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Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

https://youtu.be/yiWh8NhkpsE


I met a gentleman from Sliabh Luachra once. He was quite astonished and proud to see a young man with dreadlocks, in Rastafarian regalia, playing Sliabh Luachran tunes on a concertina of all things. A moment I will never forget!

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Love it Jerone!!!!

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

I was watching a video of Caroline Keane playing a polka called Cutting Ferns a few days ago. Not entirely sure of the origin as it comes up as a strathspey here and on most other recordings, but there may be a Sliabh Luachra variation on it that someone made!

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

I knew it as a strathspey but it was taught as a polka at a workshop with members from Solas and Beóga.

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Hi Ben. By coincidence, I have just started up playing two Sliabh Luachra polkas. I should say started up playing them again because I’ve known and played them for a long time as Dan Mac’s and Terry Teehan’s (or Teahan’s). However, I recently listened to Jackie Daly playing them with Patrick Street on youtube as the Newmarket Polkas (the 2nd and 3rd of the set -- the first ‘Newmarket’ polka is John Walsh’s (https://thesession.org/tunes/329). On thesession, in fact, Dan Mac’s is listed as ‘The Newmarket’ (https://thesession.org/tunes/330), and Terry Teehan’s is listed as ‘Newmarket’ (https://thesession.org/tunes/331). As if this isn’t crazy enough, there is another, unrelated, ‘The Newmarket’ (https://thesession.org/tunes/334). Regardless of what they’re called, they make a great pair, and I find The Wren (https://thesession.org/tunes/1535) follows nicely. Here are the links to Jackie Daly and Patrick Street’s playing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_b2JihBZR0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-5mnfPznDg

I’m only up to 95% speed so far but hope to match him/them in a few days. Playing along with a box player is a challenge because it is very difficult to match the crisp articulation of the box with a flute. Chet

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Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

I was going to list some of my current favorite polkas but I realized I have no idea of their origins… So, are there any polkas in the Irish tradional repertoire that are not associated with Sliabh Luachra? Is there anything like a distinct style that distinguishes those that are?

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Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

My all time favorite set is Din Tarrant’s [Bmin] Johnny I do Miss You [D] and Johnny Mickey’s [A]. The first is also known as The Cobbler’s or O‘ Keefe’s , an unhelpful title as there countless polkas and slides attributed to Padraig O’ Keefe! The first 2 tunes were recorded by De Dannan back in the 80’s and the whole set works a treat on a D melodeon.

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Jond asked, ‘are there any polkas in the Irish tradional repertoire that are not associated with Sliabh Luachra? Is there anything like a distinct style that distinguishes those that are?’

There a number of polkas either from Sligo or much played by players from Sligo, perhaps not a large number, but some are very well known: Memories of Ballymote, Gurteen Cross, The Return of Spring, The Mountain Path. I’m not competent to analyze the stylistic differences, but the fact that The Return of Spring is classified as a barndance on thesession (a classification disputed in the comments) is relevant. The discussion on Memories of Ballymote includes this comment: ‘For those who are unfamiliar with the Sligo/Leitrim style, the polkas are played at a steady pace as opposed to the breakneck speed favoured by some Sliabh Luachra players.’

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Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Thanks, Kenny. I’ve just spent the past half hour looking for recordings of the Knocknaboul Polka, one with Desi & another one by Julia Clifford (in London?). Great to hear the clips you posted. I’m on my iPhone & ‘all is lost’ for now navigating my device.

Short story long. I appreciate all the replies & music from everyone!

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Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Great information and links all!

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Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Correction: Auto correct on my computer changed Anton’s name from Zille to Zillow on my previous post.

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

The three that we were given during that recent workshop with Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch at Sidmouth Folk Festival were:
The Forty-Two Pound Cheque: https://thesession.org/tunes/786 None of the versions on the site here are the same as that given to us by Jackie and Matt!
Pete Bradley’s Polka : https://thesession.org/tunes/9098 In G here, but J & M gave it to us in A
Eily Buckley’s Polka : https://thesession.org/tunes/3114 J & M’s score very close to the X2 version

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

I really love the playing of Michael Sheehy. There is not much on Youtube: https://youtu.be/e1_VAmzsk8I

His album is one of my favourites.

Re: Any Sliabh Luachra Polkas you’ve been listening to, learning or playing lately?

Thank you very much.

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