Annotation:Carmel Mahoney Mulhaire

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CARMEL MAHONEY MULHAIRE (Carmel Ní Mhathúna Uí Mhaoichéire). AKA - "Carmel Mahoney's." AKA and see "Brearton's," "California Girls," "Morning Mist (The)," "O'Mahoney's." Irish-American, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD (Cranford/Holland): AA'BB'CC'DD' (Breathnach). Composed (in the key of 'C' Major) in the 1950's by New York City accordion player Martin Mulhaire (see "Golden Keyboard (The)") in honor of his wife, the correct title being "Carmel Mahoney Mulhaire," although there are several variations. However, the original title was "Carmel Mahoney", the "Mulhaire" appended to the composition after the couple wed. Mulhaire was originally from Dún an Uchta, east County Galway, and played in Ireland with the famed Tulla Céilí Band before moving to the U.S. The title "Brearton's" refers to accordion player Francie Brereton (Cathal McConnell and Robin Morton called it "Brereton's" on their album "The Irish Jubilee"), while "Morning Mist (The)" title comes from a James Keane recording. Sean Maguire recorded it as "O'Mahoney's Fancy." Jackie Small, editor of CRÉ V, notes there is a fiddle version of the tune that dispenses with the c' notes and stays in first position.

Source for notated version: learned by fiddler Jerry Holland (Inverness, Cape Breton) from a recording by Sligo fiddlers Seamus and Manus Maguire [Cranford]; Martin Mulhaire [Breathnach].

Printed sources: Breathnach/Small (CRÉ V), 1999; No. 130, pp. 66-67. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), vol. 4; 43. Cranford (Jerry Holland's), 1995; No. 84, p. 25.

Recorded sources: Fiddlesticks cass., Jerry Holland - "Lively Steps" (1987). Gael-Linn CEFCD 140, Kevin & Séamus Glackin - "Na Soighneáin/Northern Lights" (appears as "Brearton's"). Green Linnet SIF 1135, Martin Mulhaire - "Warming Up." Sean Nua - "The Open Door" (appears as "The Session", first tune, track #9). See also listings at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1], Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2].

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