Browse Content (119 total)
- Collection: Reels
Lord Gordon's Father
The long version of the reel 'Lord Gordon', which the great Michael Coleman recorded in the 1930s, contains a number of parts which are attributed to that master County Sligo fiddle player. Another version, with two parts, was recorded on a 78 by…
Man at the Helm
I made this tune to honour the late Larry Reynolds of Galway, my friend for many years. Larry took me under his wing when I arrived in Boston in the 1970s. As president of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Boston, he guided the…
Martin Woods' Reel
A fine fiddle player from County Clare was Martin Woods. I had the honour of playing with him often in the early 1960s. Both of us were members of a céilí band known as The Lough Derg. That was so long ago! Martin Woods had fine old…
Mary of the Grove
A slightly different version of this reel may be found in The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music. On this track, we again hear Kevin Crawford giving us a lovely performance.
Maude Miller
Nicky McAuliffe is an expert on the history and names of Irish music, as well as being proficient on many instruments and a noted teacher. Nicky and his wife Ann, herself a teacher and champion on a number of instruments, recorded this version of…
Maxwell's
The inimitable fiddle master Seán Maguire recorded this tune, with Josephine Keegan at the piano, on one of their records. Here we hear Gráinne Murphy giving us her special rendition of Maxwell's Reel.
McGreevy's Tansey's
Johnny McGreevy from Chicago played this reel for me in 1972. I have given it this title because it reminds me of 'Tansey's Reel', a tune recorded by the Sligo fiddle player Paddy Killoran. My good friends Jimmy Noonan and Dan Gurney recorded this…
Memories of East Clare
The tune on this track was composed by my nephew Damien Connolly. When I asked Damien what memories this tune's title referred to, he immediately said, 'Well, I grew up listening to a blend of Clare, Sligo, and Kerry fiddling. This is a tune that…
Michael Relihan's
A lovely tune that came from the playing of John Kelly, the fiddle and concertina master from west County Clare. John had a storehouse of unusual tunes and was ever so generous in handing them down to other interested musicians. Michael Relihan was a…
Minnie's Favourite
Here, we hear one of Sean Nugent's many fine compositions, played by his son, Larry. Sean named it for his sister, Minnie.
Miss Cathy Chilcott's
The amazing and distinctive fiddle music of Liz Carroll from Chicago is featured on this track. Here, she performs one of her own compositions in the creative playing style which is very much her hallmark. I am honoured that this great player so…
Mist on the Ocean
This reel comes to us by kind permission of my good friend Richard 'Richie' Dwyer, its composer. It is taken from his CD In a Creative Mood, which he recorded in his native West Cork looking out to sea and the mist on the ocean. Richie is again…
Moate Reel, The
The town of Moate is in County Westmeath. It has a strong musical tradition and at one time had a famous céilí band that made a number of 78 RPM recordings. The late accordionist Brendan McCann, who lived in Connecticut, grew up near…
Molly, Put the Kettle On
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…
Night Above the Abbey, The
A tune composed by Sean Gavin when he was nineteen years old. The tune is in honour of good musical times that were had at the famed Abbey Pub in Chicago, a traditional music hub for many years. Sean plays his creation on flute (he is a…
North Road, The
My young friend Meghan Mette composed this reel. I was delighted that she asked me to play it with her, along with Nicole Rabata on flute and Kevin McElroy on mandolin. She tells us how the tune came about: 'I wrote this tune for Séamus first…
O'Brien's Tower
Paddy O'Brien, the learned and beloved accordionist from County Offaly who now lives in Minneapolis, recorded 'O'Brien's Tower', one of his many compositions, for me while on a visit to the home of Sally K. Sommers Smith Wells and her husband Paul…
O'Reilly's Fancy
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…
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…
Old Schoolmaster, The
'Maestro' Seán Maguire played this tune in the key of A major at a concert in Kilfenora, County Clare, many years ago. My friend Sally K. Sommers Smith Wells reminded me that it somehow was like the song 'Love Will You Marry Me?' Brendan…