Browse Content (196 total)
- Subject is exactly "Fiddle tunes--Ireland"
Young When He's Dancing
This tune was composed by Chicago fiddle player Devin Shepherd. He plays it here with his friend Sean Gavin on flute. Devin named the tune for Mike Doyle from County Wexford, who now lives in Chicago. Mike is an avid enthusiast of the music and can…
Willie Week
The memory of legendary piper Willie Clancy from County Clare continues to be immortalised with this fine hornpipe. A composition of County Tyrone's All-Ireland champion fiddle player Jimmy McHugh, the tune is played here for us by Jimmy's son Benny.…
Will Hardy's Twiggy Jig
My friend Beth Sweeney is the librarian for the Irish Music Archives at the Burns Library of Boston College. When she finds time in her schedule, Beth likes to play music and compose. On this track she plays one of her own tunes, which she describes…
Whistler and His Dog, The
Rose Murphy, a sister of accordionist Peter 'P.J.' Conlon, recorded this reel for fiddle player Paddy Ryan from County Roscommon. Kevin Burke, my good friend and wonderful fiddle player, plays the tune on this recording with his lovely swing and…
Weaver Flynn
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Eamon Flynn wrote this tune to honour his wife Vicki. Vicki's maiden name was Weaver. This track comes from a CD Eamon recorded with our mutual friend Helen Kisiel, who is often sought after as a piano accompanist…
Visit to Chicago, A
Johnny McGreevy had an amazing repertoire of Irish music. He kept so many tunes circulating in his native city, and he was always generous in passing them along. The prolific composer, fiddle player, and pianist Josephine Keegan graciously recorded…
Victor's Return, The
I recorded this tune with another nephew, Karl Connolly, playing piano, on the same day as Kevin Crawford's unfortunate experience. I first heard the tune in the 1950s played by the Tulla Céilí Band from County Clare. A version of this…
Vermont Jig, The
Another composition from the multi-instrumentalist Eamon Flynn from Mountcollins in County Limerick. Eamon moved from Boston to The Green Mountain State, Vermont, in 1987. His memories of the hills and fishing brooks of this beautiful state in New…
Ullulu Mo Mháilín
Played here as a polka, this melody is a macaronic song, with Irish and English words. It is the one and only tune that fiddle player Matt Cranitch and I recorded for this collection. It came very naturally to us, since it is a famous song in our…
Tyrone Among the Bushes
Another tune from the playing of Tom Turkington from County Tyrone. This hornpipe is one of the tunes that he played on my fiddle so long ago at a concert at a Fleadh Cheoil in County Clare. Séamus Duffy, the traditional singer and…
Turn of the Season
I have had the great pleasure of living in New England for many years, first in Massachusetts, and now in Maine. When I reflect on the beauty of the region, I picture its snow, its mountains, rivers, and lakes. I think of springtime when everything…
Turlough
Rodney Miller once again demonstrates that he is not only a fiddle player of extraordinary talent, but also a fine crafter of tunes. Here he plays his composition 'Turlough'.
Tureencahill Polka
Another track from fiddle player Máire O'Keeffe. Her title for this tune refers to an area near Rathmore, County Kerry, famous for its music. Máire learned this polka from Sonny Riordan.
Tulla Lodge
Martin Hayes, the great fiddle player from East Clare, gives us this beautiful rendition of a tune I have given the title 'Tulla Lodge'. This tune was given to me by Larry Gavin.
Trip to Moultonborough
Meghan Mette was one of the musicians featured on 'A Polka for Matt'. She is the younger sister to Eliza Mette, who can be heard on 'Summer's Waltz'.
Here Meghan plays one of her own compositions and, below, she tells us in her own words how the…
Tóstal, An
Leo Rowsome, known as 'The King of the Pipers', wrote this lovely reel. It is played on this track by fiddle player John Daly. 'An Tóstal', according to my good friend Helena Rowsome, Leo's daughter, means 'a pageant or assembly of ordinary…
Tom Turkington's in G Major
The young Cape Breton fiddle player Kimberley Fraser gives us an exciting blend of Irish and Cape Breton fiddle styles. She plays another reel from the music of County Tyrone fiddle player Tom Turkington (see 'Tom Turkington's in C Major').
Tom Turkington's in C Major
I met Tom Turkington, a fiddle player from Cookstown, County Tyrone, only once. It was at the beginning of the 1960s at a County Clare Fleadh Cheoil, when he performed at a celebrity concert with his son David on the piano. Musicians love talking…
Tom Turkington's in B Flat
Tom Turkington's performance on my fiddle that night long ago in County Clare featured this hornpipe in B flat. I don't have a title for this tune, so I pay tribute to Tom Turkington by naming it for him. Listening to the great Kimberley Fraser's…
Tom Turkington's in A Major
Here is another tune from the playing of Tom Turkington of County Tyrone. I searched for its name, and I asked a number of reliable sources for a title, but I have come up empty-handed. So, what better name than 'Tom Turkington's in A Major'? Tom's…