A version of this tune can be found in The Roche Collection, but I first heard it played by Eddie Moloney from Ballinakill, County Galway. Eddie, Tommy Mulhaire, and his son Brendan were among those who travelled on a number of occasions in the 1960s…

Jack Coen had a storehouse of older tunes from his native East Galway. Jack learned this tune from the playing of Jim Conroy, a flute player from his part of the country who was a great musical influence. It is played here for us by the one and only…

The leader of the band Cherish the Ladies is Joanie Madden, who plays this tune for us on the flute. I first heard Eddie Moloney play it. Eddie came from Ballinakill in County Galway and may have named the tune. Tommy Whelan was a member of the…

Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies fame composed this happy jig. In her own words Joanie tells us of her inspiration: 'I was inspired to write this tune after a very rocky ferry ride to the beautiful island of Inishbofin off the coast of Connemara…

My friend in Tulla, Larry Gavin, sent me this reel thirty-five years ago. I love Larry's accordion playing and I am grateful to him for supplying many wonderful tunes to me during all the years that I have lived in America. Larry, as they say, you…

Joanie Madden gives us her interpretation of a tune I first learned from Larry Gavin. It also appears in O'Neill's 1001. I temporarily mislaid the recording Joanie made for me, so the tune almost didn't make it into this collection. I'm glad I found…

Larry Gavin sent this tune to me on a tape over thirty years ago. Getting a tape of music from Ireland, and more especially from Larry, was always special. I was always assured of getting a new tune or two from my good friend. On this track we hear…

Another tune from the legendary Cathal McConnell. He gave me this tune, and the others in this collection, during that visit to Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, over thirty years ago (see 'Cathal's Reel').