Annotation:Killfadda (The)

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KILLFADDA, THE. AKA - "Culfadda," "Coolfadda," "Kilfodda." AKA and see "Cruel Father (The), "Redican's Reel." Irish, Reel. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Composed by New York fiddler Larry Redican (1908-1975), born in Dublin of parents from County Sligo. The tune was named for the birthplace of his mother, Culfadda, a townland and school approximatley halfway between Keash (on the Boyle-Ballymote Rd.) and Gurteen (on the Boyle-Tobercurry Rd.), south County Sligo, near the border of County Roscommon. Redican emigrated to the United States in 1928 and worked for the cosmetics company Estee Lauder in New York; he became a member of the famed New York Céilí Band. The tune was called "Cruel Father (The)" by the Pride of Erin Ceili Band (who played it in the key of G Major), a corruption of the title "Killfadda." Redican's reputation in Ireland was secured by broadcasts on Ciarán Mac Mathuna's radio program A Job of Journeywork. Many pipers and flute players play the tune in the key of G. New York musician, writer and researcher Don Meade finds that Redican borrowed the second part of "Hit or Miss Reel" in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883) for his tune, although changed the key from 'C' to 'F'.

Source for notated version: flute player Charlie Lavin (b. 1940, Cloonshanville, near Frenchpark, County Roscommon) [Flaherty]; fiddler Larry Redican [Bulmer & Sharpley].

Printed sources: Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), vol. 4, 1976; No. 25. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 152 (appears as "Larry Redican's"). Taylor (Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed's Irish Choice), 1994; p. 32 (appears as "The Kilfodda").

Recorded sources: Cló Iar-Chonnachta, CICD 148, Mick Conneely - "Selkie" (2001). RTE 124, Larry Redican - "Job of Journeywork."

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