Annotation:Rakish Paddy

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RAKISH PADDY ("Paidin An Racaire" or "Pádraig Réice"). AKA and see "Caber Féigh/Cabar Féidh," "Cameronian Rant (The)," "Caper Fey," "Castle Street Reel," "Deer's Horns (The)," "Glastertown's Downfall." Irish, Reel. D Major (Williamson): C Major (Kennedy, Phillips): D Mixolydian/D Major (Breathnach, Feldman & O'Doherty, Harker/Rafferty, Mallinson, Mitchell, O'Neill, Roche). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Feldman & O'Doherty, Mitchell, O'Neill/1850 & 1001, Roche): AABB (Kennedy, Phillips, Williamson): AA'BB' (Harker/Rafferty, Mallinson): ABC (Breathnach, O'Neill/Krassen). Brendan Breathnach (1963, 1971), Robin Williamson (1976) and other knowledgeable musicians generally think the tune, a perennial favorite of performers, originated in Scotland. O'Neill finds that Bremner published it under the title "Caper Fey" (an English corruption of the Gaelic "Caber Féigh/Cabar Féidh," 'the deer's horns') in 1768 in his Second Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances. "Rakish Paddy" is cited by Cowdery (1990) as the title tune of a dance tune family (including one march version) which includes the alternate titles given above. There are three distinct versions of the tune, says Cowdery, the first and most common of the three has its two strains corresponding to the Scots "Caber Féigh/Cabar Féidh." The second was recorded by fiddler John Doherty and appears to be particular to his home County Donegal (see "O'Halloran's"), and the third (recorded by County Clare fiddler Bobby Casey and played by many) is a four-strain variation of "Caber Féigh/Cabar Féidh," though the last two strains appear to be variations of the second. Caoimhin Mac Aoidh also states that the County Donegal version is different than the "Rakish Paddy" played in the south of Ireland. In fact, he traces an unusual version of "Rakish Paddy" from Charlie Doherty, a member of the famous fiddling Doherty family of Donegal, who brought the tune back to Ireland with him from his years in America. Although Charlie’s death from a fall out a second-story window was untimely, the tune was ultimately popularized by the playing of his younger brother John and now is known throughout Donegal. Flute player Roger Sherlock remembers "Rakish Paddy" was a favorite of uilleann piper Willie Clancy's (Miltown Malbay, County Clare) in the 1950's and 1960's when Clancy joined Sherlock and other Irish émigré musicians for a time in London. Breathnach (1963) states that O'Neill's identification of "Sporting Pat (1)" as a variant of "Rakish Paddy" is erroneous. See also the related Donegal reel "O'Halloran's," as well as "Coveny's Reel."

Irish-American uilleann piper Patsy Touhey was recorded on a cylinder machine by Capt. Francis O'Neill in Chicago playing the tune in 1904. County Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison recorded the tune in New York the 1930's in two and four parts, respectively (Morrison's parts 3 & 4 may have been variations on the 'B' part). The third and fourth parts of Rakish Paddy are said to be Coleman's composition, presumably after he recorded the usual first two parts in the early 1920s. County Kerry fiddler Paddy Cronin also recorded the four-part version.

Source for notated version: James Morrison (County Sligo/New York) [Phillips] {"Morrison seems to randomly switch from the natural to the sharp species with several undefined categories in between. Then, when he repeats sections, he distributes them differently. Other fiddlers slide around on these notes" (Phillips, 1989).}; piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Breathnach, Mitchell]; fiddler John Doherty (1895-1980, County Donegal) [Feldman & O'Doherty]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 145, p. 58. Feldman & O'Doherty (The Northern Fiddler), 1979; p. 73. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 27. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 128, p. 39. Kennedy (Traditional Dance Music of Britain and Ireland: Reels and Rants), 1997; No. 166, pg. 39. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 55, p. 24. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 63, p. 66. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 158. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1533, p. 283. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 749, p. 131. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989{B}; pp. 40-41. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; No. 133, p. 54. Williamson (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1976; p. 69.

Recorded sources: A & M 4257, Fairport Convention - "Liege and Lief" (c. 1968). Bowhand 001CD, Danny Meehan – “The Navvy on the Shore” (2000). Claddagh 4CC 39, “The Pipering of Willie Clancy Vol. 2” (1983). Columbia Records (78 RPM), James Morrison (). Copely Records 9-116 (78 RPM), Paddy Cronin (1950). Gael-Linn 1891-45, Michael Coleman. Green Linnett GLCD 1117, Altan - "Harvest Storm" (1992. A Donegal version learned from the playing of Con Cassidy, James Byrne and John Doherty). Green Linnett GLCD 1155, Martin Hayes - "Under the Moon" (1995). Morning Star 45001, James Morrison - "The Wheels of the World." Rounder 3038, Pierre Bensusan - "Musiques" (1979). Shanachie 33001, James Morrison. Bobby Casey - "Taking Flight."

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [2]
Hear James Morrison's recording at ITMA [3] on youtube [4]
Hear Paddy Cronin's 1950 recording at the Internet Archive [5]

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