Annotation:Celia O'Gara

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CELIA O'GARA (Sighile ni Ghadharadh). AKA and see "Kilruddery Hunt," "Irish Hunt (The)," "Oh! Had We Some Bright Little Isle." Irish, Air (3/4 time). G Mixolydian/Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. A song, "Kilruddery Hunt," was written to this air in 1744 by Thomas Mozeen and Owen Bray of Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. It soon became enormously popular, according to Grattan Flood (1906), and was called by Ritson "Irish Hunt (The)" (who incorrectly ascribed it to St. Leger). Kane O'Hara used the tune in his Midas in 1760. The "Kilruddery Hunt," was a "prime favorite" of the Irish patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, and Thomas Moore used the air in 1813 for his song "Oh had We some Bright Little Isle of our Own." See also P.W. Joyce's "Síghle Ní Ghadhra" and Petrie's "Síghle Ní Ghadhra" (the latter is a different air). Elias Howe printed a jig setting called "Sheela na Guira" and William Bradbury Ryan one called "Shee La na Quira."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 366, p. 63.

Recorded sources:

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