Annotation:Dash to Portobello (The)
DASH TO PORTOBELLO. AKA and see "Port Gael-Linn," "Seán Ryan's Favourite," "Seán Ryan's Reel (2)." Irish, Reel. E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). Composed by Nenagh, County Tipperary, fiddler Seán Ryan (1988-1985), Senior All Ireland fiddle champion in 1954 and 1955. Paul de Grae remarks that Portobello Harbor lies on the south side of Dublin, where the Grand Canal enters the city, beside which is Portobello Bridge (named perhaps by the English after a bridge in Venice, Italy, because of its association with the canal). In the old days, you could travel by barge from the harbor along the canal to Limerick in three days. According to Philippe Varlet, Seán Ryan played the tune in E Dorian, though he tuned his fiddle down a whole step so that it sounds in D Dorian. According to Nicholas Carolan, 'The Dash' refers to a last minute journey Ryan made to give a recital in the 1950's in a Radio Éireann studio at Portobello in Dublin with Danny Coughlan (accordion) and Bridie Lafferty (piano).
"Mowing Machine (The)" is a similar tune in the 'B' part. The alternate title "Port Gael-Linn" honors the Irish recording company.
