The Leitrim Thrush
Neil Mulligan
Spring Records - SCD1037
|
The Leitrim Thrush Neil Mulligan Spring Records - SCD1037
|
Néillidh Mulligan was born into a musical family in Phibsborough, Dublin and like many such families, the Mulligan roots lay outside Dublin. Their mother Catherine came from Beale, Co. Kerry and their father Tom (1915-1984) from Barnacoola, Co. Leitrim. Tom played the fiddle from childhood and took up the pipes after he came to Dublin, when he got a set of pipes made in 1938 by James Mulcrone from Co. Longford. This is the same set of pipes which Néillidh plays here and are pitched in C#. Though Tom did not play the pipes much in later years, he gave Néillidh his first lessons. This was followed by two years of more formal instruction from the great Leo Rowsome in the Municipal School of Music and the Piper's Club, Thomas Street. However, the piper who most influenced him was Séamus Ennis, a great friend of Tom Mulligan's and a frequent visitor to the Mulligan's house in Phibsborough. While Ennis never formally taught any pupils, he would comment in a majesterial fashion on points of style and technique. Another musical friend of Tom's was the piper Tommy Reck whose remarkable style also impinged on Néillidh's. The influence of both piper is clear in the selection of dance tunes on this album. Another strand in Néillidh's piping is his interest in Irish, and especially sean nós singing, and this comes across in the sensitivity and phrasing of his air-playing. This is Néillidh's second solo CD. His first, Barr na Cúile (CD1022) took it's name from a reel he composed for his father. With traditional musicians commercial recordings are not so much a definitive statement on their music as milestones along the way they are travelling musically. This is the second recording milestone in Néillidh's career and we can look forward to a few more along his musical road. As the old saying has it Néillidh : "More power to your elbow and a fair wind to the bellows!"
Seán Donnelly
TRACK LISTING
1. Dwyer's Hornpipe / An Staicín Eorna (Hornpipes) The first hornpipe is also known as The Waterford Hornpipe in O'Farrell's collection from the early 19th century and one of several tunes he named and renamed after his favourite city. Originally having parts 1, 2 and 4, part 3 was added by Captain Francis O'Neill at the beginning of this century. Ironically, I got this tune from O'Neill's collection of 1001 tunes after hearing it played by Séamus Ennis. Scríobh on píobaire Leo Rowsome An Staicín Eorna síos dhom nuair a bhí mé ag freastal ar ranganna phíobaireachta leis ar feadh cúpla bliain sula bhfuair sé bás i 1970.
2. Caiptín Ó Máille (Fonn Mall) Amhrán é seo a bhfuil an-bhaint aige le cúusaí farraige agus smuigléarachta. De bhunadh Ghráinne Ní Mháille ab ea Caiptín Ó Máille agus tá sé sa seanchas gur mhair seisean i dtús an naoú céad déag. Bhíodh sé ag dul thar farraigí chun na Fraince agus ar ais go hÉirinn agus cur síos atá san amhrán ar eachtra a tharla nuair a lean árthach de chuid an Rí é ag iarraidh é a gabháil. Cé go raibh sé ina stoirm agus ina ghála, d'éirigh leis an máilleach éalú agus a theacht slán i ngeall ar a shaineolas ar farraigí agus ar chóstaí iarthair na hÉireann. The hero of this song has been claimed to have been George O'Malley who is thought to have died in the workhouse in Westport, Co. Mayo around 1869. The song is a vivid description of a severe storm off the west coast of Ireland, which I first heard from the singing of Darach Ó Catháin.
3. Mullin’s Fancy/The Sailor on the Rock/The Flags of Dublin (Reels) Mullin’s Fancy is a tune I learnt from a recording of the Longford fiddle player Packie Dolan on a compilation record called The Wheels of the World. It is orginally a Scottish song Nae good luck about the Hoose and also appears as a single jig Christmas Eve. Under a Gaelic title which translates Over the Isles to America, it is found as a reel on the highland pipes. The second reel is also called Johnny with the Queer Thing and is a tune I got from my father Tom. The final reel is one I often heard Séamus Ennis playing, who had it from his father James (1887 - 1964). In O’Neill’s collection it is called The Millers Maid but with a different turn.
4. The Newport Lass / Port an Bhráthair (Jigs) These are two jigs I have from my father. The first is also known as The Trip to Athlone. Port an Bhráthair is better known as The Gander in the Pratie Hole with the Brother of the title being Brother Gildas (Padraig Ó Seaghdha 1882-1961. He learnt the jig from Tom Rowsome (d.1928), uncle of the famouse Leo, who called it Butler’s Jig. It was one of the first tunes I heard my father play on the pipes, who more that likely got it from his friend Tommy Reck, who probably got it from Leo Rowsome.
5. Cuaichín Ghleann Néifín (Fonn mall) Amhrán grá é atá curtha I mbéal an ógfhir agus é ag iarradh bean óg a mhealladh. Faoi mar is dual d’amhráin ghrá na Gaeilge, is sa dúlra a phréamhaítear íomhanna an ghrá. Tugann na samhlaoidí barr áille ar a chéile le háthas, le brón nó le fulaingt an ghrá a chur I láthair trí mbeán an dúltra. A beautiful love song that I acquired from the singing of Seosaimh Ó hÉanaí, the great sean nós singer from Carna, Connemara, who died in 1984.
6. Aursundvals 2 / Labajalavalts (Waltz) Aursundvals is a Norweigan waltz that I came across for a trip to play at a festival in Norway in 1991 in the company of some musical friends. Apparently it is a waltz associated with a place name and means ‘ a little strait’ either in a lake or in a fjord. The second waltz was similarly learnt by a group of Irish musicians for a trip to Estonia in 1988. I subsequently got it from my old friend Paidí Bán Ó Broin on our return from that trip. This was not the first tune I had learnt from Paidí as he taught me some tunes on the whistle in St. Mary’s Music Club, Church St. Dublin, when I was setting out on my musical road! The title translates as The Flatfoot Waltz and was apparently orginally danced on ships in the Baltic sea, whre feet slided rather that lifted, for reasons of balance.
7. The Drunken Landlady / The Leitrim Thrush (Reels) Although Séamus Ennis did not teach music he did notate certain tunes on request for my father and myself. These are two such tunes. The first reel Séamus said he collec in Inishnee, Connemara in the 1940’s which was untitled, but he subsquently heard this title in Co. Cavan. Leitrim occurs in a fair number of tunes titles and is evidence of the popularity of traditional music in the county. No doubt The Leitim Thrush sang above The Whinny Hills of Leitrim!
8. Packie Duignan’s Jig / Fasten the Leg in Her (Jigs) Another friend of my father’s was the great flute player Packie Duignan from Arigna, Co. Roscommon, from whom my father got the first jig. Fasten the Leg in Her, was a once popular jig which suits the pipe chanter and lends itself to melodic and rythmic variation.
9. The Scholar / The Abbey Reel / The Flax in Bloom (Reels) The Scholar is a reel I first heard from the playing of Tommy Reck and is probably of Scottish origin. The ‘Abbey’ in question in the next reel is the Abbey Theatre. It was a tune popular with musicians assembled by Seán Ó Riada to provide music for a population of ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ in the 1960’s. Also known as Redigan’s Reel, it was a favourite tune of my fathers. Th Flax in Bloom is an attractive reel I acquired from the playing of Séamus Ennis.
10. Bean Dubh an Gheanna (Fonn mall) Tugtar Mal Dubh an Ghleanna ar an amhrán seo fresin. Amhrán liriciúil grá é agus amhrán de chuid an ógfhir é. Dianfhulaingt agus pian an ghrá na mothúcháin is treise atá ann. Leagtar béim ar áilleacht na mná I dtéarmaí an dúlra agus tá na híomhanna seo ag teacht le gluaiseacht an ghrá chuirtéise de chuid an triú céad déag. The Dark Woman of the Glen is one of the great airs and love-songs in the Irish Tradition. I often had the pleasure of hearing it sung by Seán Ach Dhonncha, the great sean-nós singer from Ahascragh, Co. Galway and a great friend of my fathers, who sadly passed away in December.
11. Higgins’ Hornpipe / Cornphíopa na Síóga (Hornpipes) Higgins’ Hornpipe is attributed in the north of England to James Hill, composer of the famous High Level Hornpipe. Also known as The Cliff and The Ruby, I learnt it from an old recording of Tommy Reck. The Fairies Hornpipe which follows is a dance version of Mór Chluana - More of Cloyne - a stately air collected and published by P.W. Joyce. ‘Mór’ was the fairy goddess of the area around Cloyne, Co. Cork. Early this century Osborn Bergin, the legendary Irish scholar, wrote An t-Amhrán Dóchas to More of Cloyne. This song was once a serious contender for the Irish National Anthem. Séamus Ennis was the source of this lovely hornpipe.
12. Duke Gordon / My Love is in America (Reels) The name of the first reel is from The Duke of Gordon’s Rand published in Glasgow in 1778. It was in print 20 years prior to that under the title Bod ‘na Sheasamh. This version derives from Séamus Ennis and through his father from Pat Ward of The Black Bull, Drogheda, a famous piper and reed-maker in his day. My Love is in America belongs to a family of tunes - The Dunmore Lasses, The Collier’s Reel and the jig Do you Want Anymore. American musicians early this century called this reel My Love is On The Ocean.
13. Curachaí na Trá Báine / Cucanady (Fonn mall agus port luascaigh) Caoineadh atá anseo ar fhir a bádh agus iad ag teacht I gcurach go Garmna, I gceantar na nOileán I gContae na Gaillimhe. Tá an t-amhrán leagtha ar Bhríd Ni Mháille, deirfiúr do na fir a bádh. D’imigh sí go Meiriceá agus chum sí amhrán eile faoin saol thall. De réir cosúlachta, tá an dá amhráin seo imithe isteach ina chéile. Tá sé raite go bhfuil sé céad bliain ó shin, nó mar sin, ó cumadh na h-amhráin. Tugtar Amhrán na Trá Báine agus Mo Mhíle Slán le Éireann air chomh maith agus in ainneoin ‘an scéal scráite ag an toinn bháite’ agus croí ann, is amhrán é a thaítnionn go mór le muintir Chonamara. This is one of the first songs I heard sung by Seosamh Ó hÉanaí which laments the drowning of her brothers by Bríd Ní Mháille in a boating tragedy off the coast of Connemara. Cucanandy is one of the numerous songs recorded from Elizabeth Cronin from Ballyvourney, Co. Cork. She was actually bedridden by the time of recording and sang into a microphone placed beside her on the pillow.
14. Toss the Feathers / Gorman’s Reel (Reels) These two concluding reels are of my father Tom playing the fiddle and were recorded in Phisborough by my brother Alphie in 1982. It was a rare ocasion for him to sit in front of a microphone, so I am naturally proud and delighted to have him playing on this album. It also presents the listener with an opportunity of hearing the lovely, flowing Leitrim style of fiddle playing. Toss the Feathers is a great tune which I always associate with my father and Tommy Reck the piper. The second reel is called after Johnny Gorman, or Jack the Piper as he was known, from Derrylahon, Co. Roscommon. Gorman was a travelling piper and fiddle-player who roamed the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim, playing and teaching until his tragic death outside Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim in 1917.
Néillidh Mulligan
Mí Aibreán 1997
Spring Records, 50 Shore Road, Rostrevor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. Tel/Fax (016937) 38015
This page was last updated on 28th March 2000 by Paula Roche
npupipes@iol.ie