Bridge at Newtown, The

Story

'The Bridge', as it was affectionately called, was home to Dinny O'Brien, concertina and fiddle player. It was also the home of accordionist Paddy O'Brien, my musical colleague in the 1960s and '70s. The bridge in question is on the road between Portroe and Nenagh, County Tipperary. As a tribute to the O'Brien family, and in particular to Paddy, I composed this reel. It is played on this track by a former student of Máire O'Keeffe's, Tara Breen, a young fiddle player who has won the Fiddler of Dooney competition and the All-Ireland Championship. Tara's playing is a special treat. The tune is in E major, a key not commonly used in Irish music.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-24_The_Bridge_at_Newtown-Reel.pdf
Some transcriptions are based on historical source recordings. More info.

Song & Tune Type

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Citation

Breen, Tara (fiddle) and Connolly, Séamus (composer), “The Bridge at Newtown,” The Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music, accessed October 10, 2024, https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/609.