Annotation:Paddy O'Brien's Hornpipe (1)

Back to Paddy O'Brien's Hornpipe (1)

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PADDY O'BRIEN'S HORNPIPE [1] (Cornphíopa Phádraig Uí Bhriain). AKA and see “Athlone Hornpipe (The),” "Mountain Stream (1)," "Paddy Killoran's," "Tara Brooch (The)," "Western Hornpipe." Irish, Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The Paddy O'Brien named in the title is probably the button accordion player from Co. Tipperary (1922-1991), the son of renowned fiddler Dinny O'Brien. Paddy is recognized as having been a virtuoso on his instrument (along with Joe Cooley), and played and recorded with a variety of bands, including the Tulla Ceili Band, the Ormond Ceili Band and the Aughrim Ceili Band. Breathnach’s source, Seamus Thompson, played the tune in the key of C Major on his recording, and the tune is heard in both keys at sessions. County Sligo born fiddler Michael Coleman recorded the tune as "The Western/Western Hornpipe."

The "Paddy O'Brien's" title seems unique to Breathnach's CRÉ III, and it is possible that the title was a miss-hearing of the name "Paddy Killoran's." The tune seems to have been popular among Irish fiddlers in New York in the 78 RPM era, having been recorded by Killoran and Hugh Gillespie ("Mountain Stream (1)") as well as Coleman.

Source for notated version: fiddler Seamus Thompson (Ireland) [Breathnach].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 217, p. 99. Ceol, VI (1).

Recorded sources: Gael-Linn Records CEF 068, Seamus Thompson - "An Fhidil I" (1978).

See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]

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