I was in lockdown at home in Carrickfinn , Co Donegal during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
I went for my daily walk by my home, to Tráigh an Bháid and An Trá Bán and so many things went through my mind on these walks, initially afraid of what could happen but gradually through listening to the nature that surrounded me ; the crash of the Atlantic on the shore, the gentle wind brushing my face and the joyous bird song, my spirit lifted and I would return to my home filled with joy and hope.
Through this daily ritual I was inspired to play music and even compose pieces.
An grianstad and The halting sun happened to come to me on the Summer Solstice, hence the title. The halting sun being my translation of the Gaelic version of the Solstice; An grianstad!
I felt strange after touring and coming home to lockdown, it was bittersweet. I was initially frightened but soon enjoyed the time with my daughter, exploring the seashore around home and being with family.
The song was inspired when my sister, Anna Ní Mhaonaigh, was diagnosed with cancer in the middle of the lockdown. It evokes hope for her healing.
Chum mé an t-amhrán do mo dheirfiúir, Anna Ní Mhaonaigh, mar gur chuala muid i rith mí na Nollaig go raibh ailse uirthi agus bhí mé ag iarraidh uchtach agus biseach a thabhairt díthe. Is seort paidir nó guí chuici é.
I was going to finish the ‘suite’ with the song but then I thought that a reel would lift the spirits at the end… so that’s where the reel came in.
Chum mé Ríl an tSolais le ardú meanma a thabhairt don éisteoir ag deireadh na píosaí ceoil i Ré an tSolais.
A double play on the word grianán meaning sundial. It is the name of the theatre where this tune was first performed! I also wanted to use this title as it was the home address of my late husband, Frankie Kennedy, in West Belfast.
The mist (ceo) is always part of the landscape in North-West Donegal, especially in the early morning when the sun is trying to break through and disperses the soft light on the landscape.
I like playing in this key, A minor. It sits well on the fiddle and it reminds me of my father, Francie Mooney. He loved jigs in particular.
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.
A number of accounts in the Schools’ Collection of the National Folklore Collection of the late 1930s describe the Great Drowning at Bruckless in 1813. On the 12th of May of that year large crews of fishermen including men from Teelin and Kilcar, were out on Bruckless Bay fishing for herring. A storm blew up without warning, all the boats capsized and over eighty men were drowned. According to Peadar Ó Beirn, speaking to Séamus Ennis about the tragedy, a piper was heard on that night playing this tune which has been known since as ‘Báthadh Phroclaisc’ ‘ The Drowning at Bruckless’. A version of this tune with the title ‘Carbray’s Frolics’ can be found in O’Neill’s The Dance Music of Ireland No. 407.
This is a version of a tune known as ‘Maggie Pickins’ which has been variously described as a strathspey, barndance, highland or hornpipe. In Ceol Rince na hÉireann 2 (No. 63) a version was notated in 12/8 time with the title ‘An Chearc ar Fad is an tAnraith’ [The whole hen and the soup]. It was collected by Breandán Breathnach from Sliabh Luachra fiddle player Denis Murphy who called it ‘Charming Lovely Nancy’. It was also published in Allan’s Irish Fiddler as a hornpipe with the title ‘Maggie Pickens’. A dance to this tune with the name ‘Maggie Pickins’ has long been popular in Donegal. The full title given by Ennis is ‘Tóg do chionn ’sná bíodh ort brón, ’S iomaí cor san óige’ [Raise your head and don’t be sad, Youth takes many a turn]. In his notes to the transcription of Peadar Ó Beirn’s lilting, Séamus Ennis suggests that it was played in polka time. Ennis also marked with an asterisk, in the final bar of the first and second parts, ‘another version from Peadar’.
Bríd Bhán Ní Eochaidh
Ennis wrote that Máire [Ní Bheirn] gave him the song.
Bríd Bhán Ní Eochaidh lived in the middle of Rann na Cille to the left of the main road, in the southern part of Teileann and opposite the house in which Pádraig Eileann Ó Gallchóir is living [1940s] and she was as fine a woman as a man ever laid eyes on. A churlish schoolmaster came from Mín an Bhainne in the parish of Glenties, a remote mountainy place that grew only sedge and decayed mountain grass, when he met a beautiful woman and fell in love with her. It was said that she did not love him a great deal. Nonetheless, they married and he brought her home. When she saw where she was to remain, she became homesick and began to compose the song. The man composed the second verse and she responded in the final verse.
(Seán Ó hEochaidh [the folklore collector] gave me [Ennis] the background to the song.)
[from NFC 1281:113-114].
Note to music transcription:
On the music transcription, Ennis wrote, in Irish, that the song was sung in a slow, regular style. He also indicated that the second note of the second bar was slightly extended.
Bríd Bhán Ní Eochaidh (ó Mháire Ní Bheirn)
h-anann dom a’ sliaú
agus a’ baile ‘tá ‘mo dhéi’,
Is trua ‘Dhia nach bhfuil mé ríst ánn,
Unsa [Insa] teach mhór tá déanta ‘r thaoibh a’ róid
‘Smé bheith gan bó gan caíora
Ní bheinn in mur gclúid anois teacht an Dónaí
Bheaú a’ tAifreann do mo chomhair agus mo dhaoiní
‘S dá mba liom Éirinn anuas ó loch Éirne,
I dTeileann thiar a bheinn ‘mo chónaí.
A Bhríd bhán a ruain, glac misneach a bheas mór
Agus ná cluintear thusa ‘gcónaí ‘g éagcaoin
Níl éinní ar a’ dómhan a bhfaca tú le fós (feabhas)
Nach mbéi aghainn ‘san áit a bhfuil tú,
Caoirí go leór, eallach agus góbhair
Dá mbeaú againn go bhfuighinn-se féar daíobh
Ná’r ro-dheas ár ndóigh an tora ‘gus an gráin.
Agus an bradán ar an abhainn a’ léimní.
Tá na caoirí gan dóigh, an crupán ar na buaibh,
Tá ‘n galar ar na góbhair ‘sna h-altaibh,
‘Sa mhéad do mo bhrón, níl annseo ach móin,
‘S a’ chíb dhú ní maith a’ féar í.
An méad bradán agus éisc dár snáimh cuan Theileann ariaú
Tearait siad aniar faoin ghárraí
Ní thóirthinn thart mo shúil le tursa agus le cumhaí
Mar tháinig mé ina gclúid ghránna.
(Máire a thug an t-órán dom)
Bhí Bríd Bhán Ní Eochaidh seo ‘na cónaí i lár Bhaile Rann na Cille ar an taoibh chlé don bhealach mhór taoibh ó dheas do Theileann agus ós coinne an toighe a bhfuil Padraic Eileann Ó Gallchóir agus bhí sí ar bhean chomh breá agus leag fear súil ariaú orthaí. Tháinic bodach do mhaistear scoile anuas as Mín a’ Bhainne i bparráiste na nGleannta, áit chúil réasgamhail shléibhtiúil nach ró ann ach cíb agus fiontarnach agus nuair a casú air a’ cailín spéiriúil seo thuit sé ‘ngrá léithe gí go ndeir a’ seanachas nach ró mórán grá aicise dó. Mar sin fhéin pósú iad agus thug sé leis ‘na bhaile í. Nuair a chonnaic sí an áit ar fágú í bhuail a’ chumhaí í, agus as a’ chumhaí sin thoisí sí a’ cuma‘n óráin. Chum a’ fear a’ dara cearthú agus thug sí fhéin freagra ‘sa chearthú dheirionach.
(Seán Ó hEochaidh a thug an t-úghdar dom).
Nóta le hathscríobh an cheoil:
Rinne Ennis nóta ar an athscríobh gur luas ‘mall, rialta’ a bhí leis agus thug sé faoi ndeara freisin go mbaintear ‘síneadh beag’ as an dara nóta sa dara barra.
Cuach mo Londubh Buí. [?]
A man and his wife are returning from a wake when they meet a young man who asks the man for his wife. She accompanies the young man who is uncouth. After three seasons she returns home.
Ennis noted, in Irish, on the music transcription that it was slightly slower than jig time. Unusually, he did not include lyrics under the staff notation.
[See also Óró Londubh Buí]
[See NFC 1282:115-116]
Cuach mo Londubh Buí
‘S cuach mo londú buí
2. Ar philliú ‘na bhaile dúinn casadh dú an t-óigfhear
‘S cuach mo londú buí
1. D’iarrthaí sé dú-sa ar nighean dú an óigbhean
2.Duairt mé nárbh’ í ach gurbh í mo bhean phóst’ í.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, singing 2 songs collected by Séamus Ennis in Donegal from Máire Ní Bheirn and playing 2 tunes collected in Donegal from Peadar Ó Beirn
Bealach Bhun Ghlas, An Charraig. They were called Clann Johnny Johndy Ó Beirn – Máire, Peadar, and Condy. Máire died in 1976 aged 78. The house was built on no man’s land between the townlands of Iomaire Mhuireanáin and An Cheapach Uachtarach.
Bealach Bhun Ghlas, An Charraig. Peadar was a brother of Máire (Ní Bheirn). Peadar worked as a fishmonger. He had a donkey and cart initially and after some time he bought a little horse, of which he was very proud. As a result of an enquiry for a tune to suit a radio play, Ennis copied the Teileann tune ‘Tiún Thaibhse Chonaill’ and wrote its story for typing as he had received it from Peadar Ó Beirn, verbatim, with translation (See NFC 1296: 292).
Although Ennis visited Máire and Peadar only in September 1943 and then only on a few occasions, he wrote a substantial amount of music and song from them. The folklore collector Seán Ó hEochaidh accompanied Ennis on his visit of 14 September 1943: ‘I wrote until eleven o’clock and then we went to the home of Máire and Peadar Ó Beirn and I wrote music and songs until five o’clock in the morning!’ It was another late night of collecting the following day as Ennis wrote: ‘We went back at eleven o’clock to the Ó Beirns’ house and I wrote tunes and other material from Peadar and Máire until three in the morning.’
![Peadar Ó Beirn ; and others / [unidentified photographer], Teileann, Co. Donegal, 1935. Image courtesy Ríonach uí Ógáin](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/seamusennis/277657_peadar_obeirn.jpg "Peadar Ó Beirn ; and others / [unidentified photographer], Teileann, Co. Donegal, 1935. Image courtesy Ríonach uí Ógáin")
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