Browse Content (338 total)
Drunken Ganger's, The
This is another tune that was given to me by accordionist Larry Gavin, who lives in Tulla, in east County Clare. A version of this slip jig may be found in Ryan's Mammoth Collection. It is played here in fine style by the talented Gráinne…
Marg's Jig
Maeve Donnelly plays a composition of master composer Mrs. Matilda Murdoch, the queen of New Brunswick fiddle playing. Matilda has numerous compositions to her credit and she takes great pleasure in passing the tunes along to musicians eager to learn…
Father Tom's Wager
This grand old jig appears in O'Neill's 1001. I first heard the legendary Joe Burke play this tune with the lovely surprise variation in the second part. Thanks to Holland Raper for learning the tune and playing it on her fiddle. She is a former…
Catherine's Classroom
Catherine McEvoy composed this jig. I named it 'Catherine's Classroom' after reading her story of how the tune came about. In her own words: 'I have a wooden cabin at the back of the house that I use for teaching in, and for musical purposes. I was…
Mr. and Mrs. Ted McGraw
I have known Ted and Bridget McGraw of Rochester, New York, since the 1980s. I have great memories of playing with Ted in The Village Coachhouse, in Brookline, Massachusetts, a veritable musical institution that was owned by the Varian family of…
Limerick Jig, The
Back in the early 1960s, I was very friendly with Mrs. Taylor, the concertina player from West Limerick who lived in London. We exchanged many letters over the years in which music was always a topic. The well-known flute player Paddy Taylor learned…
Ah, a Simple Little Yoke
When I visited the accordion master Finbarr Dwyer at his home in County Clare, he played this jig, which he had composed when he was about ten years old. Finbarr did not think too highly of the tune: he can be heard on the recording describing it…
First Slip, The
On that night in Ennis in the home of my brother Martin and his wife Pauline (see ‘John Egan’s’), I thought I had captured Kevin Crawford playing a slip jig called 'What Care I For The Minister?' However, in the confusion,…
Humours of Ballyhaunis
The 'goings on' or happy and fun times in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, give this slip jig its name. I first heard the tune played by the talented musical Quinn family from New York. A version of the tune may be found in O'Neill's great collection of…
Jimmy Hogan's (Number Two)
Another of Jimmy Hogan's North County Clare tunes. It is played here, as was 'Jimmy Hogan's Number One', by Josephine Keegan on fiddle.
Jim Conroy's
Jack Coen had a storehouse of older tunes from his native East Galway. Jack learned this tune from the playing of Jim Conroy, a flute player from his part of the country who was a great musical influence. It is played here for us by the one and only…
P.J. Conlon's
The accordion master Peter 'P.J.' Conlon recorded an amazing series of 78 RPM records. He recorded this jig (under the title 'Clancy's Jig'), as did his friend Bill Sullivan, who called it 'Conlon's'. Here it is played on melodeon by my nephew Damien…
North Clare Jig
Paddy Kierse, as Ciarán Mac Mathúna said on his Radio Éireann program A Job of Journeywork, was a lovely old musician. Ciarán recorded his playing of this tune on a visit to north County Clare. Mr. Kierse, from Kilnaboy, near Kilfenora, had wonderful…
Connolly's Chair
Multi-instrumentalist Brian Hebert from the Boston area conferred on me special recognition by composing and playing this slip jig. The chair mentioned in the tune's title is my endowed position as Sullivan Artist in Residence at The Center for Irish…
Galway Jig, The
Accordionist Larry Gavin, a longtime friend, put this tune on tape for me a few years ago at his home in Tulla, County Clare. Larry is a repository of Irish music, and he raised this tune up from his deep well. Apparently the tune was played by…
Pride of Erin
Sean Nugent and his Pride of Erin Céilí Band from County Fermanagh loved to play this jig. So too did Johnny McGreevy from Chicago, who played it for me in 1972 with piano player Eleanor Kane Neary. Jimmy Noonan on flute and Dan Gurney…
Old 78 Record, An
Geraldine Cotter liked this tune the first time she heard me playing it. 'Let's try and record it', she said, and as I played the jig a second time she followed right along. This track is the result of our efforts. I do not have a name for this jig,…
Thomas Reilly, Clerk of Fore
Rev. John Quinn from County Leitrim sent me this tune in the 1980s. It was a copy of handwritten music from The Mulvey Manuscript. Stephen Grier wrote it out on the twenty-fifth of May, 1883. Father John has supplied me with many tunes from his part…
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…
Quadrille
I had no idea of the name of the fiddle player who performed this jig on a cassette tape I had of an old 78 RPM recording. However, my friend Paul Wells knew the tune and the fiddle player, whom he identified as Leizime Brusoe. Mr. Brusoe was born in…