The first installment of a brand new series titled the 'Sliabh Luachra Music Trail Podcast', by Aidan Connolly. Episode 1 features live music from a great concert in the Ivy Leaf Arts Centre, Castleisland, Co. Kerry, which took place on December 14th 2024. 

SLMT Podcast 1, 5 Jan 2025

Notes from Paul De Grae 
10. Barndances: Turkey in the Straw and The Glenbeigh.


Denis Murphy was fond of Turkey in the Straw, and his version of it, on the RTÉ CD "Denis Murphy – Music from Sliabh Luachra", is perhaps based on the setting in O'Neill, which in turn (according to O'Neill in "Waifs & Strays") is John McFadden's interpretation of how the tune was played by Dan Emmett, of Bryant's Minstrels, in slow reel time, with syncopations. As played by Denis, and by John Carty, it makes an ideal barndance. Johnny O'Leary played a somewhat different version, in a higher key. There is much disputation as to the origins of the tune, but perhaps all we need to say for now is that, wherever it started from, it has found a comfortable home in Sliabh Luachra.

 

Charlie Pigott christened the second tune as The Glenbeigh Hornpipe on the first De Danann album, which gives it a Kerry connection; and the tune is certainly popular here, though in its phrasing it's clearly a barndance rather than a hornpipe. James Morrison may have been the first to record it, in 1935, as Curlew Hills. Arguably it belongs more in the traditions of Donegal and Sligo (it was also recorded by Coleman and by Killoran), but again, it has settled in nicely here in the south-west. It also has cousins in the English tradition.

 

Turkey in the Straw

BA || GEEF EDB,A, | B,DDE D- GA | BCD' D'E' D'BGA | BAAB A- BA |

GEEF E- B,A, |B,DDE D- GA | BD'E'B D'BGA | BGAF G- BA || (1st time)

                                                                    | BGAF G-- A || (2nd time)

BD'D'E' D'BAD' | BD'D'E' D'- BA | BE'E'F' E'F'G' E'D' | BABD' E'- B'A' |

G'- G'E' D'G'E'D' | B- AG E- GA | BGAG EDB,D | EGGF G-- ||  (x 2)

 

The Glenbeigh

D- || GABC D'G'F'A' | G'- B- D'-- | CD'E' AB C-- | BD'GA B-- A |

G- BC D'G'F'A' | G'- B- D'-- | CE'AB CADF | A- G- G- D- ||  (1st time)

                                                                  | A- G- GABC || (2nd time)

D'- B'- C- A'- | B- G'F' G'D'BG | FGAB CAFD | GBAC B-- C |

D'B'B'D' CA'A'C | B- G'F' G'D'BG | FGAB CADF | A- G- GABC || (1st)

                                                                         | A- G- G-- || (2nd)

Set 10- Barndances

Notes from Paul De Grae

Set7. Reels: What Brought You in There? and Jimmy Batty's
 

These are two of John Carty's own compositions. The first one can be found on the 2008 At the Racket album, "It's Not Racket Science", and the second one is on John's 1994 album with Brian McGrath, "The Cat that Ate the Candle".

 

What brought you in there?

D- E || FEDB, A,B,DE | F- ED FAAE | FEDB, A,B,DE | F- EG FB,B,E |

FB,B,D A,B,DE | F- ED FAAE | FEDB, A,B,DE | F- EG FDDC ||

D'-- C B- D'B | A- FE FB B- | D'BAC BAFD | A,B,DE FDDC |

D'- E'D' B- D'B | A- FE FBBC | D'BAC B- B'F' | A'F'E'G' F'D' D- ||

 

Jimmy Batty's

D'AAB A- FE | DFAB A- FA | BEEA BD'E'F' | G'E'F'G' E'D'BC |

D'AAB A- FE | DFAB A- FA | BEEA BCD' E'G' | F'D'E'C D'E'F'E' || (1st)

                                                                     | F'D'E'C D'- C || (2nd)

D'AAB AGFG | A- A'E' F'A'E'D' | BE'E'F' E'-- F' | G'E'F'D' E'D'BC|

D'AAB AGFG | A- A'G' F'G'E'C | D'F'E'D' BAFB | AFAB D'- E' || (1st)

                                                                        | AFAB D'-- || (2nd)

Set 7 - Reels

Notes from Paul De Grae
4. Fling and slides: Turn Hill, Carrigkerry Slide, Con Cassidy's
John Carty learned these tunes from Dan Brouder, who kindly supplied some local information. The fling, Turn Hill, is named after a place in West Limerick, between Templeglantine and Rooskagh; the tune was played by John Joe Hartnett (flute player from Athea) and Moss Murphy (fiddler from Templegantine), from whom Dan learned it. Carrigkerry is a village, also in West Limerick, and this slide also comes from the playing of John Joe and Moss. Dan credits Donegal fiddler Con Cassidy with composing the third tune.

 

As proof that good music knows no boundaries, both of these slides are very much associated with Con Cassidy and Donegal music; they are played as jigs in Donegal (Altan recorded Con Cassidy's on their album "The Red Crow"), and they have also become naturalised here in the south-west. I remember hearing Máire O'Keeffe and Michelle O'Sullivan playing them in Tralee in the early 1980s.

 

Turn Hill

E'F' G'  E'- D'  B- D'  G'-- | G- B  D'- B  G- B  D'- G' |

E'F' G'  E'- D'  B- D'  G'- A' | G'- E'  D'- E'  BA-  A-- ||  (x 2)

A'- E'  A'- B'  A'- E'  A'- B' | G'- E'  G'- A'  G'- E'  G'- B' |

A'- E'  A'- B'  A'- E'  A'- B' | G'- E'  D'- E'  BA-  A-- ||  (x 2)

 

The Carrigkerry Slide

F' | G'- F' E'F'G' | D'- B BAB | C- A AGA | B- G GBD' |

G'- F' E'F'G' | D'- B B- C | AA'A' D'E'F' | G'-- D'E'F' || (1st time)

                                                           |  G'-- G'- A' || (2nd time)

B'- G' G'F'G' | B'- G' G'F'G' | A'- F' F'E'F' | A'- F' D'- G' |

B'- G' G'F'G' | B'- G' G'F'G' | E'A'A' D'E'F' | G'-- G'- A' || (1st time)

                                                                | G'-- G'D'C || (last time)

 

Con Cassidy's

B-- BAB | D'- C A- F | G-- GFG | B- A A- B |

C-- CE'G' | E'- D' B- C | D'E'D' CAF | G-- D- A || (1st time)

                                                       | G-- G- G' || (2nd time)

F'- D' D'E'F' | G'F'G' A'- G' | F'- D' D'E'D' | C- A A- E' |

F'- D' D'E'F' | G'F'G' A'- G' | F'G'F' E'F'E' | D'-- D'- G' ||

F'- D' D'E'F' | G'F'G' A'- G' | F'- D' D'E'D' | C- A A- G' |

F'- D' D'E'F' | G'F'G' A'- G' | F'G'F' E'F'E' | D'E'D' CD'C ||

To finish | B-- ABA | G---- ||

Set 4 - Fling and 2 Slides

Notes from Paul De Grae
3. Polkas: Francie Campbell's and Out of the Ashes
Two polkas from County Mayo, for a change. This is a set from John Carty's live album with Matt Molloy and Arty McGlynn, "Out of the Ashes". According to the liner notes, they got that title from "a saying of the great Johnny Watt Henry who was a night owl who liked to keep musicians late into the night. If they made an attempt to leave he would delay them by declaring: 'What hurry is on ye lads? Hold on and I'll rake up the gríosach here and see if I can't pull another 'quare' tune out of the ashes for ye...to be bringing home with ye.'"

 

In the Irish context, polkas are often equated with Kerry music (which must irritate people from Cork and Limerick who are also citizens of Sliabh Luachra), but they are to be found here and there all over the country, with local differences in rhythm and in the associated dances. It's like the Kerry Cattle, a hardy breed that did not originate in Kerry but was once common throughout the west and south-west of Ireland; as farming practices changed, other breeds ousted these handsome black animals, until only a few remained in poor, remote parts of Kerry (it's now a recognised "Rare Breed", and a herd is maintained in the state-owned land at Farmleigh). Similarly, as tastes in music and dancing changed, polkas and set-dancing largely fell out of favour in other parts of Ireland, or were never very popular in the first place; but they remained strong (if officially ignored) in Sliabh Luachra… all of which is a roundabout way of saying there's nothing surprising in having polkas from Mayo.

 

About the ABCs: it's important to indicate the long and short notes in these tunes. Single letters separated by a space are quavers (1/8 notes); a single letter with a short dash after it is a dotted quaver; a single letter with a double dash after it is a crotchet (1/4 note); and single letters without spaces between are semiquavers (1/16 notes). If in doubt, listen to the recording (listen to the recording anyway!).

 

Francie Campbell's

B D' A- B | G E  E D | E G  GAGE | D G  A-- |

B--  A- B | G E  E D | E G  GAGE | D G  G- A ||  (x 2)

B D'  G'- F' | E' D'  G'- D' | B D'  E'F'G'E' | D' B  A-- |

B D'  G' G'F' | E' D'  G'- E'| D' B  A GA | B G  G-- ||  (x 2)

 

Out of the Ashes

E | D G  G A | B D'  G' F' | E' G'E'  D' B | A G  EFGE |

D G  G A | B D'  D' B | E'--  D'- B | A G  G-- ||  (x 2)

B D'  B D' | G'- G'  E' G' | D'--  B AG | E A  A C |

B D'  B- D' | G' F'  E'F'G'E' | D' A  B A | G--  G-- ||  (x 2)

Set 3 - Polkas

Notfrom Paul De Grae
The second set chosen by John Carty for the World Fiddle Day Scartaglin fiddle recital. ABCs at the end of this text.



2. Hornpipes: An Trí is a Rian, Cronin's.

 

Two fine Sliabh Luachra hornpipes, both from the Pádraig O'Keeffe repertoire. You can find POK's own version of the first one on the RTÉ CD, "The Sliabh Luachra Fiddle Master – Pádraig O'Keeffe", as one of a pair of hornpipes titled John Quinn's, named after POK's piccolo-playing neighbour; and POK recorded the second one with Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford on the "Kerry Fiddles" album.

 

Breandán Breathnach collected the first one from Denis Murphy as An Trí is a Rian and also as An Tí is a Rian, and people have been confused about the title ever since (Denis was not an Irish speaker, and was perhaps unsure himself of the meaning); the transcription of Denis's playing is in "Ceol Rince na hÉireann" vol. 5, no. 217. If you don't like the Irish title, you could follow POK and call it John Quinn's; also, Julia and Billy Clifford recorded it as The Sands. The first part is an adaptation, perhaps by POK, of Miss McLeod's Reel.

 

In the booklet accompanying the "Music from Sliabh Luachra" album series by Topic Records, Alan Ward writes that the second tune "is usually associated with Edward Cronin", the fiddler from Limerick Junction in Tipperary, later resident in Chicago, a major contributor to Francis O'Neill's collections. Certainly Edward Cronin played in a recognisably Sliabh Luachra style, as can be heard on the O'Neill cylinder recordings (isued on CD by Ward Irish Music Archives in 2010); but this tune is not one of the many sourced from Edward Cronin in O'Neill's books. A more likely candidate is Paddy Cronin, who recorded this tune as Cronin's Hornpipe in 1950 for Copley Records in Boston, that title probably being invented in the studio; after that the tune became associated with Paddy, and it would be unsurprising to find the "Kerry Fiddles" trio calling it Cronin's when they played it for Séamus Ennis in 1952 (the setting in Breathnach's CRÉ vol. 2, no. 303, is from Séamus). It's also sometimes called Denis Murphy's, for example on the "Paddy in the Smoke" album.

 

An Trí is a Rian

GABG EFGA | B- BA BCBA | GABG EFGB | ABA GFE DCBA |

GABG EFGA | BCD' E'F' G'- F'G' | E'CAG FAD'C | BCB G- G-- || (x 2)

D'-- B G'- G'E' | D'E'D'B GBD'B | C-- A B-- C | ABA GFE DCBA |

GABG EFGA | BCD' E'F' G'- F'G' | E'CAG FAD'C | B- G- G-- || (x 2)

 

Cronin's

D- | GABD' D'BD'E' | G'A'G'E' D'E'G'A' | B'A'G'E' D'BGA | BAAB A- BA |

GABD' D'BD'E' | G'A'G'E' D'E'G'A' | B'A'G'E' D'BAB | G- GF G- ||  (x 2)

F'G' | A'F'D'C# D'E'G'A' | B'G'E'B E'F'G'A' | B'G'A'F' G'E'D'B | BAAB A- BA |

GABD' D'BD'E' | G'A'G'E' D'E'G'A' | B'A'G'E' D'BAB | G- GF G- ||  (x 2)

Set 2 - Hornpipes

Manhã de Luz – 23/05/2025

Manhã de Luz – 12/06/2025

Manhã de Luz – 18/06/2025

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Set 2 - Hornpipes

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