THE ROUGH GUIDE TO IRISH MUSIC SUPPLEMENT
Space prohibited inclusion of the
following entries in the first edition of The Rough Guide to Irish Music.
Additionally, this supplement includes some entries that were substantially
adapted before inclusion in the final copy. It is important to stress that
all of the material on these pages is presented in the form in which it was
submitted for editing, so it does not always follow the final format of the
book typographically. However, cross-references to the published version of the
Guide have been inserted where appropriate.
Apart from these individual entries a
number of other cuts were made, including:web addresses from virtually all
individual entries and the Listings section lost the following sections:
<
Musical Instrument Suppliers;
<
Record Labels.
Key: " = CD; ! = LP; Cass = Cassette.
Supplement Index
Compilation albums and series
Singers
Sean-Nós
Joe Collins
Rita Connolly
Tim Dennehy
Martin Donnelly
Sinéad Lohan
David McWilliams
Cathie Ryan,
Deirdre Scanlan
Andy White
Groups
Anúna
Any Old Time
Bakerswell
Bohinta
Blood Or Whiskey
The Bowhouse Quintet
Dúchas
The Fallen Angels
Fisherstreet
Grianán
In Tua Nua/Lesley Dowdall
The Irish Rovers
Maca
The Saw Doctors
Síona
Spud
Tamalin
Toss the Feathers
Tuath
Two Time Polka
Fiddlers
Maeve Donnelly
Máirín Fahy
Rose Murphy
Kevin O’Connor
Caomhín Ó Raghallaigh
Seán Ryan
Harpers
Ursula Burns
Other String Players
Seán Whelan
Uilleann Pipers
Eamonn Dillon
Dan Dowd
Brian McNamara
Pat McNulty
Máire Ní Ghrada
Jimmy O’Brien-Moran
Tomás Ó Ceannabháin
Flute Players and Whistlers
Billy Clifford
Brian Hughes
Vinny Kilduff
Tommy McHaile
Joanie Madden
Accordionists
Pat Crowley
Billy McComiskey
Colin Nea
Multi-instrumentalists
Patrick (Campbell-Lyons)
Other Major Figures
Carl Hession
COMPILATION ALBUMS and SERIES
This section was given a major
overhaul before finally appearing in the introductory section of the Directory.
Though always the best
introduction, the Irish music market has been plagued by a plethora of
compilation albums in recent years, including many of dubious quality. With
certain exceptions noted below, any albums consisting of two or more of the
following words are best avoided: Celtic, Gaelic, cream, soul, spirit, magic,
pride, force, roots, reflections, haunting, ancient and James Galway. You’ll
find recommended collections of singers and instrumentalists in the appropriate
sections of this directory. All recommended releases here are in CD format.
The 78s Era
For a historical and
comprehensive introduction, the Globestyle series cannot be surpassed. Ron
Kavana’s trawl through the Topic label’s extensive archive produced eight
themed collections: Those on uilleann piping, the Irish in London, the music of
Sliabh Luachra and the song tradition are described in the appropriate entries
and, sadly, The Coolin’ (the apostrophe is presumably a typographical
error), covering slow airs and laments, has been deleted. As a grand starting
point Treasure of My Heart introduces the whole series, while I’m Leaving Tipperary celebrates the
great Irish‑American recording era of the 1920s and 1930s. The two
general collections are Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part which focuses on
recordings from the 1960s and 1970s (and features major figures such as Willie
Clancy, John Doherty and Séamus Ennis) and A Living Thing which overlaps
time‑wise, but includes leading lights from subsequent generations, such
as Patrick Street, Cathal McConnell and Four Men and a Dog (plus Kavana
himself!).
A busy man, Ron also compiled the excellent‑value
Farewell to Ireland 4 CD boxed set from Proper Records, a stupendous,
bargain priced introduction to classic recordings from the 78s era which
includes many famous names plus obscure musicians who recorded under such names
as “The 5th Avenue Busman” and “The
Singing Insuranceman”. Others to look out for from this period include
Topic’s Irish Dance Music (which has some real rarities) and Rounder’s From
Galway to Dublin featuring one of fiddler Neillidh Boyle’s few recordings
and the wonderfully‑named Murty Rabbett singing Molly Durkin.
Moving on to the 1950s, two essential recordings are World Library of Folk
and Primitive Music: Ireland (1951, Rounder) compiled by Alan Lomax with
Séamus Ennis in the West of Ireland and Saydisc’s Traditional Dance Music of
Ireland, collated from Peter Kennedy’s Folktrax recordings. The former
mixes music and song, while the latter is purely instrumental and includes a
mixture of Irish and London tapes, the latter including the marvellous flute
player Paddy Taylor.
Vinyl times (but CD reissues)
Serious record companies began
operating in Ireland during the 1950s and 1960s and two of the grandest
compilations come from Claddagh and Gael‑Linn (the latter in conjunction
with the more recent arrival, Hummingbird). The two disc Claddagh’s Choice
is an exemplary archive collection running from a 1966 recording of uilleann
piper Leo Rowsome up to the mid‑1990s and musicians such as the glorious
Clare concertina player, Mary MacNamara. Gael‑Linn and Hummingbird’s Ór,
rightly subtitled “The Golden Age of Traditional Irish Music & Song” runs
right through from Seán Ó Riada and Ceoltóirí Chualann to the Bumblebees, while
not forgetting classic music from piper Paddy Keenan and one of Ireland’s
greatest song interpreters, Frank Harte. Folk Music and Dances of Ireland (now
released by Ossian Publications and issued to accompany Breandán Breathnach’s
book of the same name ‑ see p590) is a marvellous demonstration of the
breadth of traditional music from the plaintive voice of Sean ‘ac Dhonncha to
the magical piping of Pat Mitchell. Belfast’s Outlet label should also not be
forgotten and its many compilations from the 1970s and 1980s includes both Festival
of Irish Traditional Music and The Best of Irish Traditional
Music, both two‑disc sets, featuring the likes of Seán MaGuire, Joe
Burke, Na Filí and Séamus Tansey. One
relative oddity from this era which should not be ignored is the simply magical
The Lark in the Clear Air: Irish Traditional Music Played on Small
Instruments (Ossian), originally recorded in 1974, and featuring sublime
playing of piccolo, whistle, flute, spoons and mouth organ plus a unique jew’s
harp trio!
The 1990s
The compilation industry
really took off in the 1990s with a welter of releases often simultaneously
containing some of the same tracks. Among those recommended are: the Gael‑Linn
compilations Blasta! and Binn Blasta,.drawn from its more recent
releases; the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Festival live series from
Magnetic Music, featuring some of the best new groups and musicians; World
Music Network’s The Rough Guide to Irish Music and the erroneously‑titled
The Rough Guide to Irish Folk, both drawn largely from the smaller
traditional music labels; Rounder’s Easydisc reissue imprint, especially the
Chicago‑focussed Celtic Winds: Irish Music in America; Trad at
Heart from Dara, featuring Altan, De Dannan and Gerry ‘Banjo’ O’Connor; and
Dónal Lunny’s Sult (Hummingbird), commissioned for the Irish language TV
station TnaG (now TG4) and containing a host of major names (though set your
programmer to skip track five, Mark Knopfler’s execrable rendition of Raglan
Road, guaranteed to send Patrick Kavanagh’s corpse a‑spinning).
Connoisseur Records has also revived the Champions of Ireland series,
featuring All‑Ireland title winners in various instrumental categories
and céilí bands.
Don’t be deterred by the
titles, for Mícheál Ó Domhnaill’s Celtic Christmas series for Windham
Hill, though inspired by seasonal spirit, does include some remarkable and
sensitive musical experiments, sometimes featuring rising stars such as the
harper Laoise Kelly and the fiddler Zoë Conway. Also of great interest is the illustrious bodhrán and assorted
percussion player Tommy Hayes’s compilation, Síol, supporting the cause
of ecological biodiversity, and featuring a number of new recordings, including
the fiddler Martin Hayes and singer Karan Casey. Another worthy, though more
directly musical cause, is the restoration of the Crosskeys Inn, one of
Northern Ireland’s major session pubs, which burned down in 2000. Live in
the Kitchen (available from www.crosskeys.clara.net) features a host of
local musicians, including ex‑members of Déanta, plus songs from Len
Graham.
It had to happen and Bill
Laswell beat the field with the first ever traditional remix album, Emerald
Aether: Shape Shifting (2000, Shanachie), subtitled “Reconstructions of
Irish Music”, containing re‑workings of releases by Solas,. Matt Molloy
and Jerry O’Sullivan.
Live compilations
Lovers of live recordings
should head for Ceol na hÉireann, a collection of rare live cuts
from RTÉ’s gargantuan archive,
including the legendary Castle Céilí band from 1964, early Planxty recordings
of The Raggle Taggle Gtpsy and Tabhair dom do Lámh, Joe Cooley
back for a break from the USA in 1963, a classic Paul Brady rendition of Arthur
McBride and John and Simon Doherty duetting on The Pigeon on the Gate
(1958). Others to hunt down include Sessions from the Hearth, the
brainchild of Kerry guitarist Benny O’Carroll who brought musicians from all
over the country to a fun‑packed evening at Tralee’s National Folk
Theatre. Gael Force, recorded at The Point Theatre, Dublin has virtually
all the big names from Irish music and several special guests. The undoubted
highlights are Sharon Shannon’s version of The Penguin Café Orchestra’s Tune
for a Found Harmonium that teeters on the brink of berserkerdom, and the
dynamic interplay between Dermot Byrne’s accordion and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh’s
fiddle on Altan’s The Boxty Set. Sharon also pops up on The
Transatlantic Sessions (Iona), along with Paul Brady, Maura O’Connell and
Tommy Hayes on a 2‑volume set recorded for TV and featuring predominantly
Scottish, American and Irish musicians. Saving the best till the very end, the
spirit of youth is captured on Cumar (Cló Iar‑Chonnacta), the name
of an annual week‑long school for young people centred on the arts and
culture of the Gaeltacht regions. The disc collates 19 of the singers and
musicians who sang or played during the school’s concerts and is simply brim‑full
with a stupendous range of talent and should be number one on your shopping
list, if you need reassuring about the tradition’s future.
Controversy
Bringing It All Back Home accompanied the much‑debated
BBC TV series (see p544) and many of its 37 tracks (spread over 2 CDs or 3 LPs)
continue to raise eyebrows. What are we to make of The Everly Brothers singing Rose
Connolly to the accompaniment of Liam O’Flynn’s uilleann pipes or a duet
between Elvis Costello and Mary Coughlan? Well, as much as we want to and
there’s plenty here to tickle the senses. The series was so popular that it
even sparked a tour, live highlights of which are collated on Guinness Tour
‘92 ‑ Bringing It All Back Home (with Mick Hanly, Scullion, Sharon
Shannon and the duo of Stephen Cooney and Séamus Begley who were not involved
in the original project). 1995's even more controversial A River of Sound
(see p544) charted the “changing course of Irish Traditional Music”, but,
whatever your view, it’s worth acquiring simply for the mind‑boggling
duet between Altan’s Ciarán Tourish and Dermot Byrne on Johnny Doherty’s
which doesn’t just raise the rafters as suggest the need for a new roof!
Regional compilations
Donegal fiddle music (see
pp308-312), Irish musicians in London (see pp355-358) and Sliabh Luachra (see
pp346-349) compilations are covered elsewhere.
Most local compilations
emanate from the Western coastline. From the far southwest comes Beauty an
Oíleáin (Claddagh), a lavish collection of music and song from the now‑deserted
Blasket Islands off the Dingle Peninsula, Kerry. This marvellous collection
features former islanders and their descendants, recorded between 1957 and
1991, and offers a tantalising view of the importance of music on the
Blaskets Clare is well‑represented
by the tremendous Farewell to Lissycasey, virtually a county ‘greatest
hits’ compilation, including Willie Clancy, the Tulla CB, Bobby Gardiner and
singer Siney Crotty (with whom the song providing the title was always
associated). Also of note is The Sound of Stone (1993) recorded in
support of The Burren Action Group and featuring a host of Clare‑born or ‑based
musicians including Tommy and Siobhán Peoples, Davy Spillane, Luka Bloom, and
Mary Custy. The Sanctuary Sessions (1994) captures Seán Tyrrell, Siobhán
Peoples, Jo Marsh, PJ King et alia in the raw at Cruise’s in Ennis. Listen
carefully and you can hear a certain well-known personality instructing the
punters to keep quiet. Further up the coast, Galway has Ceol Tigh Neachtain,
a neat compilation of contemporary musicians, including fiddlers Seán Smyth and
Máirín Fahy, flute‑player Brian Lennon, and a border‑hopping guest
spot for Sharon Shannon. The Connemara‑based Cló Iar‑Chonnachta
label naturally has several excellent collections, including Seoda Chonamara
Volumes 1 & 2 featuring
musicians such as the Hernon brothers and Johnny Connolly plus a number of
acclaimed sean‑nós singers, notably Joe Heaney and Seán ‘ac Dhonncha.
Connemara’s idiosyncratic blend of sean‑nós and Country and Western (sung
in Irish) is best heard on Gaelcheol Tire Phléaráca Chonamara, a live
concert featuring the genre’s reputed creator, John Beag. Thanks to the Coleman
Heritage Centre in Gurteen, Sligo has produced several find compilations and
the latest is The Mountain Road, a collection of tunes popular in the
south of the county and featuring a host of flute players and fiddlers. Trad
Tráthnóna is a tremendous set of live recordings from contemporary Donegal
musicians, including Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, her brother Gearoíd (one of the best
guitar accompanists around), and fiddlers Stephen Campbell, Paula Doohan and
Hugh Ó Gallchóir. Finally, also well
worth seeking out are the various annual Raidió na Gaeltachta compilations,
such as Blas, Réalta (the
RnaG song competition) or its 25th anniversary selection, Togha
agus Rogha, all featuring a host of singers and musicians from the
Gaeltacht regions.
Dancing
As most Irish music is really
dance music, it may seem strange to include this section, but some astonishing
collections have been issued geared directly towards dancers. The undeniably
best is Set Dances of Ireland: Music for Listening and Dancing, four‑course delight ‑ popular
dance sets from the south‑west of the country, performed with ultimate
zest by musicians such as Breandán Begley, Johnny O’Leary, Tommy McCarthy and
Michael Tubridy. Accordionist Matt Cunningham has also produced twelve volumes
of the Dance Music of Ireland
all aimed directly at the toe‑twinkling
market while Outlet’s First Steps and Beyond contains a range of
accompaniments for practice at home.
SINGERS
Sean-Nós
Singers
Unfortunately, a shortage of
space precluded this entry in its entirety, though certain key figures
reappeared with their own entry in the Singers section.
The origins and nature of the
form of unaccompanied singing in the Irish language known as sean-nós have been
already covered (see pp23-25). So this entry aims to guide you towards some of
the key figures in she song tradition. Some, such as Joe Heaney (Seosamh Ó
hÉanaí) Áine Uí Cheallaigh and Iarla Ó Lionáird, whose careers have encompassed
other areas, consequently have their own devoted entries in this Singers
section.
A cautionary word is essential
before commencing. Many of the recordings described were, of course, produced
in a studio and lack the essential empathy of an audience so fundamental to
sean-nós singing. Moreover, such recordings should not be understood as the
‘definitive’ rendition of a song, but simply the way it was sung at the very
moment of the recording.
Compilations
As ever, there are a number of
highly recommended compilations available. Two, however, stand out from the
pack. Amhráin ar an Sean-Nós reaps a rich harvest from the RTÉ archives,
covering singers from all the main Gaeltacht areas and includes a rare
recording of Aodh Ó Domhnaill (father of Tríona, Maighréad and Mícheál) and a
call-and-response rendition of Cúnla alternating between Irish (Joe
Heaney) and English (Séamus Ennis). The second is Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Buaiteoirí
Chorn Uí Riada, a double CD featuring all sixteen winners of the
prestigious singing trophy from 1972-1996. However, this is largely a Connemara
compilation, since the only exceptions are Áine Uí Cheallaigh (born Belfast,
but long resident in Ring) and the Donegal singers Lillis Ó Laoire and
Gearóidín Bhreathnach. RnaG’s annual Réalta releases of recordings from
the station’s own competition are also of exceptional quality and include many
singers who would not otherwise be recorded.
Our geographical journey
through the Gaeltachta now follows, commencing in Waterford and moving
clockwise around the country.
Waterford
Some would argue that Nioclás
Tóibin (1928-1994) was not only the greatest singer from the Waterford
Gaeltacht of Na Déise, but one of the most majestic voices Ireland has ever
produced and it would be foolhardy to disagree with either conviction. From
Rinn Ò gCuanach (Ring), Nioclás learned his songs from his parents who, in
turn, had learned from their own forebears and it is almost impossible to
describe the sheer beauty and power of his singing in words. His control of
both voice and breathing was staggering and allowed him to incorporate the
subtlest of variations into his singing which, nonetheless, still focussed on a
song’s essential melodic ingredients. Champion at the Oireachtas major singing
competition (now Corn Uí Riada) for a unique three consecutive years (1961-63),
his repertoire encompassed an astounding three hundred songs or more, including
those from local poets, but also many others from around the country. However,
the one song with which he will ever be associated is Na Connerys, one
of the ‘big’ songs in the tradition, recalling the sufferings of three brothers
transported from Waterford to New South Wales in the first half of the 19th
century as a consequence of disputes over land rights. This song is, naturally,
included on the definitive Rinn na Gael, a simply astounding compilation
of Tóibín’s singing from the radio archives, which also features a quite
extraordinary version of Róisín Dubh, where his voice gives the
impression of being just about to crack under the stress of emotion without
ever quite doing so.
RTÉ has recently issued a
collection of songs Amhrán ó Shliabh gCua from Labhrás Ó Cadhla
(1889-1961) from Scartnadriny which contains recordings dating as far back as
1928. The importance of these thirty-two songs lies in their antiquity, since
Labhrás learned most of them from his mother (b. 1847) and aunt (b. 1823) who,
in turn, learned from their own forebears. Consequently, this majestic recording
forms a remarkable bridge spanning several centuries.
Not herself a native of Co.
Waterford, Ann Mulqueen (b. 1945, Castleconnell, Co, Limerick) moved to
Ring in 1969. A teenaged prodigy, she won the Senior song title at the 1959
Fleadh Cheoil and repeated her success the next two years. At fourteen, she
joined one of Ireland’s most famous céilí bands, the Gallowglass, and embarked
on a successful ballad-singing career for the next decade before settling in
Co. Waterford. For some time she managed a local pub, while also learning Irish
and, subsequently, acquiring a new song repertoire, learned in part from the
Tóibins. Her first album, Kerry’s 25th, appeared in 1981, but
the one to look ouf for is Mo Ghrása Thall na Déise (1992), aptly
subtitled Memorable Songs in the
Munster Tradition which features Anne in excellent voice on songs in both
Irish and English.
" Nioclás Tóibin Rinn na
Gael (1970s-1980s, Cló Iar-Chonnachta). Glorious singing from the most
acclaimed of Irish singers.
Cork
The singers of Cúil Aodha
(Coolea) in the West Cork Gaeltacht of Mhúscraí have been well-known ever since
Seán Ó Riada established the local choir in the 1960s. Known also for the
breadth of their repertoire, their numbers include Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin,
erstwhile winner of the Oireachtas women’s song title, Sean-Nós na mBan.
Nowadays teaching singing at UCC, her marvellous album, Cois Abhann na Séad
(1997) demonstrates the eminence of her singing through such songs as a
gorgeous Bruach Na Carraige Báine and a quirky, macaronic An Hide and
Go Seek. A couple of other songs also follow Ó Riada’s original
arrangements.
Kerry
The pivotal place of music and
song in the Blasket Islands reached an international audience, through three
remarkable autobiographical accounts by islanders, published between 1929 and
1936, of which Muiris Ó Súilleabháin’s Twenty Years a Growing remains
easily the most readable and enjoyable. The last permanent residents of the
wind-battered Blaskets left in 1953 and many settled on the nearby Dingle
peninsula. Its Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht has itself a grand musical tradition,
represented most notably by the Ó Beaglaoich (Begley) family from Baile na
bPoc. The two traditions have intermingled and combined to rivetting effect on
one of the quintessential recordings, Beauty an Oileáin, a compelling
tribute to the enduring fortitude of the islanders. Worth acquiring for the
accompanying booklet alone, compiled by Rionach Uí Ogáin, this is not just an
historical record, but a dazzling testimony to the power of music in the face
of adversity.
" Beauty an Oileáin
(1957-1991, Claddagh) A consummate, yet ultimately tragic recording of a life
from a distant epoch.
Connemara
Sean-nós retains a powerful place
in the cultural life of Connemara in Co. Galway. Indeed, the region has its own
record label, Cló Iar-Chonnachta, whose catalogue boasts many superb recordings
of local singers. Carna (and its surrounding area is the heartland of sean-nós)
has produced many exceptional singers, not least, of course, Joe Heaney. One of
the most celebrated was Joe’s close friend Séan ‘ac Dhonncha (1919-96)
who learned his singing from his parents. Education in Dublin and a subsequent
teaching career of his own did not diminish his passion for music and he
broadened his repertoire by studying the songs of Munster and Donegal, mainly
in the Irish language. During the 1940s he encountered Séamus Ennis when the
latter was collecting music for the Folklore Commission and, as a consequence,
spent much time learning new songs and passing on others from his own
storehouse. For more than twenty years he lived, and worked as a head teacher,
in Ath Eascraigh, East Galway. On his 75th birthday Cló
Iar-Chonnachta issued An Spailpín Fánach, a fine tribute to a talented
man which, though subtitled “Traditional Songs from Connemara”, includes
several songs in English (John Mitchell, Cathal Brugha amongst
others). Most of the album was recorded in 1987, but make sure you buy the CD
version as it has 8 tracks more than the cassette.
Máirtín Tom Sheánín Mac
Donnacha
(b.1955, near Lettermore) is one of the most well-known of contemporary singers
and a regular presenter on RnaG to boot. He was the youngest ever winner of the
Corn Uí Riada in 1983 and was successful again in 1988. A singer of superb
range, Máirtín has recorded two grand albums of which the most intriguing is
his first, Seoltóireacht Gheár - Amhráin Sheáin Cheoinin, consisting
entirely of songs composed by one of Connemara’s most prolific bards, Sheáin
Cheoinin, who specialised in describing maritime adventures and recites two of
his own works on the album.
Women singers are well
represented too, not least by a pair of astonishing recordings from the 1970s.
The first comes from Caitlín Maude (1941-82), from Casla, whose many
talents included acting, poetry, play-writing and fiddling. Her only album, Caitlín
(1975) reveals a pure-voiced singer of astonishing magnitude and
virtuosity, highlighted on Dónal Óg and An Bonnán Buí (the latter
being also the name of the singers’ club she co-founded in Dublin). Why
Claddagh has never reissued Máire Áine Ní Dhonnchadha’s 1970 album Deora
Aille remains an unfathomable mystery for this is one of the classic albums
of Irish song. Máire Áine (1919-1991)
came from Spiddal and often appeared on radio and TV from the 1950s onwards.
The original Deora Aille LP was one of the most elaborately packaged of
all Irish releases, complete with inset gatefold sleeve and lyrics booklet, and
features both a voice as clear as the “water from the rock” whence it derives
its title and her rare full-length version of Úna Bhán, sung with
irresistible beauty. In complete contrast, is the jovial An Faoitín, a
song espousing the cause of the whiting as a fish fit for the tables of the
nobility.
" Séan ‘ac Dhonncha An
Spailpín Fánach (mainly 1987, Cló Iar-Chonnachta) A grand compilation
demonstrating the sheer versatility of Séan’s magisterial voice.
! Máire Áine Ní Dhonnchadha
Deora Aille (1970, Claddagh) Utterly gorgeous singing - come on, Claddagh,
it’s time for a reissue.
The Aran Islands
Descended in part from troops
in Cromwell’s army, the people of the
Aran Islands, off the coast of Galway, have their own colourful song tradition
which can be traced back to the poetry of the 18th and 19th
centuries. Indeed, islanders sometimes use the word ‘casadh’ (a twist or coil,
as in rope) to describe singing. Few recordings have been made, so Songs of
Aran, featuring islanders taped by Sidney Robertson Cowell in 1955, are to
be treasured. Most are sung by Margaret Dirrane or her son Seán (when he could
take time off from farming) and include songs used by the singers to accompany
typical activities, such as An Túirnín Lán, associated with spinning.
Mayo
Singers from the Mayo
Gaeltachta were less well known until Raidió na Gaeltachta began broadcasting
from Castlebar in 1972. Its archives store a host of field recordings from the
Achill Island, Erris and Tourmakeady districts and a selection is available on Glór
Mhaigh Eo (Voice of Mayo), a fine example of the region’s breadth of
singing styles (including some curious Country and Irish adaptations.
Donegal
The county’s sean-nós style is
generally reckoned to be less ornamental than Connemara and singing tends to
focus more on the song’s rhythm. One of the queens of the county’s song
tradition was Róise Bean Mhic Grianna (1879-1964), variously known as
Róise Rua (Redhaired Rose) or Róise na
nAmhran (Rose of the Songs) who, though born on the mainland, lived most of her
life on Arranmore Island. Róise’s
repertoire was fertilized by spells spent first when she was hired out to work
in the area of East Donegal, Derry and Tyrone known as The Lagan and later in
Scotland. She was recorded by Radio Éireann in 1953, singing around fifty
songs, and though then in her seventies, still sang with passion and vigour.
Twenty-five of these appear on Songs of a Donegal Woman and include
popular Donegal songs such as An Spealadóir and Má Théann Tú Chun
Aonaigh.
The inhabitants of outlying
Tory Island constitute Ireland’s most isolated community with a powerful
tradition of music, song and dance. One of the most well-known singers to come
from the island is Eamonn Mac Ruari (b.1928) who now lives in Falcarragh on the
mainland. Eamonn also plays accordion, the island’s favoured instrument, but
his album Toraigh Ó Thuaidh (1989) is entirely devoted to song and
includes a fun-packed An Ghoibóg call and response song with his
daughter Patricia. This also features on Seoda, a formidable compilation
of singers from the county, including two members of the indomitable Ó
Domhnaill clan from Rann na Feirste (Caitlín and Conall).
One of the foremost
contemporary singers from the county is Lillis Ó Laoire from Gortahork, twice
winner of the Corn Uí Riada in the 1990s and now director of The Song Centre in
the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick. Noted for his
collecting of songs, particularly from southwest Donegal and Tory Island,
Lillis sings with a voice of velvet, sometimes producing sudden wonderful
octave leaps in pitch. His only album, Bláth Gach Géag dá dTíg is a
wonderfully warm collection drawn from Donegal’s deep heritage.
" Various Seoda
(1980s-1990s, Cló Iar-Chonnachta) A compilation which demonstrates both the
breadth and depth of the Donegal tradition.
Meath
The small Gaeltacht of Rath
Cairn in Co. Meath was only established in 1935 as part of a government
relocation scheme. Among the new inhabitants was Darach Ó Catháin
(1922-1987) who was born in Lettermore, Connemara in 1922. Darach lived for
many years in Leeds, England, where he worked as a builder, but never lost his
love for the songs he learned in his childhood nor the eloquence of his voice,
by the evidence of his stunning album, Traditional Irish Unaccompanied
Singing. Perhaps the songs of a migrant possess an additional
strength and vitality, animated by estrangement, but, whatever the case, this
stands alongside some of the greatest recordings of sean-nós ever to be made.
Compelling, calm and authoritative, Ó Catháin was one of the undisputed masters
of Irish song.
" Traditional Irish
Unaccompanied Singing (1975, Shanachie) Joyous, redolent singing from the
mighty Darach.
Jo
Collins
One of the freshest albums of
1999 was Jo Collins’s debut Watercolours, a startling blend of mainly
self-penned songs delivered with a silken style and a dash of panache not
usually associated with a newcomer. But then, of course, Jo isn’t a tiro, but
honed her craft on the London pub music scene where she met husband Tom (a
traditional banjoist/mandolin-player). Moving back to Tom’s home base in South
Roscommon, they began to play sessions around the midlands where audience
requests for her own compositions began to out-number the traditional songs.
Born in London, though her Grandfather was from Donegal, Jo’s reputation
increased supporting Frances Black on tour and the critical acclaim accorded
her affectionate songs promises a rosy future.
" Watercolours (1999,
Ainm) One of the best of the new breed of singer-songwriters.
Rita
Connolly
Dubliner Rita Connolly rose to
prominence through her featured role in Granuaile, future husband Shaun
Davey’s 1986 celebration of the Clare pirate queen, composed specifically with
the vocalist in mind. By then, this fifth-born of seven children had been
singing professionally for almost a decade, starting in Dublin’s pubs and clubs
when she was 14. Her first collaboration with Davey had been The Pilgrim
(where she sings with Welsh and Cornish choirs and two of her sisters, Ursula
and Inez), but Granuaile sparked an international tour and increasing
acclaim for Rita’s pure, yet powerful voice. Since then Davey has co-produced
her two solo albums, 1992's self-titled opener and 1995's Valparaiso and
both bear the composer’s considerable stamp. The debut album’s highlights
include tremendous collaborations with The Voice Squad - the bouncy Venezuela
(which also features Máirtín O’Connor and Davy Spillane) - and harmonised Factory
Girl/Same Old Man with Liam Ó Flynn (Rita returned the compliment on
the piper’s Out to the Other Side). It’s a fine album, despite
occasional lapses into jazz ballad and Beatles tendencies and a plodding rock
track Amiens, though the traditional elements had all but vanished by
the time of Valparaiso, a solid, but very much MoR rock performance.
" Rita Connolly (1992,
Tara). Innovative arrangements abound in this bright debut album worth
acquiring simply for Rita’s lush harmonies on Factory Girl.
Tim Dennehy
The rich, warm voice of Tim
Dennehy has been beguiling audiences for the last two decades. Based in Mullach,
Co. Clare, and working as a schoolteacher, Tim has never lost touch with his
Kerry roots. Born in Ballinskelligs to parents who both sang, he was raised in
Cahirciveen and retains a strong affection for the works of the town’s
best-known poet, playwright and songsmith, Sigerson Clifford. Singing usually
unaccompanied in both Irish and English, Tim has released three grand albums.
The first, 1989's atmospheric A Thimbleful of Song, includes musical
Tim’s setting of Clifford’s poem, The Ballad of the Tinker’s Daughter,
while his own superb song, The Ballad of James Moore (the tale of an
unfulfilled dreamer), on 1993's A Winter’s Tear, demonstrates the power
and vision of his own song-writing skills. More recently, 1997 saw the release
of Farewell to Miltown Malba