Browse Content (297 total)
- Subject is exactly "Folk dance music--Ireland"
Vanishing Keys, The
Many of my fellow chronic misplacers of keys can relate to the above title. What a great name for a great tune! It is played here in grand style by its composer Richard Dwyer in another excerpt from his solo CD In a Creative Mood. Richie's wonderful…
Around Lough Graney
Who better to perform this tune than Martin Hayes, whose home place in County Clare is close to Lough Graney? This reel was shared back and forth across the Shannon among musicians from counties Galway, Tipperary, and Clare. Martin's treatment of the…
Blue Ribbon Polka, The
Another tune popular in Boston during the days of the Dudley Street dance halls was this polka. It is played here on uilleann pipes by Jerry O'Sullivan from New York.
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…
Flee as a Bird
And here is Julia and Billy Clifford's version of 'Flee as a Bird', which they recorded for me that night so long ago in Tralee, County Kerry. (Kimberley Fraser's version of this tune is here.)
Healy's House
This fine tune comes to us through the courtesy of Richard Dwyer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer from west County Cork, now living in Ennis, County Clare. Richard graciously allowed me to use this excerpt from his solo accordion and…
Check Your Balance
The wonderful young fiddle player Devin Shepherd, from Chicago, composed this tune and gave it to me for this collection. Lovely music, Devin. He gives us the tune's history: 'My idea with this tune was to compose something that sounded truly…
Sarah's Valentine
Eamon Flynn composed this slow jig for his daughter Sarah on Valentine's Day when she was five years old. Sarah asked her dad to 'do a song' for her. What a lovely present to get, one that will remain documented forever. This recording comes to us…
Poke and a Tickle, A
While reflecting on Eric Eid-Reiner's musical compositions, my first thought was that he created 'happy music'. Indeed, as Eric himself described it, this is 'a light-hearted jig with a sense of humour'. Eric kindly arrived at Boston College one…
Old as the Hills
Jack Coen gave me the name for this jig, which can be found as a two-part tune in A major in the O'Neill's 1001 collection. I first heard the tune played by 'The Man of Many Tunes', Larry Gavin. I also heard a version of it performed by Mr. David…
Old Mill Road, The
As I travel throughout the country, I have a compulsive habit of looking at street signs in the hope of discovering a good name or title for a new musical composition. I have seen a few variations on the above title and often wondered what road…
Chabonelle
Another fine tune from fiddle player and composer Mrs. Matilda Murdoch from New Brunswick, Canada. Maeve Donnelly from Quin in the County of Clare delightfully performs it on this track with an Irish interpretation. This was exactly what I was hoping…
Key in the Kiln, The
Monsignor Charles Coen recorded the jig on this track. In his own words, Father Charlie tells us what he knows about the tune: 'This tune "The Key in the Cill" or "The Key in the Kiln" was popular in Woodford when I was growing up. It was a great…
Follies of Youth, The
Another young player who contributed to this project is Sean Gavin from Detroit, son of fiddle player and teacher Mick Gavin from Meelick, County Clare. Here Sean plays the flute on one of his own compositions, a strathspey that somehow must have…
Boat to Bofin, 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…
Savage Paddy
My nephew Damien Connolly plays his own composition on this track. I asked Damien for information on the tune and its title. He writes: 'I composed this tune on an old fiddle I purchased at an auction. The fiddle itself wasn't great, but it had a…
Ambrose Moloney's
Joe Burke, my lifelong friend, was leader of The Leitrim Céilí Band, named not for the county of Leitrim, but for a townland in east County Galway. I was honoured to have been a member of that musical group when we won the Senior…
Plains of Mayo, The
This jig is tune number 304 in [George] Petrie's Complete Irish Music. It is given a special melodic lift by Larry Gavin and Micheál O'Rourke on accordion and fiddle. Charlie Lennon adds his own unmistakable accompaniment on piano. They…
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…
Mordaunt's Fancy
This jig was played in my home in Killaloe, County Clare, when I was a young boy. It was not played by me, but by button accordionist Terry Lane on the turntable of our record player! Now, whenever I hear Mr. Lane's recordings, or 'Mordaunt's Fancy',…