from Compositions by Christy McNamara
The name for this tune came from a story my father Joe used to tell a lot when he was in the company of some of his old band friends including PJ Hayes from the Tulla Band who was married to my mother’s sister Peggy. Whenever himself and PJ got together there were always tunes and the stories that came with them. In this case he was telling the story of ‘Turning Mary Browne’ !
His way of telling a stories was so captivating as he set out the scene, painting in the fine details and describing things in a way that came from an older time when there was no photographs or images to inform the listener. unlike nowadays.
He was after getting his first one-row melodeon from an older woman, Jane Tierney, who lived in an old mill house near the village of Crusheen, County Clare, after she had gotten a new one. He was making great progress on the melodeon and Jane was very impressed with him as a musician. Often when on his way to the village Jane would spot him coming on his bike and would run out to meet him and of course she’d enquire of him and how he was getting on with melodeon. She would then ask him to come in and help her turn Mary Browne! I have no idea who Mary Browne was nor what the tune was for that matter.
I dedicate this to the memory of Jane Tierney melodion player who was passed and gone long before I was born.
Note: The second part of a tune is often referred to as the turn.
