DUKE OF LEINSTER [1], THE (Diúc Laighean). AKA and see "Dandy Reel (The)," "Margaret Collins' Reel." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Breathnach, Miller & Perron, O'Malley): One part (Allan's): AAB (Flaherty): AA'B (O'Neill): AABB (Mulvihill): AA'BB' (Tubridy). The 1st Duke of Leinster was James Fitzgerald, the father of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, one of the leaders of the Irish rebellion of 1798, later betrayed and murdered. James was a member of the "Patriot's Party" in the pre-Union Irish Parliament, and married Emily Lennox, one of four Lennox sisters who were all interesting characters. Emily herself had radical tastes, although James is reported to have been quite dull. Paul de Grae reports that "she employed a tutor, William Ogilvie, to educate her children on Rousseau-esque principles at their house, Frescati, in Blackrock, County Dublin (the house was demolished, amidst much controversy, in the 1970s). After the death of her husband Emily scandalised genteel opinion by marrying Ogilvie." Researcher Conor Ward finds the earliest appearance of this tune to be in the 1883 Stephen Grier manuscript of County Leitrim, where it was entered under the title "Lord Wellington's Reel" (see "Lord Wellington (1)").
Michael Coleman
See also "Duke of Leinster's Wife (The)" (AKA "Ladies' Pantalettes (1) (The)"), often paired with this tune, as for example, by Sligo/New York fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945) who recorded the set in a fiddle duet with County Longford fiddler Packie Dolan (1904-32) in May, 1927 (as "The Duke of Leinster, And His Wife"). Famed County Sligo fiddler James Morrison recorded the "Duke of Leinster" in a duet with uilleann piper Michael Carney. The latter gave émigré Morrison lodging in New York City, when the fiddler arrived from Ireland. However, the earliest extent sound recording was captured on a cylinder recording by Capt. Francis O'Neill c. 1904, from the playing of renowned uilleann piper Patsy Touhey. It was recorded in 1923 by Drumlish, County Longford, melodeon player Frank Quinn (1893-1964), finds researcher Conor Ward, albeit as "Margaret Collins' Reel." Packie Dolan
"Dandy Reel (The)," printed by O'Neill, is a version of this tune.
Additional notes Source for notated version : - a 1969 recording of Máirtín Byrnes (b. 1927) [Miller & Perron]; fiddler Tommy Potts (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Peter Horan (b. 1926, Kilavil, Co. Sligo) [Flaherty]; fiddler Brendan Mulvihill (Baltimore, Md.) [Mulvihill]; New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955, originally from County Mayo) [O'Malley].
Printed sources : - Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. I), 1963; No. 194, p. 75. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 62. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 6. McDermott (Allan's Irish Fiddler), c. 1920's; No. 57, p. 14. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music, vol. 1), 1977; No. 64. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 66. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 143, p. 38. O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 54, p. 27. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 294, p. 147. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; p. 22.
Recorded sources : - Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 167, Peter Horan & Gerry Harrington - "The Merry Love to Play" (2007. One of Peter Horan's favourite tunes). Columbia 33350-F (78 RPM), Michael Carney & James Morrison (1929). Columbia 35612, "The Chieftains" (1978. The setting "would have been near to those of {piper Sean Potts'} grandfather {John Potts} and uncle Tommy," both Dublin pipers). Copely Records 9-119 (78 RPM), Paddy Cronin (195?). Gael-Linn CEF060, "Paddy Glackin." Leader LEACD 2004, "Martin Byrnes" (1969).
See also listing at : Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Hear Micheal Carney and James Morrison's 1929 recording at the Internet Archive [3] (2nd tune in set, preceded by "Peeler's Jacket (5) (The).)
