Annotation:Four Mile Stone (The)

Back to Four Mile Stone (The)

---

FOUR MILE STONE, THE (Cloch na Ceithre Mhile). Irish, Reel. E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The tune was composed by classically-trained Irish musician Arthur Darley (originally from Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin), who had an appreciation for traditional music and who performed (on the violin) and collected it (see Darley & McCall's collection) in the early 20th century. Darley was employed as a Church of Ireland organist for parishes in soutwest Donegal and was based in the small village of Bruckless. He befriended the famous fiddling Doherty family, whom he thought were excellent fiddlers. The 'four mile stone' was a milestone road marker aiding the carriage trade located near where Darley lived on the main Donegal Town to Killybegs road. The tune was recorded by the band Altan, though the second part differs somewhat from Darley's original (Caoimhin Mac Aoidh).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Roche (Collection of Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1912; No. 189, p. 72.

Recorded sources:

---