Annotation:Castle Kelly

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X:1 T:Untitled T:Castle Kelly M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stephen Grier music manuscript collection (Book 2, c. 1883, No. 234, pp. 49-50) B:http://grier.itma.ie/book-two#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=48&z=168.3401%2C107.3971%2C3278.6224%2C1328.6073 N:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) was a piper and fiddler from N:Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, south Co. Leitrim. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amin A2 cA A2 cA|GEcE GEEG|ABcA ABcd|efed cA A2:| gfed cdef|gedB cA A2|gfed cdef|gedB c4| gfed cdef|gedB cA A2|eg g2 ea a2|gedB c2 Bc||

CASTLE KELLY (Caisleán Ui Cheallaigh). AKA and see "Cumar na Cathrach." Irish, Reel. A Minor (Carlin, Heymann, Johnson): A Dorian (Breathnach, Flaherty, Harker/Rafferty, Joyce, Mulvihill, Treoir). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Flaherty): ABB (Breathach, Johnson): AAB (Joyce): AABB (Heymann, Miller, Treoir): AABB' (Mulvihill): AA'BB' (Harker/Rafferty). There are numerous Castle Kelly's to which this title may refer. One is near Tallaght, County Dublin. Other castles built by the O'Kelly's (according to "The Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country", author unknown) are in Moate, near Roscommon; Galy, on the borders of the Shannon, near Knockcroghery; Athleague, Corbeg and Skryne, in the County of Roscommon, and Garbally, Aughrim, Gallagh, Mullaghmore, Moy-lough, and Aghrane, now Castle Kelly in the county of Galway (the latter is where O'Carolan composed his air "Mabel Kelly"). In fact, at one point in their history the O'Kelly's had as many as eighty castles in their territory.

The tune was entered as an untitled reel into Book 2 (Grier No. 234) of the large c. 1883 music manuscript collection of County Leitrim fiddler and piper biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894). As "The Darkhaired Maid" the melody was recorded by Bobby Gardiner in 1970, and Paddy Glackin had a slow setting of the tune when he was with the Bothy Band (which he later recorded on a solo album). Philippe Varlet finds the earliest recording of the tune by the Lough Gill Quartet, in 1941.

Additional notes
Source for notated version : - from Mr. M. Flanagan (c. 1885) of the Hibernian Military School, Phoenix Park, Dublin, "a good player of the Union pipes. Mr. Flanagan picked them up in North Kildare" (Ireland) [Joyce]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Fred Finn (1919-1986, Kiltycreen, Kilavil, County Sligo, Ireland) [Flaherty]; Gus Collins (Bronx, NY) [Mulvihill]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources : - Breathnach (Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. 1), 1963; No. 108, p. 45. Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; p. 131, No. 225. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 78. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 66, p. 21. Heymann (Off the Record), 1990; p. 29. Johnson (Kitchen Musician No. 5: Mostly Irish Airs), 1985 (revised 2000); p. 16. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 359, p. 165. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 134, p. 88. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 181, p. 49 (appears as "Kelly's Castle"). Peoples (Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1986; 40. Prior (Fionn Seisiún 2), 2003; p. 25. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 3), 1927; No. 75, p. 23 (as "Cumar na Cathrach"). Treoir, vol. 37, No. 3, 2005; p. 20.

Recorded sources : - Clairseach Records 8979, Ann Heymann – "Let Erin Remember" (1979). EMI Records ISRM 006, Tulla Ceili Band – "Dance Tunes" (1990). Green Linnet SIF 1075, John Whelan & Eileen Ivers – "Fresh Takes" (1987). Topic 12TS294, "Pat Mitchell Uilleann Pipes" (1976). Paddy Glackin & Paddy Keenan – "Doublin'". Chieftains – "Water from the Well."

See also listing at :
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]

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