Annotation:Humors of Loughrea (1)

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HUMOURS OF LOUGHREA, THE. AKA - "Humours of Lough Reagh/Lough Ree." AKA and see "Shores of Lough Reagh (The)," "Tommy Whelan's Reel," "Whelan's Reel." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'B (Taylor): AABB (Flaherty). The tune has been a popular session piece, especially with flute players, and is associated with the playing of Ballinakill, east Galway, flute player Tommy Whelan.

Loughrea is a market town in County Galway, on the northern shore of Lough (lake) Rea. The area is rich in history from prehistoric times on; there is a domen (a prehistoric stone-slab monument), souterrains (underground passages and chambers), and two ruined towers. Crannogs, or prehistoric stockaded islands, have been found in the lake. The modern town dates from 1236 when the Anglo-Norman Knight Richard de Burgo (or de Burgh) built a castle there. Loughrea, like most of Connaught, is linked with the fortunes of the powerful de Burgh family. The founder of this house, William de Burgo or 'William the Conqueror' as he became known had obtained a grant of land in Munster. During the reign of Richard 1, Prince John made a speculative grant of the whole or part of Connaught to William de Burgo. At the time it was the property of Roderic O'Connor, the High King of Ireland and so the de Burgos had first to conquer and then fight to retain the land. William's son Richard enclosed the town of Galway and under him it was settled by the Norman families, the 'Tribes' of Galway. While he had castles at Meelick on the Shannon, Galway and Portumna, his principal manor was at Loughrea. The remains of a medieval castle and friary and the old town fortifications can still be seen, and Loughrea has a Roman Catholic cathederal built between 1900 and 1905. The area was hard-hit in the Great Famine of 1847, and many industries disappeared. The town's population dropped from 5,453 in 1841 to 3,651 in 1851 due to loss of life and emmigration.

Sources for notated versions: fiddler player Philip Duffy (b. 1966) [Flaherty]; learned from Paddy Keenan & the Bothy Band [Taylor/Tweed].

Printed sources: Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 26 (appears as "Unknown"). Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1976, vol. 3, No. 14. Taylor (Through the Half-door), 1992; No. 21, p. 16. Taylor (Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed's Irish Choice), 1994; p. 17.

Recorded sources: DMPCD 9401, Karen Tweed - "Drops of Springwater" (1994). Green Linnet SIF 3005, The Bothy Band - "Old Hag You Have Killed Me" (1981. A reissue of the 1976 Mulligan LP). Green Linnet GLCD 3067, Jack & Father Charlie Coen - "The Branch Line" (1992). Shaskeen - "Atlantic Breeze." DMPCD 9401, Karen Tweed - "Drops of Springwater" (1994).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]

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