Caiptin O Maille

The hero of this song has been claimed to have been George O'Malley who is thought to have died in the workhouse in Westport, Co. Mayo around 1869. The  song is a vivid discription of a severe storm off the west coast of Ireland, which I first heard from the singing of Darach O Cathain.

Mullin's Fancy/The Sailor on the Rock/The Flags of Dublin

Mullin's Fancy is a tune I learnt from a recording of the Longford fiddle-player Packie Dolan on a compilation record called The Wheels of the World. lt is originally a Scottish song Nae good luck about the Hoose and also appears as a single jig Christmas Eve. Under a Gaelic title which translates Over the Isles to America, it is found as a reel on the highland pipes. The  second reel is also called Johnny with the Queer Thing and is a tune I got from my father Tom. The final reel is one I often heard Seamus Ennis playing, who had  it from his father James (1887 -1964).  In O'Neill's collection it is called The Millers Maid but with a different turn.

The Newport Lass/Port an Bhrathair

These are two jigs I have from my father. The first is also known as The Trip  To Athlone. Port an Bhrathair is better known as The Gander in the Pratie Hole with the Brother of the title being Brother Gildas (Padraig O Seaghdha 1882- 1961) He learnt the jig from Tom Rowsome (d. 1928), uncle of the famous Leo, who  called it Butler's Jig. It was one of the first tunes I heard my father play on  the pipes, who more than likely got it from his friend Tommy Reck, who probably got it from Leo Rowsome...!

Cuaichin Ghleann Neifin

A beautiful love song that I acquired from the singing of Seosaimh O hEanai, the great sean nos singer from Carna, Connemara, who died in 1984.

Aursundvals 2/Labajalavalts

Aursundvals is a Norwegian waltz that I came across for a trip to play at a  festival in Norway in 1991 in the company of some musical friends. Apparently it  is a waltz associated with a place name and means 'a little strait' either in a lake or in a fjord. The second waltz was similarly learnt by a group of Irish musicians for a trip to Estonia in 1988. I subsequently got it from my old friend Paidi Ban O Broin on our return from that trip. This was not the first  tune I had learnt from Paidi as he taught me some tunes on the whistle in St Mary's Music Club, Church St, Dublin, when I was setting out on my musical road!  The title translates as The Flatfoot Waltz and was apparently originally danced  on ships in the Baltic sea, where feet were slided rather than lifted, for reasons of balance.

The Drunken Landlady/The Leitirm Thrush

Although Seamus Ennis did not teach music he did notate certain tunes on request for my father and myself. These are two such tunes. The first reel  Seamus said he collected in Inishnee, Connemara in the 1940's which was  untitled, but he subsequently heard this title in Co. Cavan. Leitrim occurs in a fair number of tunes titles and is evidence of the popularity of traditional  music in the county. No doubt The Leitrim Thrush sang above The Whinny Hills of Leitrim!

Packie Dugnan's Jig/Fasten the Leg in Her

Another friend of my father's was the great flute-player Packie Duignan from Arigna, Co. Roscommon, from whom my father got the first jig. Fasten the Leg in  Her, was a once popular jig which suits the pipe chanter and lends itself to melodic and rythmic variation.

The Scholar/The Abbey Reel/The Flax in Bloom

The Scholar is a reel I first heard from the playing of Tommy Reck and is  probably of Scottish origin. The 'Abbey' in question in the next reel is the  Abbey Theatre. It was a tune popular with musicians assembled by Sean O Riada to  provide music for a prodution of "The Playboy of The Western World" in the 1960's. Also known as Redigan's Reel, it was a favourite tune of my fathers. The Flax in Bloom is an attractive reel I acquired from the playing of Seamus  Ennis.

Bean Dubh an Ghleanna

The Dark Woman of the Glen is one of the great airs and love-songs in the  Irish tradition. I often had the pleasure of hearing it sung by Sean Ach  Dhonncha, the great sean-nos singer from Ahascragh, Co. Galway and a great friend of my fathers, who sadly passed away in December 1996.

Higgin's Hornpipe/Cornphiopa na Sioga

Higgin's Hornpipe is attributed in the north of England to James Hill, composer of the famous High Level Hornpipe. Also known as The Cliff and The Ruby, I learnt it from an old recording of Tommy Reck. The Fairies Hornpipe  which follows is a dance version of Mor Chluana - More of Cloyne -a stately air collected and published by P.W.Joyce. 'Mor'was the fairy goddess of the area around Cloyne, Co, Cork. Early this century Osborn Bergin. the legendary Irish scholar. wrote An t-Amhran Dochas to More of Cloyne. This song was once a  serious contender for the Irish national anthem. Seamus Ennis was the source of  this lovely hornpipe.

Duke Gordan/My Love is in America

The name of the first reel is from The Duke of Gordan's Rant published in  Glasgow in 1778. It was in print 20 years prior to that under the title Bod 'na  Sheasamh. This version derives from Seamus Ennis and through his father from Pat  Ward of The Black Bull, Drogheda, a famous piper and reed-maker in his day. My Love is in America belongs to a family of tunes -The Dunmore Lasses, The Collier's Reel and the jig Do You Want Anymore. American musicians early this century called this reel My Love Is On The Ocean.

Curachai na Tra Baine/Cuscanandy

This is one of the first songs I heard sung by Seosamh O hEanai which laments  the drowning of her brothers by Brid Ni Mhaille in a boating tragedy off the  coast of Connemara. Cucanandy is one of the numerous songs recorded from Elizabeth Cronin from Ballyvourney, Co. Cork.  She was actually bedridden by the time of recording and sang into a microphone  placed beside her on the pillow.

Toss the Feathers/Gorman's Reel

These two concluding reels are of my father Tom playing the fiddle and were  recorded in Phibsborough by my brother Alphie in 1982. It was a rare ocasion for him to sit in front of a microphone, so I am naturally proud and delighted to have him playing on this album. It also presents the listener with an  opportunity of hearing the lovely, flowing Leitrim style of fiddle playing. Toss  the Feathers is a great tune which I always associate with my father and Tommy  Reck the piper. The second reel is called after Johnny Gorman, or Jack the Piper  as he was known, from Derrylahon, Co. Roscommon. Gorman was a travelling piper  and fiddle-player who roamed the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim, playing and teaching until his tragic death outside Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim in 1917.