Miss Honoria Galwey, ed., Old Irish Croonauns and Other Tunes
Music scores of traditional melodies collected by Honoria Galwey in Donegal and Derry. She published most of these in her collection Old Irish Croonauns and Other Tunes of 1910 which is also available on the ITMA site in facsimile.
Nicholas Carolan, Treasa Harkin & Jackie Small, 19 December 2014
Fiona Gavin with Jimmy Campbell
I am from a small townland near Fintown, Co. Donegal. I received my first fiddle at Christmas of 2008 and I started taking lessons about a year later when I was roughly five years old. My first fiddle teacher was Denise Boyle from Glenties. I was greatly influenced by the late Jimmy Campbell and his son Peter and also got to know the late Vincent Campbell. They told me many stories about the Dohertys, a family of travelling tinsmiths and musicians who frequented this area and passed their tunes on.
The area I live in is steeped in traditional music, especially fiddle music. Our local pub, The Glen Tavern or ‘Dinny’s’ is the epicentre of music and culture. Sessions happen regularly and it is here I got to know other local musicians such as the Campbells, Tara Connaghan, Denise Boyle and Rónán Galvin to name but a few. I started giving fiddle lessons recently and hope to help spread the music and stories.
Fiona Gavin, December 2023
Originally from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rik Walton has spent a lifetime photographing music and theatre all over the world. In the early 2010s he lived in South-West Donegal and recorded the music he found in that community with his camera. The selection of images presented here are of Donegal fiddler’s performances at the Glencolmcille Folk Village. For more information on Rik and his images see https://www.rikwalton.com
Music and song collected by Séamus Ennis in the 1940s and recreated by contemporary singers and musicians associated with the same locality. Presented by Ríonach uí Ógáin, with thanks to the National Folklore Collection and the Arts Council
Séamus Ennis is remembered for the most part as a piper par excellence. However he was also a collector, broadcaster, singer and raconteur. His appointment with the Irish Folklore Commission spanned the years 1942 to 1947 and the results of his fieldwork contain a wide variety of material, with an emphasis on traditional music and song. His work brought him to the west of Ireland and most of the material is in Irish. His collecting tools consisted of pen and paper although he made a small number of sound recordings according as sound recording equipment, primarily the Ediphone, was made available for some field trips. As a result, the bulk of the songs, tunes and airs from Ennis exist in manuscript form alone. The Ennis music transcriptions amount to some 600 songs and tunes, with songs accounting for around three quarters. Ennis built relationships with singers and musicians inside and outside their homes, as people willingly gave their music and song to him. The dance music was transcribed from lilting and whistling for the most part with a small amount of instrumental music from accordion, fiddle and uilleann pipes. Following his initial documentation of the staff notation and words of tunes and songs, Séamus Ennis then transcribed the music from his field notes to the manuscripts now found in the the National Folklore Collection,UCD.
This project, funded by the Arts Council, highlights the importance of understanding earlier fieldwork followed by an archival process. Crucially, it gives an insight into archival material which is the result of ethnographic fieldwork. Older transcriptions have been given new life and interpretation as contemporary performers engage with the work of Séamus Ennis as fieldworker and transcriber. The manuscript material provides a provenance and original performer.
Singers and musicians have been invited to investigate and interpret some of the songs and music in the Ennis Collection. After the performers had chosen their particular transcriptions, they then engaged with tunes and songs collected at a given time and in a given place. Singers and musicians were then recorded. The transcriptions capture the exchange involved in fieldwork. The initiative allows for a combination of recognition of the work of Séamus Ennis, of the material itself and of the archive, while being also true to contemporary singers and musicians. It generates a fresh relationship of our current time to the archive.
The project offered an opportunity for performers to interpret handwritten, archival transcriptions at will. They have given new insights and new life rather than imitation. The transcriptions have provided a framework while at the same time enabling the artists’ innovation, interpretation and creativity.
Ríonach uí Ogáin, May 2022
Na ceoltóirí agus na fonnadóirí, the musicians and singers, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Marty Curran, Adam Girard, Treasa Harkin, Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, Leabharlann na Breataine, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, Peigí Ní Thuathail, Garry Ó Briain, Damien Ó Dónaill, Máire O’Keeffe, Gwyn Ó Murchú, JJ O’Shea, Tom Sherlock, Lisa Shields. Séamus Ennis photograph courtesy of Anna, Mary agus Nóra Ní Chadhain.
My Irish Molly, O — How James Daly was wrongly condemned — Kitty of Coleraine — Maire, my girl / John Keegan Casey — Maire, my girl [article] — A twelfth July song — Pilot Charles O’Boyle, Rutland Island — Roisin Duh : my girl from Donegal — The old Ramelton flax market — The old Ramelton flax market [article] — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney [article] — The Irish jaunting car — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana [article] / A.M. O’D. — The piper from the Rosses — The piper from the Rosses [article] — Me own Home Rule coat : a ditty / by J. Bawn — Never despise an old friend — To the river Foyle — Sunny Tyrone : a ballad / by Hugh Quinn — That hero Shane M’Hugh : relating to the incidents of a past generation — Dictates ditties from County Derry [article] — Derry town — The banks of Kilrea — Willy Reilly and his colleen bawn — Will Reilly and his colleen bawn — Bantry Bay — The Strabane fleet — The Strabane fleet : original version — The star of Donegal — The lass from Glencoe — It’s aisy to be smiling / by Barney Maglone — Johnny, I hardly knew ye — Johnny, I hardly knew ye [article] — The Buncrana Train — The Buncrana Train [article] — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven [article] — Francis Bradley — Francis Bradley [article] — The gauger of Gweedore — The gauger of Gweedore [article] — The flower of sweet Strabane — O’Donnell’s farewell to the Rosses — Willboro’ — Willboro’ [article] — The maid of Aghadoey — John’s dream : air, Villiken’s and Dinah — John’s dream [article] — To the statue of Governor Walker / Robert A. Wilson (Barney Maglone) — To the statue of Governor Walker [article] — Let us be merry before we go / John Philpot Curran — Lough Swilly shore / John Duffy — Lough Swilly shore [article] — Van Diemen’s land — Dan O’Connell and the Cockneys — The Feeny boy’s song — The banks of Claudy : original version of the famous Come-all-ye — Eviction of a Donegal priest — Eviction of a Donegal priest [article] — Moorlough Mary — My own ould Irish home / Barney Maglone — The rights of man — The maid of the sweet brown knowe – Love of Erin / by Barney Maglone – Roisin Dubh / John Gerald Roddy – The hills of Donegal – Donnelly and Cooper on the Curragh of Kildare — Index
Come-all-ye : famous old Irish songs (1st ed.)
My Irish Molly, O — How James Daly was wrongly condemned — Kitty of Coleraine — Maire, my girl / John Keegan Casey — Maire, my girl [article] — A twelfth July song — Pilot Charles O’Boyle, Rutland Island — Roisin Duh : my girl from Donegal — The old Ramelton flax market — The old Ramelton flax market [article] — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney [article] — The Irish jaunting car — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana [article] / A.M. O’D. — The piper from the Rosses — The piper from the Rosses [article] — Me own Home Rule coat : a ditty / by J. Bawn — Never despise an old friend — To the river Foyle — Sunny Tyrone : a ballad / by Hugh Quinn — That hero Shane M’Hugh : relating to the incidents of a past generation — Dictates ditties from County Derry [article] — Derry town — The banks of Kilrea — Willy Reilly and his colleen bawn — Will Reilly and his colleen bawn — Bantry Bay — The Strabane fleet — The Strabane fleet : original version — The star of Donegal — The lass from Glencoe — It’s aisy to be smiling / by Barney Maglone — Johnny, I hardly knew ye — Johnny, I hardly knew ye [article] — The Buncrana Train — The Buncrana Train [article] — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven [article] — Francis Bradley — Francis Bradley [article] — The gauger of Gweedore — The gauger of Gweedore [article] — The flower of sweet Strabane — O’Donnell’s farewell to the Rosses — Willboro’ — Willboro’ [article] — The maid of Aghadoey — John’s dream : air, Villiken’s and Dinah — John’s dream [article] — To the statue of Governor Walker / Robert A. Wilson (Barney Maglone) — To the statue of Governor Walker [article] — Let us be merry before we go / John Philpot Curran — Lough Swilly shore / John Duffy — Lough Swilly shore [article] — Van Diemen’s land — Dan O’Connell and the Cockneys — The Feeny boy’s song — The banks of Claudy : original version of the famous Come-all-ye — Eviction of a Donegal priest — Eviction of a Donegal priest [article] — Moorlough Mary — My own ould Irish home / Barney Maglone — The rights of man — The maid of the sweet brown knowe – Love of Erin / by Barney Maglone – Roisin Dubh / John Gerald Roddy – The hills of Donegal – Donnelly and Cooper on the Curragh of Kildare — Index
Old come all ye’s : the finest collection of northern ballads and folk poems (2nd enlarged ed.)
Me own home rule coat – The mountains of Mourne — Mary’s reply — I’m going to Buncrana — Pilot Charles O’Boyle, Rutland Island – A Twelfth July song — Willie Reilly and his colleen bawn — Lurgy stream – The Irish jaunting car — John’s dream (air: Villiken’s and Dinah) – The man of the north countrie — Maid of sweet Gorteen — My own ould Irish home — Carntoher Braes — Willsboro – The rights of man – The oul’ plaid shawl — Kitty of Coleraine – The Strabane fleet — Love of Erin — Derry town – The banks of Kilrea — Songs of the Gaelic peasantry – The hills of Donegal — It’s aisy to be smiling — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney — How James Daly was wrongly condemned — My Irish Molly o – The piper from the Rosses — Let us be merry before we go – The unfortunate lovers — Bantry Bay – The maid of Aghadowey — Van Diemen’s Land — Dan O’Connell and the Cockneys — O’Donnell’s farewell to the Rosses — Where is the flag of England — To the River Foyle – The old Ramelton flax market — To the statue of Governor Walker – The ballad of Shane Crossagh — Widow Machree – The old Irish song — Michael Toland, the tailor — There’s luck in odd numbers — Never despise an old friend — Pat Walsh is best of all – The Waterloo priest – The Strabane fleet — Roisin Dubh – The star of Donegal — Sunny Tyrone – The old orange flute — Johnny I hardly knew ye — Moorlough Mary — Donnelly and Cooper on the Curragh of Kildare — Eviction of a Donegal priest – The Buncrana train — Molly Astore – The maid of the sweet brown knowe – The old bog road – The bold beggar’s daughter – The funeral of Michael Heraghty – The banks of Claudy — Pat Campbell the drover — That hero Shane McHugh — Derry’s old wooden bridge — Lough Swilly Shore – The Feeny boy’s song – The North West Tirconaill boys — Glenswilly — Toast of an Irish colleen — As I strolled along Erin’s green shore – The lass of Glencoe — Francis Bradley – The Gaugher of Gweedore — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven – The flower of sweet Strabane
Come-all-ye : famous old Irish songs : forty-eight popular ballads of the North-West (3rd ed.)
My Irish Molly, O — How James Daly was wrongly condemned — Kitty of Coleraine — Maire, my girl / John Keegan Casey — Maire, my girl [article] — A twelfth July song — Pilot Charles O’Boyle, Rutland Island — Roisin Dun : my girl from Donegal — The old Ramelton flax market — The old Ramelton flax market [article] — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney [article] — The Irish jaunting car — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana — The Waterloo Priest : a ballad from Buncrana [article] / A.M. O’D. — The piper from the Rosses — The piper from the Rosses [article] — Me own Home Rule coat : a ditty / by J. Bawn — Never despise an old friend — To the river Foyle — Sunny Tyrone : a ballad / by Hugh Quinn — That hero Shane M’Hugh : relating to the incidents of a past generation — Dictates ditties from County Derry [article] — Derry town — The banks of Kilrea — Willy Reilly and his colleen bawn — Will Reilly and his colleen bawn — Bantry Bay — The Strabane fleet — The star of Donegal — The lass from Glencoe — It’s aisy to be smiling / by Barney Maglone — Johnny, I hardly knew ye — Johnny, I hardly knew ye [article] — The Buncrana Train — The Buncrana Train [article] — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven [article] — Francis Bradley — Francis Bradley [article] — The gauger of Gweedore — The gauger of Gweedore [article] — The flower of sweet Strabane — O’Donnell’s farewell to the Rosses — Willboro’ — Willboro’ [article] — The maid of Aghadoey — John’s dream : air, Villiken’s and Dinah — John’s dream [article] — To the statue of Governor Walker / Robert A. Wilson (Barney Maglone) — To the statue of Governor Walker [article] — Let us be merry before we go / John Philpot Curran — Lough Swilly shore / John Duffy — Lough Swilly shore [article] — Van Diemen’s land — Dan O’Connell and the Cockneys — The Feeny boy’s song — The banks of Claudy : original version of the famous Come-all-ye — Eviction of a Donegal priest — Eviction of a Donegal priest [article] — Moorlough Mary — My own ould Irish home / Barney Maglone — The rights of man — The maid of the sweet brown knowe — Index
Old come all ye’s (4th ed.)
Me own home rule coat — Carntoher Braes — Bantry Bay – The star of Donegal – The Queen of Connemara — Rody McCorley – A shawl of Galway grey — Kelly of Killanne — Carndonagh far away — Moville along the Foyle – The stone outside Dan Murphy’s door — Glenswilly – The Gauger from Gweedore — My lovely Irish rose or Strathbregga Bay — Jack McCutcheon’s car — Lovely green Gweedore — Clare’s Dragoons – The Croppy boy — Moorlough Mary — There’s luck in odd numbers – The old bog road — Adieu to Innisfail – The West’s asleep – A street ballad of John Mitchel — God save Ireland – The Blazing star of Drung — Lament of the Irish emigrant — Bold Robert Emmet — Slievenamon — Johnston’s motor car — Pat Ferry’s Farewell to Kerrykeel — Pat O’Donnell’s dream — Bodenstown (air: The harp that once) – The man of the North Countrie – The banks of my own lovely Lee – The three flowers – The piper from the Rosses — How James Daly was wrongly condemned — Lady Day at Cumber Claudy — Cockles and mussels — Rory of the hill – The flower of sweet Strabane — Pearse to Ireland — Boolavogue – The star of the County Down – The peeler and the goat – The Valley of Knockanure — Master McGrath – The men of the West – The maid of the sweet brown knowe – The mountains of Pomeroy — My rose of Fanaboy — My own ould Irish home — Lonely Banna Strand – The jacket’s green – The rebel rover — Londonderry on the banks of the Foyle – The wearing of the green – An exile’s dream – The Boys of Wexford – The Blarney roses — Three brave blacksmiths — Governor Walker’s sash – The ould plaid shawl – The North West Tirconaill boys – The sash my father wore – The Strabane fleet — Carrigdhoun (air: The foggy dew) — Killybegs — Annie dear – The old Fenian gun — Roisin Dubh – The Strabane fleet — Kitty of Coleraine — Dear ould Claudy town (air: The hills of Glenswillee) — Terence’s farewell to Kathleen — Eviction of a Donegal priest – The Feeny boys’ song — To the statue of Governor Walker – The Letterkenny Clock – A nation once again – The three coloured ribbon – The dawning of the day — Skibbereen — Wrap the green flag round me, boys — Let me carry your cross for Ireland, Lord – The rose of Mooncoin – The Banks of Kilrea – The Battle of Garvagh — Along the Faughan side — Step together — Derry’s old wooden bridge — John’s dream (air: Villiken’s and Dinah) — Sweet Inishowen – The Banks of Claudy — Prehen – The moon behind the hill – The old orange flute — Remember Drumboe – The felons of our land — Lough Swilly Shore — O’Donnell’s farewell to the Rosses — Toast of an Irish colleen — Shaun Crossa at Dungiven – A twelfth July song – The funeral of Michael Heraghty — Michael Toland, the tailor – The bold beggar’s daughter – The rising of the moon – The old Ramelton Flax Market — To Ireland’s martyr’s – The Irish peasant girl – The Buncrana train — Turlough O’Boyle and Aileen MacSweeney – The newsboys’ tribute — Go where glory waits thee
Foreword — The songs — The singers — The photographs — Another man’s wedding — As I roved out — Ballintown Brae — The Banks of Newfoundland — The Banks of Sweet Dundee — The Bay of Biscay O — The Bedford Van — The Black Horse — The Blackwater Side — I’m Bidding Adieu — The Blind Beggar’s Daughter — The Bonnie Green Tree — Burnfoot Town — Cailin Deas Cruite na mBo — Captain Colster — Charming Buachaill Roe — The Coalmine — Cottage with the Horseshoe O’er the Door — Dan Curley — Darling Son — Deep Sheephaven Bay — Duggan’s Dancing School — The Evergreen — Erin’s Lovely Home — Erin’s Lovely Shore — Fair Randalstown — The Fair Town of Greenock — Paisley Officer * — Father McFadden — Father Tom O’Neill — The Flower of Corby’s Mill — The Flower of Dunaff Hill — The Flower of Sweet Strabane –Friar Hegarty — Garvagh Town — General Owen Roe — Glenswilly — Going to Mass Last Sunday — Green Grass it Grows Bonnie — The Hiring Fair — The Holland Handkerchief — The Isle of Doagh (1) — The Isle of Doagh (2) — Jimmy Leeburn — Johnny Bathin — Kathleen Casey — The Leinster Lass — The Lady Fair — A Little Too Small — London City — Loughrey’s Bull — My Lovely Irish Rose — The Lurgy Stream — The Maid of Bonnie Strathyre — McGinty’s Model Lodge — Bulroy Bay — November Keady Fair — Paddy Stole the Rope — The Rangey Ribs — The Rattling Railway Boy — The Sailor Boy — The Rose of Glenfin — The Shamrock Shore — She Tickled Me — The Shirt I Left Behind — The Smashing of the Van — The Sow Pig — The Titanic — Treat My Daughter Kindly — Welcome Home — The Wee Woman in Our Town — The Year of Seventy One — Bibliography
The bonnie labouring boy — John Reilly the fisherman — The girl I left behind — Erin’s lovely home — My parents reared me tenderly — False lover John — My charming blue eyed Mary — The maid of Culmore — The girl from Glenagivney — The jacket so blue — The shifting apron — The old reserves — The rose of Glenfin — Bold Sean and the tinker — The blazing star of Drung — Erin is my home — The bright silvery light of the moon — The green fields of Americay — Nora Lynch — Derry Jail — Ballyliffin Town — Falkirk Fair — Sweet Isle of Doagh — The green fields of Annagh — The collier lad — The Cloontagh boys — The shamrock shore — Moville — The next market day — Pat O’Donnell, the son of old Grainne — Pat O’Donnell, Newgate’s dreary prison — Caoineadh ‘n Dalaigh — O’Donnell’s lament — Everyone does it but you — The mincer — The Burnfoot young policeman — The pride of Moville Town — Plearaca na bPollan — The jolly smuggler — The courting coat — My bonnie Irish boy — The Free State farmer — The Buncrana Train — The bonnet so blue — A lament to the Fanad boys — Caroline of Edinburgh Town — Dinsmur of Bonniewood Hall — The Illies still — The Shandrum still — The cool winding banks of the Ayr — The rusty mare — The three O’Donnells — Ceol na dtrí n-Dálach — The royal rats of Carn — Dark Inishowen — The Mary Snow — The high walls of Derry — The wreck of the Cambria — Carndonagh far away
Born in Co Donegal and more recently living in Longford, Aidan O’Hara was an award-winning broadcaster, writer, and historian. Through his travels for work and education, he also became an accidental collector of songs, music, and oral history. His recordings from Newfoundland, Canada are the cornerstone of ITMA’s microsite, A Grand Time: The songs, music and dance of Newfoundland’s Cape Shore
Aidan qualified as a teacher at St Mary’s College in Dublin (now known as the Marino Institute of Education). As a young graduate, he moved to Canada and found work teaching in British Columbia—Canada’s most westerly province. That’s where he met Joyce Kuntz: a fine teacher and a singer, and important collaborator on many of Aidan’s subsequent endeavours.
Over the next several years, the young couple lived in a number of locales. They relocated to Ontario, Joyce’s home, and were married there in 1965. They taught near Ottawa for a year before moving into the capital city. While continuing to teach, they also sang in a folk group that featured on local stages, television, and radio. Aidan also pursued part-time studies at the University of Ottawa.
Aidan’s time in Ottawa also led to his acquaintance with Delia Murphy, the Mayo-born songstress. This chance meeting became the foundation for the biography that he published many years later: I’ll Live ‘til I Die’: The Story of Delia Murphy (1997) was the featured book on RTÉ’s Book on One in May 2005.
When Aidan and Joyce moved to Ireland in 1969, they settled their young family in Dublin, and Aidan began his career with Raidió Telefís Éireann (RTÉ). Aidan, however, was interested in furthering his education. So after a few short years, in 1973 Aidan and Joyce packed up their belongings, and their four young children, and headed to St John’s, Newfoundland—Canada’s most easterly city.
Aidan attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, taking courses in folklore, history, and cultural geography. It was there that Aidan met Galway-born scholar John Mannion, a professor of geography and expert on the Irish presence in Eastern and Atlantic Canada. John introduced Aidan to the people of the Cape Shore, sparking the friendships that inspired Aidan to make the recordings featured in A Grand Time.
To make ends meet for his young family, Aidan continued his work as a broadcaster. He worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in St John’s, presenting the Saturday evening radio programme Friends and Neighbours. He was also a regular on a series that broadcast across all of Canada: All around the Circle. And, in the autumn of 1975, he took an appointment as the deputy head of School Broadcasts (the Department of Education series that went out on CBC Radio). Aidan’s ongoing work in radio and television provided a forum and opportunity to share some of his recordings. During the mid-1970s, the voices of “The Branch Crowd,” as they came to be known, were exposed to an island-wide audience.
Aidan was active in the cultural and academic life of St John’s. During the mid-1970s, he took on the role of Vice-President with the St John’s Folk Arts Council (the organisation now known as the NL Folk Arts Society). His work with the Folk Arts Council culminated in the founding of the Newfoundland Folk Festival—a now-annual event—in August 1977. He was the programme director for the Festival for the first two years. As was so often the case, this endeavour was a family affair: Joyce coordinated food and lodgings for the many singers, musicians, dancers, and storytellers who travelled to St John’s for the festival.
Aidan was also the founding president of the Irish Newfoundland Association. Initially, the purpose of the organisation was to ensure that the Irish American Cultural Institute had a reason to include St John’s on its annual tour. This tour featured visits to North American cities by leading figures from Irish life. Aidan spoke on Newfoundland-Irish ties as part of the Institute’s 1976 tour.
Aidan was sometimes asked to facilitate Irish guests to the province. Following the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal, Irish politician John Bruton stopped off in Newfoundland for a short holiday. The Ottawa-based Irish Embassy asked Aidan to coordinate the visit: Aidan took Mr Bruton to visit with Anthony and Mary Power in Branch and arranged for him to stay with John and Maura Mannion in St John’s.
These brief holiday encounters proved formative 20 years later when Taoiseach Bruton negotiated and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin in 1996. This agreement provides ongoing ties between the cultural, educational, and business sectors of Newfoundland and Ireland.
It was quite an amazing sense of coming home, even though I had never been there before.
John Bruton, former Taoiseach of Ireland, on his visit to Branch & the Cape Shore.
Following his return from Canada, Aidan presented three acclaimed Radharc-produced documentaries on the Irish of Newfoundland—one of them the award-winning, The Forgotten Irish (1981). The broadcasts aired on RTÉ 1 in 1980 and 1981, and segments were later included in the BBC’s Emmy-award winning mini-series, The Story of English.
Moreover, as RTÉ employed Aidan as a broadcaster after his return from Newfoundland, much as they had in St John’s, selections from his Cape Shore field recordings occasionally made it into his broadcasts. Since retiring, Aidan continued to consult on radio TV series focusing on the connection between Newfoundland and Ireland.
Aidan continued to work as a writer and researcher. His interests were wide-ranging, though “the Newfoundland connection” continued to inflect his work. In 1991, he published the “The Irish in Newfoundland” in The Emigrant Experience (Galway Labour History Group, 1991). In 1998, his telling of the story of the Irish in Newfoundland, Na Gaeil i dTalamh an Éisc, won the Oireachtas ‘97 literary award for a work in prose. It was also nominated for The Irish Times Literature Prize in 1999 for a work in the Irish language. His most recent book A Damn Yankee, Am I? Thanks!: Portraits of the Irish in the era of the American Civil War (Aidan O’Hara, 2022) was published only a few months ago.
Aidan was a keen historian with a special interest in the Irish emigration experience. He was an active member of the Co Longford Historical Society and contributed regularly to the society’s journal, Teabhtha. His articles and editorials have appeared in Irish Music Magazine, and a variety of other journals and newspapers in Ireland. He was also a member of the Knocklyon History Society (Dublin) and the Co Donegal Historical Society. Aidan was Chairman of the Emmet and Devlin Committee, and was a founding member of the Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland.
In 2018, Aidan was awarded the NL Folk Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his work.
Déanann Bord agus foireann Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann comhbhrón lena chéile Joyce agus lena gclann uilig.
Cothrom an lae seo, 40 bliain ó shin, a fuair Séamus Mac Aonghusa bás. Ceoltóir, bailitheoir agus craoltóir a bhí ann, agus d’fhág sé oidhreacht shaibhir ina dhiaidh.
Chaith Séamus Mac Aonghusa seal ag obair le Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann, ag taisteal timpeall na tíre ag bailiú ceoil, amhrán agus béaloidis. Tá ar bhailigh sé fós le fáil i gCnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann in An Coláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath.
Chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar an lá, seo blaiseadh beag den saghas oibre a rinne sé. Leagan den amhrán ‘Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair’, a bhailigh sé ó Shíle Ní Ghallchóir (Síle Mhicí) i nGaoth Dobhair, Co. Dhún na nGall, Márta 1943.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Séamus Ennis. He was a musician, collector and broadcaster who has left a rich legacy.
Ennis spent some time working with the Irish Folklore Commission, travelling the country collecting music, songs and stories. The material that he collected is part of the National Folklore Collection in UCD.
To mark the anniversary, ITMA presents a flavour of the type of work that he undertook. This is a version of the song ‘Coinleach Glas an Fhómair’ that he collected from Síle Ní Ghallchóir (Síle Mhicí) in Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal, 1943.
Aitheantóir: Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann
CBÉ/NFC 1282:245-246
National Folklore Collection Identifier
Scríobh Ennis ar nodaireacht an cheoil ‘(go sínte, binn)’ agus sa Laidin ‘Con anima’ [go croíúil]. Mhínigh sé an dá réiltín : ‘sleamhnú ó C go F ins gach cás’.
Ag deireadh nodaireacht an cheoil don amhrán seo scríobh sé [deire leis na sé chínn ar bhreacas a gceolta ó Chití Ní Ghallchobhair (21).]
Ennis wrote in Irish with the music transcription of this song (‘slowly, sweetly)’ and in Latin ‘Con anima’ [in a lively fashion]. He explained the two asterisks as sliding from ‘C’ to ‘F’ in each case.
Under the music notation for this song he wrote that this was the final song of the six songs he transcribed from the singing of Cití Ní Ghallchobhair (21).
Ceól as Gaoith Dóbhair (Márta 1944)
(Dóbhar Láir)
Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann
Conntae: Tír Chonaill Barúntacht:
Paróiste: Gaoith Dóbhair
Ainm an Sgríobhnóra: Séamus Mac Aonghusa, Fionnglas Co. Bhaile Átha Cliath
Do sgríobhas síos :na h-amhráin so Mí Mhárta 1943
Ó bhéal-aithris Shíghle (Mhicí) Ní Ghallchobhair
Aos: 82. Gairm-bheatha: Bean tighe
atá in a chomhnuí i mbaile fearainn: Dóbhar Láir, Tír Chonaill
agus a saoluíodh agus a tógadh i: Machaire Ghlaisce, Gaoith Dóbhair
Do chuala (sí) na h-amhráin seo 60-80 blian ó shin ó n-a h-athair (Aos an uair sin….) a bhí in a chomhnuí an uair sin i Machaire Ghlaisce.
Ní amhránaidhe fíor n-a cuid nótaí anois í – níl a ceól cruínn anois.
Ennis entered information in relation to Síle Mhicí on the standard label issued by the Irish Folklore Commission, Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann. He gives information regarding Síle’s address, occupation, age and date of collecting this and other songs. He also noted that due to her age her singing was no longer exact.
Fear a bhí ar Chonnlaigh Ghlais an Fhóghmhair, agus chonnaic sé an ghiorrsach seo
Ennis wrote from Síle that the song is about a man who was on the green stubble fields of autumn and he saw this girl.
Ar Chonnlaigh Ghlais an Fhóghmhair mo stóirín tráth dhearc uaim
Ba dheas do chosa ‘mbróga is ba ró-dheas do leagan súl
Do ghruaidhe ‘s deise ná rósa ‘s do chuirlín ‘bhí tana dlúth
‘Sé mo nua gan muid ár bpósú ar bórd luinge ‘triall ‘un siúil.
Tá buachaillí na h-áite ag athra’ ‘gus ag írí teann
Is tá lucht na gcocaí árda ‘déanú fáruis le mo chailín donn
Gluaisí (muid thar sáile) Rí na Spáinne* Féil’ Pádruic nó fá Shamhain úr
‘S go gcruachfainn** féar agus fásach agus bheinn ar láimh le mo chailín donn.
Gura slán do’n bhliain anuraidh, ní raibh tuirs’ orainn ‘na dhéidh ná cumhaidh
Níor órduigh Rí ná duine fidil a bh’againn ná cláirseach ciúin
Bhí cuachaín as Béal Muilinn ann, agus cuach bheag eil’ as Conndae’n Dúin
‘Sí ‘n ainnir a thug buaidh uilig orthú a’ bhean dú’ bhain dú mo chiall
* Dubhairt Sighle an dá rud
** (?) “cruaithinn” a dubhairt sí.
Buíochas le Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann agus Ríonach uí Ógáin.
With thanks to the National Folklore Collection and Ríonach uí Ógáin.
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Fiddle player Paddy Glackin is from Dublin. His father, Tom, was from County Donegal and was a noted fiddler who had a significant influence on Paddy’s style. Paddy has also been inspired by John Doherty, the Donegal travelling fiddle player and by others such as John Kelly, Tommy Potts and Pádraig O’Keeffe. Paddy was senior all-Ireland champion fiddle player at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann at age nineteen. He was a member of the traditional music group ‘Seachtar’ and then of ‘The Bothy Band’ in the 1970s. He was also a member of ‘Ceoltóirí Laighean’ recording two albums with them. Having spent some time as Traditional Music Officer with the Arts Council he moved to broadcasting with RTÉ. Although his preference is for solo playing he has joined forces with numerous musicians such as Paddy Keenan, Dónal Lunny, Robbie Hannan and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, he has also recorded with John Cage and Jolyon Jackson. Paddy co-presents ‘Dúchas an Cheoil: The Scope of Irish Music’ at the annual Willie Clancy Summer School. His first solo album ‘Glackin: Ceol ar an bhFidil’ was released in 1977. He was the recipient of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Musician of the Year award for 2022.
My name is Catriona Gribben, I am 21 years old and come from Gaoth Dobhair in County Donegal. As a final year BA Hons Music & Audio Production student at Queen’s University Belfast, I had the opportunity to undertake a part-time placement as one of my modules.
I was looking for somewhere I could use my skills in both music and audio, as well as my other passion, the Irish language. A fellow Donegal musician suggested ITMA and I knew it would be the perfect match. Not only would it offer me the ideal opportunity to be immersed in Irish music and song, but the fact there is a Recording Studio in the building meant that I would be able to put some of the audio production skills I had been learning into action. Keen to make contact with ITMA, I sent my CV and was thrilled to be invited to Dublin to discuss projects and areas of work that would be suitable for me as an intern. This visit was invaluable as it allowed both parties to prepare a structure for the internship which would be mutually beneficial. I was motivated to make the most of my experience at the ITMA but at the same time offer something concrete and worthwhile in return.
Since a very young age, I have always been passionate about Irish traditional music and its preservation. I was delighted and inspired to be in 73 Merrion Square which is such a treasure trove of Irish heritage. My weekly visits reminded me of my rural Donegal roots. I have always felt privileged to have been brought up in a place steeped in Irish culture, music and heritage where the Irish language is so vibrant. I feel particularly grateful to have been raised in Gaoth Dobhair because, although neither of my parents are originally from there, it has hugely influenced the person I am today. I know that my upbringing there gave me opportunities and gifts that I would not have gained elsewhere, like my fluency in the Irish language and my love of traditional music.
As a young child, I attended singing and tin whistle lessons in An Chrannóg and went to the summer camps all through the medium of Gaeilge. Although many people initially got involved because their school friends were going, I was enamored from the start and knew it was where I wanted to be.
The classes were, and remain, very popular and most young people locally can say that they went along to these lessons at some point in their childhood. In retrospect, we just accepted it as part of our childhood without thinking about what we were singing or playing, how rare the airs we were singing were, or how important it was that we were learning them. Most of the time the songs were learned phonetically by ear, and it was only later as we grew up that we realised what the lyrics were actually about.
Learning other instruments came naturally to those of us who persevered with the singing and tin whistle lessons. I tried out most of the instruments for a term or two and decided somewhere along the way that I would focus on the piano accordion. In 2008, after long hours of practise and years of being told ‘na bí ag labhairt i mBéarla!’, a group of young musicians, under the direction of Caitlín Joe Jack, emerged called An Crann Óg. Ever since, we have been collaborating, performing and touring together across Ireland, Scotland, Germany and even the Catskills in New York state. Our ongoing role as a group is to promote and encourage the Irish singing tradition as well as to entertain.
One of the first projects I worked on in the Archive was the Gráinne Yeats Collection. Gráinne Yeats (1925-2013) was a harpist, singer and researcher from Dublin. The material in this collection was donated to ITMA by the Yeats Family.
My first task was to sort through and broadly sort the published books and journals in the collection into English language, Irish language/other Celtic languages. After this, I began checking the ITMA online catalogue to see if any of these titles were already in ITMA. I created metadata for the new material and isolated the copies.
I was also given the opportunity to do some filming and improve my Adobe Premiere Pro film editing skills. Brian Doyle and Alan Woods invited me to join them on a couple of ITMA field recording trips. The first outing was in October 2019 to the Glenties Fiddle Weekend. This was a brilliant night for Donegal fiddle music and I was able to film performers like Roisin and Ella McGrory from Culdaff on the Inishowen Peninsula. I also assisted Alan Woods with the filming of two fantastic gigs in the Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair over the course of the Scoil Gheimhridh festival in December 2019. These were performances by FIDIL and Julie Fowlis.
A few weeks after commencing my work placement in the Archive, a very interesting project arose which I knew would undoubtedly become very important to me.
This project was ‘The Brían Ó Domhnaill Collection’ – AKA ‘Brían Danny Minnie Collection’.
Brían, hailing from Anagaire, Co. Donegal, has always been a huge part of the local music scene in west Donegal. Our group has played many sessions with him in his family restaurant, ‘Danny Minnie’s’ and he is well known for his vast repertoire of songs. An important factor of song tradition is understanding the ‘where and when’ of a song. This is where Brían shows his knowledge, as he is teeming with information and stories about all his songs.
Brían has gathered this information together in four large folders, with 500 + songs arranged alphabetically by song title. As a pilot project he left the first folder with ITMA to investigate how the information he collated could be documented and made available to other users.
My work began on the Brían Ó Domhnaill Collection before Christmas 2019. I set up a spreadsheet and entered all the song titles that appear in the first song folder. I identified the photocopied book and CD sources he had been using by searching in the ITMA collection and then asking Brían about any obscure articles or books that were not found in ITMA. After this, I began the process of scanning all the original manuscripts and typescripts that were included in the folder.
Sometimes the song was the version from a specific singer at a session or often it was a song that he had jotted down from memory. Like many singers, he added additional verses to songs. There are many instances within this folder where Brían creates new versions of songs by manually cutting and pasting verses from different songs with similar themes. I later found out that he did this in order to make a song longer for competitions and even just for his own amusement.
When I began to go to events like Oireachtas na Gaeilge, I would watch people going up, singing short enough songs, they might only have had a couple of verses! They would be in competition with people from Connemara and people from other areas who would have eight or nine verses to their songs, and I would say to myself, well where did the verses go?
Other times, maybe you’d find a verse from somewhere else at home and you’d add it in. I remember there was a time at the Oireachtas when competitors sang six songs, they were advised to only sing four verses of each song. So, for example when Annie Eoghain Eamainn and them competed, they would only sing four verses. For this reason, songs became shorter and I would say, the verses were lost.
I wanted to put extra verses to songs to bulk them up. I found different versions of the same songs and picked out verses that I could add, but some verses that I found were in different songs with similar themes.
So, there’s lots of interesting things going on in the extra verses.
Brían Ó Domhnaill interview 2020, translation by Catriona Gribben
In the folder, there was one sleeve that particularly interested me. This was the collective research on the song Bádaí na Scadán.
There were snippets from articles and what seemed to be a thesis. Brían had even printed off old emails from 2004! Who was Nuala from IT? I was confused to say the least. Up to this point it had been a fairly standard procedure of scanning song lyrics/manuscript or typescript. I was intrigued by the material and felt I had to put the puzzle pieces together.
After some investigations on my part, I discovered he had gathered information from Irish Times journalist, the late Nuala O’Faolain; The Donegal Annual 2000, and Lillis Ó Laoire. I felt like a detective, but what I eventually found was a remarkable story and a heart wrenching tragedy.
The Inishfree Letters, were a series of letters found in an attic in America in 1981. They were addressed to a Miss Elizabeth Mc Connell, wife of Mr John Dugeon from Ranafast who emigrated to America in the 1820s. The letters were dated 1822-1828 so were over 150 years old when they were discovered.
In one of the letters, Alex Mc Connell writes to his sister, Elizabeth, bearing the awful news of a drowning that happened on New Year’s Eve 1821 on Trágh Éanna. The song tells the story of five young boys who set out on a fishing trip. After a tremendous wave hits their boat, all but one of them is drowned. In the song, Billy Duffy, the boy who managed to stay above water cries out for help. All the bodies were recovered apart from one, a young boy called Fergal. There is a very poignant line that goes;
A Fheargail a dheartháir má tá tú I bhFlaitheas na Naomh, Iarr fortacht ar an Ard Rí do bhfáil in san chladagh seo thíos
Brother Fergal, if you are in heaven, please ask the High King to find you on this shore
This tragedy gave us the song, Bádaí na Scadán, a song from Ranafast which was first associated with Máire Ní Dhubhtaigh.
I then learned and recorded the song myself in the ITMA Studio.
After working with the songs in the folder for a few weeks, I had numerous questions that I wanted to ask Brían himself, so we arranged for him to come to ITMA for an interview at the end of January 2020.
In the wide-ranging interview, Brían gave great insights into song-collecting. He discusses how and why he started the project, and what the future of the project might look like. Ideally, all the songs would be recorded and made available online. With over 500 hundred songs in the four folders a solution would be to prioritise ‘at-risk’ songs. Brían is genuinely afraid that once his time on earth has passed, these unique old songs will also disappear forever.
When asked to sing a song at the end of my interview with him, Brían chose a few verses of ‘Tom Glas Coilleadh’ heard from an old woman from Mín Doire na Slua named Cití Mhary Thaidhg.
In my opinion, Brían Ó Domhnaill’s Collection is of great historical and cultural significance and must be preserved and cherished. Although my time here in ITMA has come to an end, I would like to continue working on this project in the future. This pilot project has been invaluable in setting out the value of such a project but also the time and investment it will take.
My period of work experience at the ITMA has been of great benefit to me on both a professional and personal level. I have developed many new and important skills such as archiving, recording, interviewing and researching. Furthermore, I believe that as a person I have become more resourceful, driven and confident in my own work which will hopefully improve my employ-ability in the future.
I owe a debt of gratitude to the staff who work at the ITMA. They were always welcoming and ready to help me achieve my goals. I have felt inspired by their genuine interest and involvement in the work they do to preserve and archive our unique traditional music heritage.
I would like to thank Brían Ó Domhnaill for coming to ITMA and sharing his in-depth knowledge of the song collection.
I would also like to give a special thanks to Grace Toland, Brian Doyle, Alan Woods and ALL the staff at ITMA, for kindly welcoming me and always providing help in any way that they could, so that I could make the very most of my work placement.
I would like to thank the Director Liam O’Connor for facilitating this placement in the Archive.
This blog was researched and written by Catriona Gribben.
It was presented by Grace Toland.
May 2020
The musicians presented here on video are Co Meath concertina player and dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann, accompanied on guitar by Caoimhín Ó Fearghail of Co Waterford (who also plays flute here), and joined on some tracks by fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh of Co Donegal. They were recorded by Irish Traditional Music Archive staff at the Frankie Kennedy Winter School / Scoil Gheimhridh in Gaoth Dobhair / Gweedore, Co Donegal, in 2012.
The Frankie Kennedy Winter School, set up in memory of the late Belfast flute player and unique among Irish traditional music schools in spanning the turn of the year, came to a natural end in 2013–2014, after 20 annual schools. It is being replaced this winter by a new event Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair (http://www.scoilgheimhridh.com). This will feature music concerts, classes and sessions, Irish-language classes, films, etc., in six venues around Gweedore from 27 December 2014 to 1 January 2015.
With thanks to the musicians for permission to use their performances.
Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 December 2014
The revival of interest in sean-nós (old-style) step dancing which has been on the rise since the late 1980s has been driven mainly from Conamara in Co Galway. This loose, partly improvised, solo exhibition form is of uncertain origin and antiquity, but it contrasts with the rigidity and programmed control normally associated with Irish solo dancing.
Two leading young Conamara sean-nós dancers were filmed by Irish Traditional Music Archive staff at the 2006–2007 Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal: Seosamh Ó Neachtain of An Spidéal and Róisín Ní Mhainín of Rosmuc. They danced to a range of rhythms played on accordion by Colm Gannon of Boston and Conamara at an event of the School entitled ‘An Damhsa’.
ITMA has been recording at the Frankie Kennedy Winter School since 2004–2005, and the results are available for listening and viewing to visitors to 73 Merrion Square, while some recordings have been made available on the website.
With thanks to Róisín Ní Mhainín, Seosamh Ó Neachtain & Colm Gannon for permission to reproduce their performances, and to Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy for facilitating the recording.
Nicholas Carolan and Treasa Harkin, 1 June 2013
The Irish Traditional Music Archive documents contemporary Irish traditional music activity as keenly as it acquires historical material, and every year since 1993 its staff has carried out field-recording at various festivals throughout the country, as well as on other occasions. Recordings are made in audio and video formats, and are made available to the general public for reference access and study within the Archive.
In the last year or so ITMA Field-Recordings Officer Danny Diamond has been supplementing the audio and video field-recordings made by himself and other staff by also photographing singers, musicians and dancers, in his own time. A selection of these photographs, taken during recording trips in the first half of 2010, is presented here. They come from the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Gweedore, Co Donegal, in January; the Inishowen Folk Song and Ballad Seminar, Co Donegal, in March; Sean-Nós Cois Life, Dublin, in April; and the Willie Clancy Summer School, Co Clare, in July.
For further examples of Danny Diamond’s photography, see his website www.dannydiamond.ie.
With thanks to Danny Diamond and to the traditional performers here who are the subjects of his photographs.
Nichols Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 August 2010
ITMA was delighted to hear in April 2022 that it had been awarded a Community Heritage Grant from the Heritage Council for its project “Physical to Digital: A Complete Scanning Solution for the Irish Traditional Music Archive.” This funding has enabled ITMA to purchase a state-of-the-art specialised large format archival scanning system. Presented below is a collection of LP covers which have been digitised for Heritage Week 2022 using this new scanner.
The scanner which was manufactured by I2S a French company who specialise in image capture and processing is A2 in size. This machine enables ITMA to scan a range of large-format materials which we have been unable to do in-house in the past. Materials like large-sized sheet music, posters, LP covers, a wide range of manuscripts, printed books, periodicals and images. This specialised equipment will future-proof the safe in-house digitisation of all this material for many years to come.
Watch the behind-the-scenes video which documents the installation of this new state-of-the-art scanning system and read our Heritage Week blog here.
Heritage Week 2022 – ITMA Scanner – YouTube
The Irish Traditional Music Archive has 1000s of posters in its collection.
The humble poster still catches the attention in spite of the increasing use of electronic advertising media in Irish traditional music, and it brings to public notice festivals, summer and winter schools, concerts, recitals, dances and classes, and a whole variety of publications. The effect of posters has been noticeably enhanced in modern times by increasing local expertise in graphic design and computerised printing, and they are likely to continue to decorate shop windows and pub walls far into the future.
The poster has a secondary, archival value: it serves as a record of events and the places in which they take place, the performers who appear at them, the groups in which they appear, the instruments they play, and a range of other information, from prices to other advertising techniques. Often the poster remains as the only record of a musical event and the people who participated in it. For these reasons, the Irish Traditional Music Archive has always actively collected posters (along with flyers, programmes, and other advertising material). (Nicholas Carolan, 1 April 2010)
Presented below are a selection of Irish music posters from three different sources in the ITMA collection. The first is a collection of posters donated to ITMA recently by Paddy Glackin. The posters mainly focus on Dublin based events in the 1970s and 1980s in venues such as Trinity College and Liberty Hall. The second selection of posters is from the Tomás Ó Canainn collection which was donated to ITMA by his family in 2020. These posters date from the 1970s and feature the Cork group Na Filí which Tomás founded in the late 1960s with fiddler Matt Cranitch and whistle player Tom Barry. Finally a selection of poster from ITMA’s collection is also featured below.
Each of the singers pictured in this gallery featured within the Inishowen Song Project.
Dublin photographer and student fiddle player Mark Jolley was one of the many drawn to the traditional fiddle playing of Donegal, after the music of the county had begun to emerge from an undeserved national obscurity in the 1980s. A selection of his black & white and colour photographs taken at Cairdeas na bhFidléirí fiddle events in Donegal in 1997, and donated by him to the Irish Traditional Music Archive, are reproduced below.
There were several reasons for the rising 1980s popularity of Donegal music, among them the live playing and archival recordings of older fiddle players such as John Doherty and Con Cassidy, the taking up of the music by a young generation of musicians focused on local repertory, the international success of the Donegal-based group Altan, an injection of new compositions by such as fiddle player Tommy Peoples, and the setting up in the early 1980s of the voluntary organisation Cairdeas na bhFidléirí to support and promote the music.
Among its annual activities – which include teaching, publication in sound and print, and the support of the contemporary musicians – Cairdeas hosts gatherings of fiddle players from Ireland and beyond in the remote and beautiful Donegal localities of Glencomcille and Glenties. Mark Jolley’s photographs document some of those who participated in March and October 1997.
With thanks to Mark Jolley for the donation of his photographs to ITMA and for permission to reproduce them here.
Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 February 2012
Ken Garland, of the London design company Ken Garland & Associates, has been active since the 1950s as a graphic designer, the art editor of Design magazine, a writer and lecturer on design, and a photographer with many exhibitions to his name.
In 1990 he began photographing Irish traditional singers and singers from elsewhere, and their audiences, annually at Ulster singing festivals in Derry City; Slieve Gullion, Co Armagh; and Inishowen and Fahan, Co Donegal. This work culminated in ‘The Singing’, a 1999 exhibition with catalogue of 70 sympathetic and revealing portraits of traditional singers, which was shown at these festivals. The exhibition was organised by the Slieve Gullion Festival of Traditional Singing in conjunction with the Tí Chulainn Centre in Mallaghbawn, Co Armagh, with the aid of funding from the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust.
In 2008 Ken Garland generously donated the entire exhibition to the Irish Traditional Music Archive for public access. The following photographs are a selection of the portraits from ‘The Singing’, listed with the counties in which they were taken and their dates.
With thanks to Ken Garland and the subjects of his photographs. ITMA always welcomes such donations or the opportunity to copy such materials.
Nicholas Carolan, 1 December 2008
The button accordion, found in different tunings and with different numbers of buttons, is of course now one of the main instruments of Irish traditional music. It is also one of the more recent instruments to have been introduced for the playing of the music. While early forms of accordion were being sold in Ireland in the 1830s, it was the later 19th century before they began to come into the hands of traditional musicians, and it was the mid-20th century before they were very widely played by them.
The accordion images presented here from the collections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive range in date from the 1930s to the present day, but most are modern publicity photos by photographers unknown to us. Almost all are of two-row boxes, prominent among them instruments manufactured by the Paulo Soprani Company of Italy.
With thanks to photographers Stephen de Paoire, Danny Diamond, Orla Henihan, Tony Kearns, Brian Lawler, Aidan McGovern, Terry Moylan, Máire O’Keeffe, & Tom Sherlock for permission to publish the images. ITMA would welcome further information on any image.
Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 April 2015
After the concertina had been introduced to Ireland from Britain by concert recitalists of the 1830s, and was sold, manufactured and taught in Dublin from the 1850s, it spread throughout the country, in various forms, as a mass-produced instrument of popular music. By the end of the century, it had also been taken up widely by players of Irish traditional music, and its adoption coincided with the growing popularity of quadrille-style set dances among traditional dancers.
But the concertina began to fall from favour in the 1920s, eclipsed in most parts of the country by the new louder accordions, and by gramophones as sources of music for dancers. It retained its popularity however in Co Clare, to such an extent that by the 1960s it was being thought of as a purely Clare instrument. This popularity is reflected in the gallery of concertina images presented below from the collections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
In the last three or four decades however, with increasing prosperity, the growing availability of high-quality tuition and instruments, and of recordings by virtuoso players, the concertina has once again become a national Irish instrument.
With thanks to photographers and photograph donors Fran O’Rourke, Liam McNulty, Joe Dowdall, Chris Corlett, Orla Henihan, Danny Diamond, Steven de Paoire, & Susie Cox, and to Mick O’Connor for information. ITMA would always welcome the donation of other photographs of concertina players.
Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 February 2014
A selection of photographs taken by fiddle player, photographer, and one-time ITMA Field Recording Officer, Danny Diamond.
As usual, 2013 was a busy year for the recording staff of the Irish Traditional Music Archive who were at work at festivals and concerts, recitals and lectures throughout the country. Hundreds of hours of music, song and dance were captured on audio and video, and have been transferred to user-friendly formats, and catalogued, for access by present-day visitors to ITMA and for posterity.
The selection of audio recordings presented here from just some of the ITMA 2013 recording trips are a sampler of what is available to visitors. The recordings were made variously at the Inishowen Singers International Folk Song and Ballad Seminar in Donegal in March, at the Cruinniú na bhFliúit gathering in west Cork in April, at the Willie Clancy Summer School in west Clare in July, at the Frank Harte Festival in Dublin in September, at the William Kennedy Piping Festival in Armagh in November, and at the first-ever ITMA concert the same month in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
With thanks to the artists for permission to reproduce their performances, and to the organisers of the various events for their cooperation in facilitating ITMA’s recording activity.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 December 2013
The ITMA audio field-recording programme began in March 1992. Between then and the end of 1993, twenty-seven recording sessions had been carried out, in Clare, Galway, Tipperary and Donegal.
As well as collecting all the contemporary and historic materials of Irish traditional music which are published by others, the Irish Traditional Music Archive has, for the past twenty years, also been creating new documentary recordings of the music on location, ‘in the field’. It now normally makes these recordings on digital video, or simultaneously on video and audio; in its earliest years, for reasons of cost, it made audio recordings only. Thousands of recordings have been made to date, and these are available within ITMA for public listening and viewing. The rights to the recordings remain otherwise with the performers.
The ITMA audio field-recording programme was begun in March 1992 (shortly after it had moved from its first office at 6 Eustace St in Temple Bar, Dublin, to new premises at 63 Merrion Square where it was officially opened). Between then and the end of 1993, twenty-seven recording sessions had been carried out, in Clare, Galway, Tipperary and Donegal. ITMA recordists in the period were Jackie Small (now ITMA Sound Archivist, seen above left recording at the Willie Clancy Summer School with ITMA co-founder Harry Bradshaw, RTÉ Radio) in Clare, Galway and Tipperary; Lillis Ó Laoire and Packie McGinley in Donegal; and Aidan McGovern and Nicholas Carolan also in Donegal (including Fermanagh singers and musicians).
Below is a selection of those recordings from the ITMA collections which were made by Jackie Small in 1992–93 in Cos Clare and Galway. They feature music, song and oral history, in Clare from Joe Bane, John & Paddy Killourhy, and P.J. Hayes, and in Galway from Danny Smith and Pat Keane.
With thanks to all the performers.
Nicholas Carolan, Danny Diamond & Jackie Small, 1 August 2012
A recent innovation of the annual Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal, has been the introduction of a daily ‘Music Archive/ Taisce Cheoil’ event in which the performance of music or song is combined with informal conversation about the life and times of the artist in the spotlight.
Selections from three of the ‘Music Archive’ events at the Scoil Gheimhridh/ Winter School Frankie Kennedy 2012–2013 are presented below, courtesy of the School and of the artists featured who were filmed by staff of the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
On 29 December 2012 Bríd Harper played solo fiddle and spoke about how she learned her music, and was joined by Maurice Lennon on fiddle to finish. On 30 December Iarla Ó Lionáird sang solo in Irish, and spoke about his musical and cultural background, and about his vocal technique and personal philosophy of music. On 31 December Andy Irvine, singing in English with bouzouki acompaniment, reminisced about his early life in London, and his membership of the seminal groups Sweeney’s Men and Planxty.
With thanks to Bríd Harper, Iarla Ó Lionáird and Andy Irvine, to Conor Byrne, to Silvia Vitali, & to Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy. Photograph of Andy Irvine courtesy & © Silvia Vitali / Six Photography.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 February 2013
Vincent Campbell, born in Irish-speaking Tangaveane, Glenties, Co Donegal, in 1938, is widely known as a leading exponent of Donegal fiddle playing, one with a detailed knowledge of the instrumental music of the county and of its related lore and dances. He also worked and played from the 1950s in Scotland, London, and Co Meath, but he returned to Glenties in the late 1970s and has lived there since. Vincent learned originally from his father Peter, also a fiddle player, and from his mother Brigid who taught many of the dances known only in Donegal. The travelling fiddle players and tinsmiths John and Mickey Doherty were frequent visitors to the Campbell household, and provided Vincent with tunes and insights into the fiddle practices of the old travelling players.
At the annual Donegal Fiddle Summer School of 2010, organised since 1983 by the Donegal fiddle organisation Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí, Vincent Campbell took part in a public interview on his life, times and music, led by fellow fiddle player Aidan O’Donnell and held in the Oideas Gael centre in Glencolmcille on 6 August. The interview was recorded by Danny Diamond for the Irish Traditional Music Archive and an edited version is presented here. It contains all the tunes played by Vincent on the occasion.
Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí has recently published ‘The Purple Heather’, a double CD of the music and stories of Vincent Campbell with an extensive booklet (see here).
With thanks to Vincent Campbell for his permission to present this edited interview, and to Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí (especially Aidan O’Donnell, Rab Cherry and Caoimhín Mac Aoidh) for facilitating the recording.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 October 2010
Since 1993 the Irish Traditional Music Archive has been involved in a programme of audio and video field and studio recording of singers, musicians and dancers. The resulting recordings are being systematically transferred to CD or DVD and catalogued, and many (but not yet all) are available for consultation within the Archive. The rights to these recordings are held by the performers.
The Archive has regularly recorded at the Inishowen International Folk Song and Ballad Seminar, which has been held annually in Ballyliffen, Inishowen, Co Donegal, since 1990. Seven songs recorded at the Seminar in the Ballyliffin Hotel in 2008 are freely made available for listening here, with the generous permission of each of the singers (see here).
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 October 2008
Meath concertina player Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh and Kerry accordion and melodeon player Danny O’Mahony have been attracting much favourable attention in recent years for their spirited and impromptu duets, and their collaboration resulted in 2012 in a well received CD As It Happened. They recently played at the inaugural Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair, in Gaoth Dobhair, Co Donegal, where they were recorded on 29 December 2014 by Irish Traditional Music Archive staff in An Gailearaí, Áislann Ghaoth Dobhair. A selection of their pieces are presented here with the kind permission of the musicians.
One of the accordions regularly played by Danny O’Mahony belonged formerly to his late relative Tom Carmody, an accordion and fiddle player who performed professionally in New York from the 1920s.
For further information on the As It Happened CD click here. For the winter school Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair click here.
With thanks to Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh & Danny O’Mahony, and to Scoil Gheimhridh Ghaoth Dobhair for facilitating the recording.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 February 2015
The Frankie Kennedy Winter School for Irish traditional music has been held annually in Gaoth Dobhair in north-west Co Donegal since 1994, spanning the last days of December and the first days of January. The School was founded by family and friends in memory of the Belfast flute player Frankie Kennedy (1955–1994), co-founder with his wife Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of the world-renowned group Altan, and it has always had a strong international dimension.
The School comprises a wide range of classes, sessions, concerts, lectures, and workshops, all open to the general public, and with a special emphasis on the traditional music of Donegal and its transmission to the younger generation. The Irish Traditional Music Archive has carried out audio and video field recording at the School since 2004–2005, and it continued its documentation work there again this year, 2011–2012, at the 18th School.
Reproduced above, courtesy of the School and its presenters, is a selection of music, song and speech from ITMA videos recorded at workshops organised for this year’s event. Featured are Donegal fiddle player Danny Meehan, Irish-American singer and musician Tim O’Brien, and Irish-Australian musician Steve Cooney.
With thanks to Danny Meehan, Tim O’Brien, Steve Cooney, and to the organisers of the Frankie Kennedy Winter School/ Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy, for permission to publish these recordings. All FKWS recordings are available to the public for reference access and study in ITMA.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 February 2012
In recent years a younger generation of Donegal musicians have been benefiting from the occasional visits to his native Glencolmcille, Co Donegal, of Eddie O’Gara (b. Mín na bhFachrán, 1926), a melodeon and piano-accordion player with a store of old and unusual local tunes. Before emigrating to Britain in the 1940s, Eddie had learned from a cousin Patrick O’Doherty and from the McGinley family of Loch Inseach, and had played for dances throughout Glencolmcille parish in partnership with his brother Paddy on fiddle.
Eddie O’Gara was recorded by Irish Traditional Music Archive staff at the annual Donegal Fiddle Summer School of Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí in Glencolmcille in August 2011, playing and talking about his musical background. The event was facilitated by Rónán Galvin of the National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin; also present were Eddie’s son Brendan and daughter-in-law Michelle.
With thanks to Eddie O’Gara, Brendan O’Gara, Michelle Laffer, Rónán Galvin & Cairdeas na bhFidiléirí.
Nicholas Carolan & Danny Diamond, 1 August 2014
Jimmy Campbell, laoch mór an cheoil as Gleann na nGleanntaí i dTír Chonaill.
Rinne Jimmy, fear lách, cineálta, éacht thar na bearta ar son cheol traidisiúnta na tíre agus thug sé spreagadh faoi leith do cheoltóirí óga. Bhí sé mar phribhléid dúinn bheith ina chuideachta agus port a chasadh leis.
Jimmy Campbell, renowned fiddle player from Glenties, County Donegal.
Jimmy made an enormous contribution to traditional music, in particular his encouragement of the younger generation of musicians who met and played with him. To sit in his company, to speak with and play music alongside him was a privilege and an honour; he will never be forgotten.
This short video tribute to the late Jimmy Campbell is taken from “Na Cruacha”, a documentary produced and directed by Iarfhlaith Ó Domhnaill for Nemeton TV and TG4, February 2020.
Miss Honoria Tomkins Galwey (31 May 1830 – 7 January 1925), an almost forgotten North of Ireland collector of Irish traditional music, edited the varied collection presented here: Old Irish Croonauns and Other Tunes, published in London and New York by Boosey & Co in 1910 and containing 72 dance tunes and song melodies (with some song texts). Many items are Irish and all were ‘written down exactly as I heard them’. Source-notes are included, and the collection was deservedly well regarded in its own time.
Born to Ven. Charles Galwey, a musical Cork-born Church of Ireland Archdeacon of Derry, and Honoria Knox of Prehen, Co Derry, Miss Galwey lived also from childhood in Inishowen, Co Donegal, where her father was rector of Moville, and much of the music she ‘re-collected and collected’ came from the oral tradition of both counties. Although she collected from a range of lilters, whistlers, singers, fiddle, concertina and jews-harp players, and from manuscript, an important source was uilleann piper Tom Gordon of Moville, Co Donegal. A singer and a seemingly self-taught pianist who had played with traditional musicians, she was still playing within a few weeks of her death in Derry. Through her musical interests, she was linked to a turn-of-the-century network of Irish cultural activity in Britain and Ireland: that of the poets Alfred Perceval Graves and Moira O’Neill, the arrangers Charles Wood, R. Arthur Oulton and Arthur Somervell, the composer Charles Villiers Stanford, the singer Plunkett Greene, and the folklorist and founder of the Gaelic League Douglas Hyde – several of these also the children of Church of Ireland clergymen. She made her collections available to the Irish Folk Song Society, founded in London by Graves and others in 1904.
Honoria Galway first appeared in print late in life, as the contributor of seven melodies (also presented here) and some traditional verses to the 1897 Boosey volume Irish Folk-Songs, a collection of mostly original song-lyrics written by A.P. Graves and set to traditional melodies by Charles Wood. Subsequently three of her collaborations were published as sheet music before Old Irish Croonauns first appeared in 1910, to be followed by a later Boosey Co reprint and an American facsimile reprint in 1975, and a later item of sheet music. She was a source of the song ‘Over Here’ (‘Oh, the praties they are small’), which was rewritten by Graves to relate to the Great Famine, and the song ‘Molly Brannigan’ also owes its popularity to her. Following her father, she always held that the famous ‘Londonderry Air’ belonged as much to Donegal as to Derry.
Also reproduced here from the collections of the Irish Traditional Music Archive are a 19 September 1908 postcard from A.P. Graves (1846–1931) to Miss Galwey and a 22 September 1908 letter from her to Rev. Leslie Creery Stevenson (1878–1961), a hymnwriter and a Church of Ireland curate at the time on Rathlin Island, Co Antrim.
ITMA would welcome donations of or the opportunity to copy four known sheet-music items related to airs collected by Honoria Galway: ‘The Blackbird’ (words by Moira O’Neill, music arranged by Arthur Somervell), ‘Molly Brannigan’ (old words, music arranged by Sir C. Villiers Stanford), ‘Slumber Song’ (words by Moira O’Neill, music arranged by R. Arthur Oulton), Two Irish Airs (music arranged by Mary Tomlinson): 1 ‘The Rock on the Shore’ (words by B.F. Stuart), 2 ‘Little Blue Pigeon’ (words by E. Field). All are believed to have been published by Boosey & Co in London.
Nicholas Carolan & Maeve Gebruers, 1 December 2014
Old Irish croonauns and other tunes / Miss Honoria Galwey
Miss Honoria Galwey in Graves’ Irish Folk-Songs
Postcard from Alfred Perceval Graves to Miss Honoria Galwey
Letter to [Rev. Leslie Creery Stevenson] from Miss Honoria Galwey
I come from St. Johnston, a small rural village on the banks of the river Foyle in Co. Donegal, an area steeped in music and with a very rich musical history.. I began playing at a very early age, being taught at various times by my father Eddie, Joe Cassidy, Tony McGranaghan and Patsy Molloy.
I have been greatly influenced by these people and indeed heavily by my uncle Tommy Peoples. People from the surrounding area like George Peoples, Paddy Douglas, John Douglas, Kathleen McGinley, Barney Martin, John Martin, Barney McAuley and Canon Cunnea. The place was absolutely full of musicians, playing all manner of musical genres and almost everyone was capable of reading and writing music.
I began composing music at the age of 17 when my first two tunes were written: the reels “George Peoples” and “Ciaran’s reel” – sometimes called “Joe Cassidy” and “George Peoples” respectively – long story!
Many other tunes followed. I don’t know exactly how many but probably more than 100 of varying quality and appeal. I’ve been very lucky to have composed some good tunes. Indeed, l know exactly how lucky I am in this regard and I thank God for that gift.
Some of these tunes were written many years ago and some as young as a few weeks old. Most of them I’ve only ever played for close friends and family and a lot of them are difficult to play and/or accompany. However, I do enjoy playing them myself and having played many of them over the years with the expert accompaniment provided by my great friend Dermot Toland, that enjoyment has been greatly amplified.
To those encountering these tunes on the ITMA website I hope you find some tunes you like and I wish you much enjoyment in the playing of them.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh was born and raised in the heartland of the Gaoth Dobhair Gaeltacht in Donegal. She is a native speaker and learnt her songs and tunes from her family and neighbours. Mairéad is internationally known as one of the most important fiddle players that play in the unique Donegal style. This takes her to the world stage with her band Altan, who play the music of Donegal with pride, throughout the world. Mairéad learnt her songs and tunes from her father Francie Mooney, one of the most important fiddle teachers in that part of the country. Mairéad is also a founder member of ‘Cairdeas na bhFidleirí’, that began over twenty-five years ago to promote, develop and keep alive the richness of the county. Mairéad harvested inspiration at first from her family and neighbours. Many musicians and singers visited her home when she was growing up, which influenced her as a young girl.
Mairéad qualified as a primary school teacher in 1979 and began teaching in Malahide, in County Dublin. In 1987, Mairéad and her husband, Frankie Kennedy decided to become full-time musicians and they founded Altan. The band went from strength to strength over the years, playing the music of Tír Chonaill around the world, from New York to Tokyo and back again. The band stayed true to the music and songs that they learned from their family back at home in Donegal in their neighbours kitchens and at sessions.
Aside from playing with Altan, Mairéad is also renowned for her work on other projects. She can be seen presenting music programmes on both radio and television, like ‘The Long Note’, and ‘The Pure Drop’, and lately, ‘The Full Set’. Mairéad is on recordings along with Enya, The Chieftains, Dolly Parton, The String Sisters and many others. She hopes to take time out to compose new music in the future.
Mairéad was awarded ‘Donegal Person of the Year’ by the Donegal Association in Dublin in 2008 for her promotion of Donegal fiddle music and song. She was also awarded the prestigious TG4’s Gradam Ceoil ‘Musician of the Year’ in 2017 at a gala event in the Cork Opera House.
The Inishowen Song Project was an integrated microsite of some 2,000 connected items all related to the English-language song traditions of the Inishowen peninsula, Co Donegal which was published in 2013. It was a collaborative project between the Inishowen Traditional Singers’ Circle and the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Presented here are a selection of the materials which formed part of the original microsite.
The items include audio recordings & video recordings, books and photographs and they constitute a unique presentation of a local strand of Irish traditional music.
The basis of the original microsite was a body of recordings made in Inishowen over some 20 years from the 1980s by Donegal singer and teacher Jimmy McBride and kindly donated by him to the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Material has also come from singer Jim MacFarland of Derry, the Belfast Central Library, the Derry Journal, and Dr John Moulden, among other donors as acknowledged, and above all from the local Inishowen singers and singers visiting Inishowen who are featured in the project. Our thanks to them all. Digitisation, song transcription and metadata cataloguing has been carried out by ITMA staff.
The original project was brought to fruition by the Inishowen Traditional Singers’ Circle with funding provided by the Inishowen Development Partnership, to which ITMA is greatly indebted. ITMA itself is funded by An Chomhairle Ealaíon in Dublin and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in Belfast. The site served people throughout the world who wished to discover and enjoy the song traditions of Inishowen, and especially Inishowen people themselves and their local teachers and students.
The microsite was closed for technical reasons in 2021, but plans are afoot for an even better version. Until this is ready we hope you enjoy some of the elements from the original site.
Séamus Ennis visited the home of Néillidh Boyle in Cró na Sealg, An Clochán Liath numerous times on his various collecting trips to Donegal. Often they just played music together and chatted but invariably Séamus Ennis would come away having written some tunes from the fiddle player. ‘The Castlefinn Reel’ was one of two reels that Ennis transcribed from the playing of Néillidh Boyle in early March 1944. More commonly known with the title ‘The Humours of Castlefinn’ it can be found in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1 (No. 186). The tune was recorded as ‘Egan’s Reel’ on one of the first LPs of Irish traditional music, All Ireland Champions Violin (1959) featuring Paddy Canny, P.J. Hayes, Peadar O’Loughlin and Bridie Lafferty. It is also very much associated with the playing of Tony MacMahon and Noel Hill who recorded it as the opening track of the album I gCnoc Na Graí (1985).
Ennis wrote in Irish along with the transcription, ‘Two reels I wrote from Niall Ó Baoill (c.50), a fiddle player, An Clochán Liath. (unnamed) (Castlefinn Reel) 3.3.44 when I visited him again’.
Séamus Ennis was a great admirer of Néillidh Boyle’s fiddle playing noting in his diary (8.3.44) “he is an excellent fiddle player and has an ability that no more than three other fiddle players have, as far as I know”. This reel, transcribed by Séamus Ennis from Néillidh’s playing, is a version of a tune found in many parts of Ireland. It was published in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland as ‘The Curragh Races’ (No. 1276). According to the collector, Breandán Breathnach, ‘The Maid in the Cherry Tree’ published in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1 (No. 103) is a variant of ‘The Curragh Races’. The reel is also related to ‘The Humours of Knockaney’ included by the county Limerick collector Francis Roche in his Collection of Irish Airs, Marches and Dance Tunes Vol. 3 (No 83).
Hughie Bonar was a popular and highly regarded fiddle player in his locality of Fál Chorb, An Machaire in Donegal. Séamus Ennis described him as ‘a small, quiet, strong man, thickset, stocky and quite a good fiddle player’. Ennis transcribed nine tunes from Hughie Bonar when he spent the day with him on the 10th of March 1944 including this unusual reel ‘The Blackbird among the Berries’. The tune is also known as ‘The Camber Lasses’ and was recorded by Séamus McGuire and John Lee on their 1990 album The Missing Reel.
While ‘The Morning Dew’ is the title given by Séamus Ennis in the transcription, this tune is one of a number of jigs in Donegal that all have the title ‘The King of the Pipers’ even though they are different tunes. Another version of ‘The King of the Pipers’ can be found in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 2 (No. 45). Brendán Breathnach recorded it from John Doherty in 1966 and commented that the same name was on other tunes but they were not related to Doherty’s version. ‘The King of the Pipers’ published in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland (No 702) has a number of parts similar to this version transcribed by Séamus Ennis from the fiddle playing of Hughie Bonar in March 1944.