Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Slides]]> Cassidy, Con]]> Nolan, Donie (accordion)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Nolan, Donie ]]> ]]> More info.]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Waltzes--Ireland]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Accordion and piano music]]> Higgins, Mary]]> Lynch, Tara (accordion)]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623]]> Donohue, Gabriel (piano, keyboards) 103020997]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Lynch, Tara ]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> Donohue, Gabriel]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Mulvihill, Charlie]]> Mulvihill, Charlie (accordion) (composer)]]> Mulvihill, Tommy (fiddle) 71144485]]> Mulvihill, Geraldine (piano)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Mulvihill, Charlie ]]> Mulvihill, Tommy]]> Mulvihill, Geraldine]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> O'Shea, Gildas]]> O'Lynn, Bryan]]> Potts, Tommy 38603306]]> Reck, Tommy 77570670]]> The exciting recording on this track was made by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, featuring master musicians Tony MacMahon and Steve Cooney. The first jig is associated with the piping of Brother Gildas O'Shea. The second jig of the set, 'Bryan O'Lynn', is one of a number of closely related tunes, variants of which include 'The Planting Stick' and 'Magpie in the Tree', found elsewhere in this collection. The two tunes on this track were played together previously by Tommy Potts and Tommy Reck, and they make for a beautiful pairing. Although the first tune does not appear in sheet music form in this collection, both tunes may be found in The Leo Rowsome Collection of Irish Music. Thanks to Malachy Moran, manager of Audio Services and Archive at RTÉ Radio, for permission to use the recording for this project, and to Raidió na Gaeltachta. A special 'thank you' to Steve Cooney for his generous help in tracking down the original recording, and for the great guitar playing that complemented Tony's magical performance. Tony, thanks for the music and for bringing this track to my attention.

 

]]> MacMahon, Tony (accordion) 171508158]]> Cooney, Steve (guitar) 31606143]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> MacMahon, Tony ]]> Cooney, Steve]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Flynn, Eamon (accordion) (composer)]]> Kisiel, Helen (piano) 76033885]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Flynn, Eamon ]]> Kisiel, Helen]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Hornpipes]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> McCann, Brendan]]> Connolly, Damien (accordion)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Connolly, Damien ]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Mouth music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Gardiner, Bobby 46363486]]> Gardiner, Bobby (lilting, accordion) (composer) 46363486]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald (piano) 53396920]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Gardiner, Bobby ]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Gardiner, Bobby 46363486]]> Gardiner, Bobby (accordion) (composer) 46363486]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald (piano) 53396920]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Gardiner, Bobby ]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Boyle, Néillidh]]> Collins, Elizabeth]]>
Preferring to end this collection with lively, happy music, I asked my young musical friends, Kathleen Boyle from Scotland and Gráinne Murphy from Massachusetts, to do me the honour of recording the above-named tunes for this last track. These same jigs were recorded in 1937 by Kathleen's grandfather, the famed fiddle maestro Néillidh Boyle from County Donegal. The young ladies are joined by Néillidh's son Hughie Boyle, who plays piano, and together, with pride, they give us that same lift and drive associated with the wonderful music that is peculiar to County Donegal. I was thrilled when Kathleen invited me to join herself, her dad, and Gráinne in remembering her grandfather, completing an extraordinary musical circle. The torch has indeed been passed.

It so happens that the last tune on the track, 'The Connaughtman's Rambles', is the first jig I ever learned, and I did so from the 78 RPM recording that Néillidh Boyle recorded seventy-eight years ago. In a way, then, this track is symbolic of how Irish traditional music keeps coming full circle, shared back and forth between musicians across the broad Atlantic and across generations.

And lest I forget about the not-often-heard tune dedicated to a certain Biddy (a nickname for 'Bridget') from Sligo, my mind goes back in time to my grandmother sitting by the fireside listening to me trying to learn and play this fine jig. And so, in remembrance of my grandmother, Elizabeth Collins (née Rochford), a wonderful lady of tunes, songs, and stories, I hereby offer an account of the lyrics she had for 'Biddy from Sligo':

'Oh mother dear, may I go for a swim?
Yes, my darling daughter!
Mind the boys don't see your shins,
Keep them well under the water!']]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano accordion) 254341404]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623]]> Boyle, Hughie (piano) 254643013]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Boyle, Kathleen ]]> Murphy, Gráinne ]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Boyle, Néillidh]]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano accordion) 254341404]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Boyle, Kathleen ]]> Murphy, Gráinne ]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Accordion and piano music]]> Boyle, Kathleen 254341404]]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano, piano accordion) (composer) 254341404]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Boyle, Kathleen ]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Killoran, Paddy 78484355]]> Noonan, Jimmy (flute) 78436746]]> Gurney, Dan (accordion)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Noonan, Jimmy ]]> Gurney, Dan]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Cronin, Johnny 44029816]]> 'The Victor's Return' from fiddle player Johnny Cronin from County Kerry. When Martin asked Johnny for the tune's title, Johnny told Martin to call it 'any auld thing at all'! Martin was reluctant to play the tune for me as he had not played for many months. He felt that he might not be able to get through it. When he did agree and got going he was loving the tune so much I couldn't get him to stop. I hope you never stop playing, Martin!]]> Connolly, Martin J. (accordion)]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Connolly, Martin J. ]]> ]]> More info.]]> Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Dwyer, Finbarr 291261603]]> Dwyer, Finbarr (accordion) (composer) 291261603]]>
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.]]> Dwyer, Finbarr ]]> ]]> More info.]]>