Sweet Kingwilliamstown -Séamus MacMathúna  (Joe O'Connor)

Minnesotan fiddle player Joe De Georgeo performing his winning set, the reels 'The Primrose Lass' and 'The Bloom of Youth', at the Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal competition 2023 at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on 3 February. Recording courtesy of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Joe De Georgeo – The Primrose Lass and The Bloom of Youth – Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal 2023

A great piece featuring Castleisland local musicians and fiddle pupils of Pádraig O Keeffe Willie O Connell R.I.P and Ger Collins R.I.P . A very popular duo who played together for years around Castleisland and all over Sliabh Luachra  they were known for having a great and varied repertoire of tunes . It is a wonderful that Peter Browne had the foresight to record and interview them and thanks to Jerry Ahern who taped this at the time and now the young musicians of Sliabh Luachra can enjoy these two great Sliabh Luachra fiddlers who they would never have heard. Our thanks to Jerry Ahern for donating this treasure to the Archives.

Willie O'Connell And Jer Collins On RTE Programme Sounds Traditional Presented By Peter Browne

This recording was made in 1963 in the home of Bridie Lafferty at Homefarm Road in Dublin. At that time Joe Cooley was visiting Ireland from Chicago, and brought along John Lavelle who he had been teaching in America. They joined up with Joe Leary and Ciaran MacMathuna caught them before they left Dublin. 

Several of the tracks in this recording were used to create the "Cooley" LP later published in 1975.

Unfortunately there are only two tracks of John Lavelle on the recording, but they are great tracks of music. It's interesting to hear John's take on Cooley's music -- it's undoubtedly got the same pulse and swing, and yet is so different from Tony MacMahon, despite both being heavily influenced by Cooley. Another neat chance to see how different people develop different personal musical styles regardless of their teaching.

Apparently at the time of this recording John had just been taught the Trip to Durrow by Aggie Whyte. It is said that Cooley had not yet learned it!

There are 3 additional tracks that are part of this recording but have somehow gone missing from my copy of it. If you have them, please do let me know so that I can make it complete -- I think the last couple tracks include duets of Joe and John.

Live on Radio Éireann

Ciaran MacMathuna: Interviews John Lavelle

Composed by James Ennis around 1913 or 1914, and often played by his son Seamus Ennis.

Photo: At the crossroads in Carna, Iorras Aithneach, Connemara, Co. Galway, July 2014.

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The Morning Thrush, composed by James Ennis - piano

Two great tunes composed by legendary Pianist and fiddle player Charlie Lennon. Charlie plays them as Barn dances on the fiddle and Piano acc. on his CD 'Musical Memories'.

Fergus Mc Gorman – Flute
Conor Connolly – Button Accordion
Andrea Palandri – Fiddle
Paddy Mc Evoy – Piano

Reels- Pedalling Patterns (COMP. Charlie Lennon) / Weaving Dreams (COMP. Charlie Lennon)

Accompanied on guitar and informally recorded by Mr. Hajime Takahashi. 

I learned the set dance, The Job of Journeywork, from the great uillean piper Johnny Doran's album "Johnny Doran: The Master Pipers. Volume 1". I have always been jealous of pipers because they have the gift of the regulators while the fiddler does not. Johnny Doran's regwork is some of the most exciting regwork I have heard and it was while listening to him that I started trying to emulate the sound of the regs on the fiddle (as so many better musicians have done in the past).   

I learned The Irish Girl when I was very young from the playing of Michael Coleman, the master fiddler from Sligo. The tune has stuck with me throughout the years and is becoming a favourite all over again!

The Job of Journeywork / The Irish Girl (Set Dance / Reel)

A rare session recording of the late County Clare concertina player Paddy Murphy (1913 - 1992), recorded by John Knight In Ennis, on the 4th October 1972 (recovered from Tape_035/036 in January/April 2020). John's records don't specify who the box player is, but credit to them too for the excellent playing!

Some info on Paddy:
Paddy Murphy (who is regarded as a founding father of modern Irish concertina music) was born in the rural community of Fiach Roe in the musically rich heartland of west County Clare (Ireland). His music developed during a time of unprecedented change in Irish society. Emigration from the Irish countryside was reaching critical mass, but Murphy chose to remain at home on a mountainy farm. During the next fifty years, he would become one of the most celebrated concertina players in Ireland, responsible for developing a unique fingering system and for passing on his skills to a new and eager generation of teachers and performers.

Further information may be found here - http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/music/heartland_clare_concertina/dialects_players.htm

Paddy Murphy et al - Recorded by John Knight in Ennis (October 1972)

5 - Ned O Connor, Dan Jeremiah O Connor, May 18 1995 at Flemings Bar

32 Recordings

Martin McMahon with Brian Mcgrath

Track 56: Paddy Canny: Aonach Bheal Atha Na Slua (reels)

Today's disc is from fiddler Paddy Canny with a set of solo reels - Lord McDonald's/Ballinasloe Fair. These were recorded in 1958 and released on the Gael Linn label (Gael Linn CE18).

From the Ted McGraw Collection, McGraw 78 01-279.

Ciaran MacMathuna: Interviews John Lavelle

Colin Kadis

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