Thirteen Arches

Story

A thirteen-arched bridge spans the majestic River Shannon as it flows through my hometown of Killaloe, County Clare. On the opposite side of the bridge is Ballina, County Tipperary. As a child I had fun saying, 'I can stand in Killaloe and Ballina at the same time'. I composed this tune in remembrance of my father, Michael 'Mick' Connolly, who, when working as the skipper of a tugboat named the St. Patrick, piloted it underneath the largest of the arches. The young fiddle player Kelsey Lutz, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was sixteen years old when she recorded the tune for this project. Irish music will forever remain vibrant when young people play our music as Kelsey does.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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02-27_Thirteen_Arches-Reel.pdf
Some transcriptions are based on historical source recordings. More info.

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Citation

Lutz, Kelsey (fiddle) and Connolly, Séamus (composer), “Thirteen Arches,” The Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music, accessed December 7, 2024, https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/590.