Annotation:Mourne Mountains (1)
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MOURNE MOUNTAINS [1] (Sliebte Mugdorna). AKA and see "Bascadh Thomáis Mhic a' Bháird," "Long Hills of Mourne (2) (The)," "Peggy is your head sick?" "Purty Girl (The)," "Tom Ward's Downfall." Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill/1850 & 1001): AA'BB' (O'Neill/1915). The Mourne Mountains [1] are the highest range in Ulster, located in County Down. The tune has currency among Cape Breton fiddlers, stemming from Winston Fitzgerald's and Johnny Wilmot's recordings of it on 78 RPM discs, and it has been frequently recorded. Cape Breton fiddler Lee Cremo recorded it as "O'Leary's Reel." See note for "Annotation:Tom Ward's Downfall."
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The reel was recorded in 1929 by accordion player Peter "P.J." Conlon, the 2nd tune in a medley named "The Fiddler's Delight."
Source for notated version: Chicago police sergeant and fiddler James O'Neill, originally from County Down [O'Neill].
Printed sources: Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 202, p. 75. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 250, p. 131. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1201, p. 226. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 477, p. 92.
Recorded sources: CAT-WMR004, Wendy MacIssac - "The 'Reel' Thing" (1994). Rounder 82161-7032-2, Bill Lamey - "From Cape Breton to Boston and Back: Classic House Sessions of Traditional Cape Breton Music 1956-1977" (2000). Jerry Holland - "Crystal Clear" (2000).
See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [2]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [4]