The Road From Ballinakill

Mike Rafferty is one of my all-time favorite flute players. His daughter is Mary Rafferty, button box player (and flute and whistle) with Cherish the Ladies.

This CD also feature Donal Clancy on guitar, Willie Kelly on fiddle, and appearances by Gerry Conroy, Paddy Rafferty (Mike’s brother), Kathleen Rafferty (Mike’s sister) Michael Rafferty (no relation to Mike), and Gabriel Donahue.

Some of the tune names are peculiar to Mike and his penchant for picking up great but obscure tunes, some of which don’t come with names attached. I’ve listed them here as they appear in the liner notes.

As of this recording (2001), Mike Rafferty plays a Patrick Olwell flute and low A John Sindt whistle. Mary Rafferty also plays an Olwell flute and Sindt whistle, and a Mike Burke low F whistle, a Saltarelle accordion, and a Jurgen Suttner concertina.

Mike’s not a big recording star with a major label contract, but he’s put out a string of fine recordings. For info on ordering his cds, go to www.cherishtheladies.com. (I’m just a fan; there’s nothing in this for me except spreading the word on a great Irish musician.) Mike’s also teaching at Swananoa in 2002.

this links to the reel, while the version mike plays here is the jig. quite different. and quite beautiful.

should point here, no?

https://thesession.org/tunes/5712