Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> McGreevy, Johnny]]> Lech, Tina (fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Miller, Rodney 25930822]]> Miller, Rodney (fiddle) (composer) 25930822]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Dwyer, Finbarr 291261603]]> Dwyer, Finbarr (accordion) (composer) 291261603]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Moloney, Ambrose]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Murray, Alan (guitar)]]> Creative Commons License
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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)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Hayes, Martin (fiddle) 68159396]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Killoran, Paddy 78484355]]> Noonan, Jimmy (flute) 78436746]]> Gurney, Dan (accordion)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Spoken word]]> Reels (music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> O'Higgins, Frank]]> Redican, Larry]]> Redican, Larry (spoken word, fiddle) (composer)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> O'Brien, Paddy 28799446]]> The Banks of the Shannon mini-LP that we made in the 1970s. I'm not exactly sure why we did not record it. Then, thirty years later, I had the distinct honour of recording a CD called The Boston Edge with another maestro of the accordion, Joe Derrane, with John McGann playing guitar. Joe, like Paddy O'Brien, came up with this very same reel, and also suggested that we record it for The Boston Edge. In the end, for whatever reason, the tune did not make it onto that record either.

Looking back now on both these situations, maybe the reason the tune was not recorded was because we never could find a name for it. One could say that that in itself is not a good reason, and so to redeem ourselves I asked our good friend Catherine McEvoy to do us the honour. In giving it a name for this collection, I had two good choices: 'The Banks of the Shannon', or 'The Boston Edge'. Both titles sound good to me; after all, both masters of the accordion clearly liked the tune. However, I have chosen to call it 'The Banks of the Shannon' because the version Catherine plays on this track comes from a recording of Paddy O'Brien. Unfortunately, I never did capture Joe Derrane playing it. Now it's Catherine's turn.]]>
McEvoy, Catherine (flute) 29160418]]> McEvoy, Paddy (piano)]]> Creative Commons License
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McEvoy, Catherine ]]> McEvoy, Paddy]]> ]]> More info.]]>
Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Accordion and piano music]]> Boyle, Kathleen 254341404]]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano, piano accordion) (composer) 254341404]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Boyle, Néillidh]]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano accordion) 254341404]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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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]]> Creative Commons License
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Boyle, Kathleen ]]> Murphy, Gráinne ]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> ]]> More info.]]>
Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Melodeon music]]> Sullivan, William F. 16824076]]> Conlon, Peter (P.J.)]]> Accordion player William Sullivan immigrated from Clifden, Ireland, to New York City in the 1920s, later settling in Parlin, New Jersey. He recorded this tune on Sampler Records in the late 1980s in a duo with Mitzie Collins, a hammered dulcimer and piano player. Bill Sullivan was a friend of the 1920s accordion player Peter 'P.J.' Conlon, and they often played music together. My friend Ted McGraw from Rochester told me that both these accordionists appeared on a 78 RPM recording on the Clarion label, with Peter Conlon on one side of the record and Bill Sullivan on the other. The jig is played on this track by my nephew Damien Connolly on melodeon. The title that I gave to the jig is 'Bill Sullivan's'. Names change from time to time: Bill Sullivan had named it for Mr. Conlon.]]> Connolly, Damien (melodeon)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Barndances]]> Caples, Billy]]> Rabata, Nicole (flute)]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623]]> McElroy, Kevin (banjo) 70994386]]> Donohue, Gabriel (piano) 103020997]]> Creative Commons License
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Rabata, Nicole ]]> Connolly, Séamus]]> McElroy, Kevin]]> Donohue, Gabriel]]> ]]> More info.]]>
Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Redican, Larry]]> McAuliffe, Nicholas]]> Lech, Tina (fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Polkas--Ireland]]> Uilleann pipe music--Ireland]]> O'Sullivan, Jerry (uilleann pipes) 31619251]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Set dances]]> Spoken word]]> Redican, Larry (spoken word, fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Penny whistle music]]> Madden, Joanie, 38423903]]> Madden, Joanie (whistle) (composer) 38423903]]> Donohue, Gabriel (guitar) 103020997]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Lawrie, Bobbie]]> elsewhere, Catherine also grew up in Birmingham.]]> McEvoy, Catherine (flute) 29160418]]> McEvoy, Paddy (piano)]]> Lawrie, Bobbie (composer)]]> Creative Commons License
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McEvoy, Catherine ]]> McEvoy, Paddy]]> Lawrie, Bobbie]]> ]]> More info.]]>
Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Gardiner, Bobby 46363486]]> Gardiner, Bobby (accordion) (composer) 46363486]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald (piano) 53396920]]> Creative Commons License
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Gardiner, Bobby ]]> Magone, Barbara MacDonald]]> ]]> More info.]]>