Seán Ryan & P.J.Moloney - Traditional Music of Ireland vol.1 (1960)

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Seán Ryan & P.J.Moloney - Traditional Music of Ireland vol.1 (Avoca - 33 AV 121 - 1960)

Tipperary fiddler Seán Ryan and Galway flute player P.J.Moloney won the All-Ireland duet title in 1956, and recorded this beautiful unacompanied album on the Avoca label around four years later. A great number of Seán Ryan's tunes have become assimilated into the tradition, but it is a great shame that his recordings are largely unobtainable, and that his absolutely wonderful playing is not more readily available to be heard. You can read about Seán Ryan's music on a website created by his son Brian, and in a piece by Brendan Taaffe which you can read here.

This was ripped from a tape-recording of a well-loved LP, so the sound quality has deteriorated substantially, but the playing really is something else.

The image I have used for the cover is taken from a lovely painting by the artist Sheila Dewsbury, whose work can be viewed here.

Thanks to P.J. for sharing this, and a great number of other wonderful recordings.


1. Paddy Kelly's/Down the Broom/Farewell to Connaught [Reels]
2. The Castle/McKenna's [Jigs]
3. The Cuckoo's Nest/Cooley's/O'Brien's [Hornpipes]
4. O'Meara's/The Leitrim [Reels]
5. The Blackbird [Set Dance]
6. The Wheels of the World/Tom Steele [Reels]
7. Tony Molloy's/Out on the Ocean/The Killimore [Jigs]
8. Bonnie Kate/Jenny's Chickens [Reels]
9. McMahon's/Dingle Bay [Hornpipes]
10. The Carraroe/Morrison's [Jigs]
11. The Dash to Portobello/The Bunch of Keys [Reels]
12. The Flowing Tide/Seán Ryan's Fancy [Hornpipes]

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Brendan McGlinchey - Music of a Champion (1974)

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Brendan McGlinchey & Mary Mulholland - Music of a Champion (Silver Hill Records - PSH 100 - 1974)

Armagh native Brendan McGlinchey recorded this album on Finbar Dwyer's Silver Hill label in 1974 after moving to England in the late 1960s. More information about his music can be found here, in a piece by Brendan Taaffe, in which McGlinchey describes life as a young musician in Armagh, the development of his playing while on the road with bands in Ireland and amongst the emigré community in London, as well as explaining the surprising fifteen year hiatus in his playing which was to begin only four years after this album was recorded. For a less-polished, unaccompanied recording of McGlinchey's playing made in 1973 look here.

You can also listen to McGlinchey playing 'The Job of Journeywork' with Michael Rooney here.

1. Splendid Isolation/Lawrie's [Reels]
2. Whelan's/Paddy Taylor's [Jigs]
3. Across the Fence to the Neighbour's Wife/The Gate to the West (The Acrobat) [Hornpipes]
4. The Floating Crowbar/McKenna's [Reels]
5. Banish Misfortune/The Trip to Sligo [Reels]
6. Music in the Glen/Rakish Paddy [Reels]
7. The Galway/Paddy Fahey's [Reels]
8. The Tosspot (The Queen of the West) [Hornpipe]
9. The Fisherman's Island/The College Groves [Reels]
10. The Drunken Sailor [Hornpipe]
11. The Knocknagow [Jig]
12. The Liffey Banks/The Shaskeen [Reels]

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John Doonan - At the Feis (1978)

320 kbps



John Doonan - At the Feis: Irish Traditional Dance Music in Strict Tempo (Topic - 12TS368 - 1978)

Recorded by Bill Leader in 1977, this is the second album from Newcastle flute and piccolo player John Doonan. Some of the tunes have become what many would consider to be overplayed, but Doonan's setting of both The Kesh and Morrison's are worth a listen, and the set dances are particularly nice.


1. Jackie Coleman's/Paddy Cavanagh's/John Brennan's [Reels]
2. Any Old Jig Will Do/The Butterfly [Slip Jigs]
3. Rodney's Glory [Set Dance]
4. The Idle Road/The Frost is All Over/The Black Rogue [Jigs]
5. The Spalpeen's Lament [Air]
6. The Kesh/Morrison's/Old Joe's [Jigs]
7. The Shannon Breeze/The Heathery Breeze/The Green Fields of America [Reels]
8. The Blackthorn Stick [Set Dance]
9. Hurry the Jug [Set Dance]
10. Rub the Bag [Set Dance]
11. The Blackbird [Air & Set Dance]
12. Spellan the Fiddler/The Rights of Man [Hornpipes]
13. The Irish Washerwoman/Father O'Flynn/The Lilting Fisherman [Jigs]

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Peter Browne - The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master: Pádraig O'Keeffe (1993)

Peter Browne - The Sliabh Luachra Fidddle Master: Pádraig O'Keeffe (Irish Music - 1993)

Another excellent biographical essay, exploring in detail the life and times of the legendary Sliabh luachra fiddler Pádraig O'Keeffe. Written by Peter Browne, it stands alone as an excellent piece, but it is the fruit of research conducted by Browne for the RTÉ broadcast The Rolling Wave in 1993. Browne presented four programmes commemmorating Pádraig O'Keeffe's life and music, which can be heard on The Rolling Wave website.

Programme 1
Programme 2
Programme 3
Programme 4

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Alan Ward - Music from Sliabh Luachra (1977)

Alan Ward - 'Music from Sliabh Luachra: An Introduction to the Traditional Music of the Cork/Kerry Borderland with Notes on Topic Records 12T(S)309-311' (Traditional Music Magazine, vol.5 - 1977)

An extremely well-informed and personal essay written by Alan Ward in 1977, setting out an introduction to the music of Sliabh Luachra, and paying particular attention to the musical history of Denis Murphy, his sister Julia Clifford, her husband John, and the travelling fiddle teacher Pádraig O'Keeffe. The 32-page booklet also provides substantial information on the three volumes in the 'Music from Sliabh Luachra' series released by Topic Records in 1977, and is a valuable and interesting resource for anyone who wishes to learn a little more about the musical traditions of the Sliabh Luachra region, and a short history of it's three most famous fiddlers, Pádraig O'Keeffe, Denis Murphy, and Julia Clifford.

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John & Julia Clifford - The Humours of Lisheen (1977)

320 kbps



John & Julia Clifford - The Humours of Lisheen (Topic - 12TS311 - 1977)

This is the third instalment of Topic's Music from Sliabh Luachra series, and features the playing of husband and wife John and Julia Clifford, accompanied on piano by Reg Hall. It was recorded between 1975 and 1976, and most of the tracks were put down on two separate occasions in London, apart from track 10, which was recorded at Jack Lyons' Bar, Scartaglen, and track 20, recorded at Dan Connell's Bar, Knocknagree. The tunes on this album were all familiar to the Cliffords before they left Lisheen, Co. Kerry, with the exception of 'Tap the Barrel', a reel they picked up whilst living in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, between 1953 and 1958. So, unlike The Star of Munster Trio, which consists almost entirely of tunes well-known on the London Irish music scene in the 1970s, this album gives an insight into the repertoire of the Sliabh Luachra region as it was played in the 1930s. As is to be expected, a number of tunes are associated with the Sliabh Luachra fiddle master, Pádraig O'Keeffe, from whom both Julia and her brother, Denis Murphy, learned their music. The production on the album is very basic, and the playing is fresh and unrehearsed, but the casual brilliance of Julia Clifford's playing is an absolute joy to behold.

1. The Humours of Lisheen/Art O'Keeffe's [Jigs]
2. Tap the Barrel/Jenny Tie the Bonnet [Reels]
3. The Frisco [Hornpipe]
4. Biddy Crowley's Ball (This is My Love, Do You Like Her?) [Single Jig]
5. The Bold Trainor O [Air]/Pádraig O'Keeffe's [Slide]
6. The Blue Riband/Up and Away [Polkas]
7. Cailín an Ti Mhoir (Girl from the Big House) [Jig]
8. Tom Sullivan's [Polka]
9. John J.Kimmell's/The Home Brew [Hornpipes]
10. Pádraig O'Keeffe's [Polka]
11. Pol Ha'Penny [Hornpipe]
12. John Mahinney's 2 (Brian O'Lynn)/The Ducks and the Oats [Jigs]
13. I Looked East and I Looked West [Polka]
14. Maurice Manley's/The Worn Torn Petticoat [Slides]
15. Táimse i m'Chodladh is ná Dúistear mé (I'm Asleep, Don't Wake me) [Air]
16. Going to the Well for Water (The Kaiser) [Slide]
17. Julia Clifford's/Bill the Waiver [Polkas]
18. The Rolling Waves [Single Jig]
19. Johnny Cope [Hornpipe]
20. John Clifford's [Polka]/Billy O'Rourke is the Boy/Going for Water (Scattery Island) [Slides]


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Seán McGuire - Irish Traditional Fiddling (1969)

320 kbps



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.

1. Speed the Plough/Tom Ward's Downfall [Reels]
2. Reavy's/The Ravelled Hank of Yarn [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]

Forthcoming digital re-release...

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)

320 kbps



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)

320 kbps



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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