The Best Of Traditional Irish Music From Ireland’s Number One Céilí Band

I don’t know what is up with the track listing on the back of this album. There is no indication as to what tunes they play and no sleeve notes to tell you what year the recordings were or who is performing. It’s all good music but I would like a little bit more info. Maybe it’s taken from various albums and performances but I’m only guessing. Anyone who has info on this please comment here.

Clonmel 94: Reels - Reel 2 is Cronin’s
Dúchas (heritage): Jigs
Munster Volunteers: March
Loch Tay: Song
Timpeall an Tí (Around the House): Reels - Reel 2 is Mama’s Pet
Cornphíopaí Aine (Annie’s Hornpipes): Tune 1 is Shamrock Hill
Ceol na gCloch (Music of the Rocks): Jigs - Tune 1 is Jerry’s Beaver Hat
Cois na Tine (Beside the Fire): Reels - Boyne Hunt and Fermoy Lasses
Bass Drum on the Bumper: Reels - Austin Tierney’s and Kilmaley
That’s the Way we Play: Jigs - The second one is Ship in Full Sail and the third is “Behind the Haystack”
Clare’s Dragoons: March
Coming up to Clare: Polkas
Recollections (medley of different tunes): First one is Sean South of Garryowen (slow march); Kilfenora Jig No. 3; Old Kilfenora Jig; Waltz; Shoe the Donkey; Hornpipe Gan Ainm; An raibh tú ag an gCarraig (air); Ríl Gan Ainm x2 (same tune in different keys); Sean South (outro)
Three Kilfenoras Plus One: Reels- Connemara Stockings; Jim McCormick’s; Rip the Calico and Music in the Glen

I have the original cassette of this recording which gives full details - they mustn’t have copied these over on to the CD. The recording was released in 1995 shortly after their first All-Ireland victory at Clonmel in August 1994 (The kilfenora subsequently went on to make it “three in a row” by winning again in 1995 and 1996).

Tracks listing is as folows;-

Tk. 1 - Rattigan’s & Cronin’s reels
Tk. 2 - Knight’s of St Patrick & Pet of the Pipers jigs
Tk. 3 - Munster Volunteers
Tk. 4 - Loch Tay (song by Gerry Lynch)
Tk.5 - Lord McDonald’s, Gan Ainm & Mama’s Pet reels
Tk. 6 - Sean Ryan’s & Down the Glen hornpipes
Tk. 7 - Jerry’s Beaver Hat & Jude’s Farewell jigs
Tk. 8 - Boyne hunt, Gan Ainm & Fermoy Lasses reels
Tk. 9 - Austin Tierney’s & Kilmaley reels
Tk. 10 - John Joes’s, Ship in Full Sail & Behind the Haystack jigs
Tk. 11 - Clare’s Dragoons March
Tk. 12 - Gan Ainm, Leitrim Rambler & Gan Ainm polkas
Tk. 13 - Selection of old Kilfenora tunes
Tk. 14 - Kilfenora Reels set plus Music in the Glen

Thanks for the track listing Bannerman.

I may aswell edit the tracks so that this recording will pop up under the tune in the database.

Nope, just realised that won’t work now.

Hello this album is available on cd now as well- I found it on www.tradireland.ie. It’s a great album and it comes with a booklet I’ll put up some information when I am home for 52Paddy. There’s some good stories in the booklet from what I can remember.

Are you really going to mention that website in every post you make ?

1.Clonmel ’94 Ríleanna 2.20
(Rattigan’s, Cronin’s)
These 2 reels featured on a 1974 Kilfenora recording and were still to the good 20 years on for our 1994 All Ireland win.

2. Dúchas poirt 2.41
The Knights of St. Patrick, Pet of the Pipers.
John first heard these two in his cradle days and insisted we include them in our repertoire. The second tune is played in both G and A in this setting.

3. Munster Volunteers máirseáil 3.13
A tune we learned from the playing of Jerry Lynch (Snr.)

4. LochTay waltz 3.45
Jerry Lynch joins us in fine voice and revels in this mighty old Scottish song. Tim Collins oversaw the arrangement.

5. Timpeall an Tí ríleanna 2.49
(Lord Mc Donald, Gan Ainm, Mama’s Pet)
The first is a reel we particularly like and came to us via Conor and AnneMarie. The second comes from the playing of the Thatch Céilí Band. The setting of Mama’s pet is from the Róisín Dubh Céilí Band. (We’ll be waiting for a return plug, lads!)

6. Cornphíopaí Aine cornphíopaí 3.13
Sean Ryan’s, Down the Glen
The second is a great favourite of Anne Rynne’s.
Source: Naomh Fachtna’s Ceili Band.

7. Ceol na gCloch poirt 2.40
(The Returned Yank, Jude’s Farewell)
A raucous set of jigs. This’ll drive the wax out of your ears!
The first is called Gerry’s Beaver Hat in O’Neill’s Book.

8. Cois na Tine ríleanna 2.52
(The Boyne Hunt, The Single Reels, Fermoy Lasses)
A selection favoured by the earlier bands. The change from one reel to the next has always been designed to give a lift to the dancer and these three reels exemplify that.

9. Bass Drum on the Bumper ríleanna 2.20
(Austin Tierney’s, The Kilmaley)
Starting with a reel eponymously named after a renowned Kilfenora fiddler of the past. The Kilmaley has a lot of mileage on the clock. This is the reel selection which brought us honours in 1993. (The title is from a story of the thirties band who tied the percussion section carefully to the back of the car on the way to a function! The drummer himself was allowed inside).

10. “That’s the way we play!” poirt 3.43
(John Joe’s, The Ship in Full Sail, Port an Bhráthar)
The first jig recalls John Joe Lynch, a fiddler, one of the pioneers of the Kilfenora lift and rhythm. We play a two-part version of The Ship in Full Sail and Port an Bhráthar has 3 parts, the last of which was not customarily played in this area.

11. Clare’s Dragoons. Máirseáil 1.50
Being from Clare, this was an obvious choice of tune. It carries on the fine tradition of march playing which was very strong in Kilfenora since the days of our brass and reed bands early this century.
12. Coming up to Clare* polcaí 2.49
Gan ainm 1, Leitrim Rambler*, Gan ainm 2.
Tim, being from Polka country, introduced these three tunes. Clare has practically adopted him at this stage.

13. Recollections píosa cóirithe 9.30
Of music of long ago.
Faintly familiar tunes strung together
Reminding us of bygone happy gatherings on flagged floor
Graceful waltz, lively dance
Ghostly shadows weave in and out
Sad timid tones intervene
The music swells – then fades away
Into the dstant past
P. McM. Feb. ‘95
Roddy McCorley, Kilfenora Jigs, Muddy Conole’s Waltz, Shoe the Donkey, Galope, An raibh tu ag an gCarraig? (fonn mall), Jerry’s Polkas
Aranged by Phil McMahon.

14. Three Kilfenoras Plus One ríleanna 4.16
(Connemara Stockings, Jimmy McCormack’s, The Clogher Reel, Music in the Glen). The album wouldn’t be complete without our signature selection. Accrding to one of the Old Guard, “..You were strictly judged by the way in which you played for the set. Nothing else mattered…you didn’t play to be listened to, you played to be danced to – hence the unornamented style, “all lift and rhythm”. Music in the Glen is a new addition to cater for a long figure in a set.