Messrs. P.J.Crotty and Raymond Roland. They are joined on this album by West Clare fiddle master Bobby Casey, and by Dublin piper Gabriel McKeon.

1. Dowd's/The Ewe/Come West Along the Road [Reels]
2. Patsy Touhy's/The Green Fields of Rossbeigh [Reels]
3. The West Wind/Toss the Feathers [Reels]
4. Carrickfergus [Air]
5. Jenny's Welcome to Charlie/The Skylark [Reels]
6. Paddy's/Cooley's [Hornpipes]
7. Captain Rock/Murray's Fancy [Reels]
8. The Graf Spey [Reel]
9. Toss the Feathers/The College Groves [Reels]
10. The Maid of Castlebar [Reel]
11. The Drunken Gauger [Set Dance]
12. Lord Gordon/Trim the Velvet [Reels]
13. The Road to the Golleen (The Humours of Tullycrine) [Hornpipe]
14. Lord McDonagh (Lord McDonald's)/Ballinasloe Fair [Reels]

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Matt Molloy, John Carty & Arty McGlynn - Live at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (2004)

128 kbps






Matt Molloy, John Carty & Arty McGlynn - Live at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (RTÉ - 2004)


A good quality recording of the duo made by RTÉ in Cultra, Co. Down on 16th December 2004. Their particular brand of the fiery North Connaught style is perfectly exemplified in this concert, as it is on their 2007 album 'Pathway to the Well', with only a few tunes from this live album repeated on the later recording. Accompaniment is provided by Arty McGlynn, who also offers a fine rendition of two old piping jigs, in honour of Robbie Hannon.


1. Buckley's Fancy/Gan Ainm/The Noone Lasses [Reels]
2. Willie Coleman's/Pull Out the Knife and Stick it Again/The Goldfield [Jigs]
3. The Legend of the Seals [Air]/Molly Halpin [March]/Mulhaire's [Reel]
4. Seanamhac Tube Station [Jig]
5. The Galway Piper/Tilly Finn's [Polkas]
6. Wallop the Spot/I Buried my Wife and Danced on Top of Her [Jigs]
7. The Belharbour [Hornpipe]/Gan Ainm [Reel]
8. Frances John McGovern/Tom Ward's Downfall/The Graf Spee [Reels]
9. Chaffpool Post [Barndance]/Fred Finn's/Tom Steele/The Morning Dew [Reels]


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Denis Murphy - Music from Sliabh Luachra (1995)

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Denis Murphy, Julia Clifford, Pádraig O'Keeffe, Andy McGann, Johnny O'Leary & Séamus Ennis - Music from Sliabh Luachra (RTÉ 183 CD - 1995)

Compiled from recordings made by RTÉ between 1948 and 1969, and unfortunately out of print, it features a number of famous Sliabh Luachra musicians, as well as the Irish-American fiddler Andy McGann, and piper and collector Séamus Ennis. Sound quality is variable, as is to be expected, but the playing is, of course, nothing less than brilliant. Of particular interest is the Sliabh Luachra style rendition of 'The Turkey in the Straw', and the fluent sligo style duet between Murphy and McGann, as well as the array of beautifully played slides and polkas.

1. The Humours of Lisheen/The Lark in the Bog [Jigs]
2. Cronin's [Hornpipe]
3. The Humours of Galteemore/O'Keeffe's Dream/The New Post Office [Reels]
4. The Star Above the Garter/Pádraig O'Keeffe's [Slides]
5. Caoineadh Ui Neill [Air]
6. The Honeymoon [Reel]
7. Tarrant's/The Blue Ribbon [Polkas]
8. Breeches Mary/The Tenpenny Bit [Jigs]
9. The Mountain Road/The Dairymaid [Reels]
10. Denis Murphy's/The Green Cottage/Quarry Cross [Slides]
11. Fitzgerald's/O'Callaghan's Low [Hornpipes]
12. The Turkey in the Straw [Reel]
13. The Green Cottage Set [Polkas]
14. The Harlequin/The Chancellor [Hornpipes]
15. Apples in Winter/Fanning's [Jigs]
16. The Scartaglen/Denis Murphy's [Polkas]
17. Art O'Keeffe's/Dawley's Delight/Quarry Cross [Slides]

18. The Woman of the House [Reel]
19. Caoineadh Uí Dhómhnaill [Air]
20. The Mug of Brown Ale/The Rose in the Heather [Jigs]
21. The Pretty Girls of the Village/The Piper's Despair/Jim Kennedy's Favourite [Reels]
22. The Humours of Mountcollins/Chase me Charlie [Slides]
23. O'Callaghan's [Hornpipe]

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Jimmy Doyle & Dan O'Leary - Traditional Music from the Kingdom of Kerry (1977)

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Jimmy Doyle & Dan O'Leary - Traditional Music from the Kingdom of Kerry (Shanachie 29007 - 1977)

A lovely recording of very traditional playing by two musicians from Gibb, near Killarney, made in 1977, and sadly still unavailable on CD. There are no reels at all, and only one set of double jigs - the rest of the album consists almost exclusively of Kerry slides and polkas played with the strong rhythmic emphasis on the backbeat characteristic of the Sliabh Luachra region. It is very clear from their sparse, unobscured style that these musicians are of that generation whose music was played, at least publicly, for purposes of dancing, rather than for simply the pleasure of listening.

1. The Blue Ribbon Set [Polkas]

2. Murphy's [Slides]

3. Baile an Tsanhradh/Weaver's Delight [Polkas]

4. The Last Chance [Polka]

5. Brosna Slides

6. Cronin's [Single Jig]

7. Murphy's Delight/Charley O'Leary's Favourite [Polkas]

8. Listry's/Chase me Charlie [Slides]

9. Doyle's Favourite/O'Leary's Favourite [Polkas]

10. Art O'Keeffe's/The Goulin [Slides]

11. The Jib/The Bog Road [Polkas]

12. Pádraig O'Keeffe's [Slide]

13. Tom Billy's/The Thrush on the Strand [Jigs]

14. The Lakes of Sligo [Polka]

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Ceol an Cláir (1978)

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Bobby Casey, Joe Ryan, Junior Crehan, John Kelly & Patrick Kelly - Ceol an Cláir vol.1 (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann - CL17 - 1978)


A very important and rare release from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann compiled from recordings made between 1966 and 1978. It features five musicians whose playing exemplifies the various fiddling styles of West Clare. Sound quality is variable, as tracks were recorded on different media over a long period, but this is a truly magnificent album of unaccompanied West Clare fiddling from some of the masters of the tradition.



1. Bobby Casey - The Reel of Mullinavat/Tie the Ribbons [Reels]
2. Bobby Casey - The Drunken Gauger [Set Dance]
3. Joe Ryan - The Wheels of the World/Rakish Paddy [Reels]
4. Joe Ryan - Mo Buachaillín Bán [Air]
5. John Kelly - Mary Brennan's Favourite [Fling]
6. John Kelly - Seán Ó Duibhir a'Ghleanna [Air & Set Dance]
7. Junior Crehan - The Mist Covered Mountain [Jig]
8. Junior Crehan - Caisleán an Óir [Hornpipe]
9. Patrick Kelly - Danny Mescall's [Slide]
10. Patrick Kelly - The Salamanca/The Milliner's Daughter [Reels]
11. John Kelly - The Humours of Kilclogher [Single Jig]/Elizabeth Kelly's Delight [Slip Jig]
12. Joe Ryan - The Repeal of the Union/Toss the Feathers/The Maids of Mitchelstown [Reels]
13. Junior Crehan - The Kerry Woman's Lament [Story & Air]
14. Bobby Casey - The Gallowglass/Jimmy Ward's [Jigs]
15. Patrick Kelly - Drowsy Maggie [Reel]
16. Patrick Kelly - O'Connell's Farewell to Dublin [Set Dance]
17. Patrick Kelly - The Morning Star [Reel]
18. Patrick Kelly - The Foxhunter's [Reel]
19. Patrick Kelly - Banish Misfortune [Jig]
20. Patrick Kelly - The Bucks of Oranmore [Reel]
21. Patrick Kelly - Gillian's Apples [Jig]


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