(a) Internal socket slane, Attymon, County Galway; (b) Long open socket slane, Keady, County Armagh; (c) Short open socket slane, Derry, County Galway; (d) Short open socket slane, Lackagh Beg, County Galway; (e) Strap socket slane, Kildare; (f) Strap socket slane, County Derry; (g) Open socket slane, Glendun, County Antrim; (h) English peat spade from Rosedale Moor; (i) Peat spade from south-west Scotland; (j) Scottish peat spade; (k) Welsh peat spade, Tywyn, Merioneth; (l) Danish two-winged peat spade, North Rangstrup county; (m) Norse peat spade, Sunnmore, More and Romsdal; (n) Danish implement for cutting mud turf, Baarse county; (o) Turf cish from County Armagh; (p) Turf barrow from County Meath; (q) Turf barrow from County Antrim. (for more see [1]TUSHKAR/TUSHKER, DA. Shetland, Reel (cut time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. Composed by Ronny/Ronnie Cooper (d. 1982) of Lerwick, an accomplished self‑taught Shetland accordion player and piano accompanist. A tushkar is the Shetland name of a tool for the cutting of peat, although there are very similar tools in use throughout Ireland, Britain and the Continent. In Ireland the tool is called a slane. Cooper got the inspiration for the melody at his local smithy, watching the forging of the instrument by the owners of the establishment, the famous Shetland fiddlers Willie Hunter Senior and Junior. The tune has become popular throughout Britain and especially among Scottish dance bands.
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Anderson & Georgeson (Da Mirrie Dancers), 1970; p. 35. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 231. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 26. Songer & Curley (The Portland Collection vol. 2), 2005; p. 212.
Recorded sources : - Fiesta FLPS 1760, "The Gallowglass Ceili Band" (1975). Flying Fish FF 225, Boys of the Lough - "Regrouped" (1980). Greentrax Trax 186, Cullivoe Band - "Willie's Last Session" (1999).
See also listing at : Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]
