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Lead The Knave

By Arty McGlynn And Nollaig Casey

Search for Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Casey.

  1. Lead The Knave
    Bunker Hill
  2. Music On The Wind
    The Kerry
  3. Caoineadh Eoghain Ruadh
  4. Micho Russell’s
    The Yellow Cow
    Jigging The Donkey
  5. Mominsko Horo
  6. Michael Ward
  7. The Hunter’s Purse
  8. Moran’s Return
  9. E. Minor
    The Lads Of Laois
  10. Cape Clear
  11. The Cottage In The Grove
    Lad O’Byrne’s
    Derry Craig Wood
  12. Barbara Needham’s
    The Miller’s Maggot

Thirteen comments

Recorded in 1989.

Absolutely one of my most favorite albums.

Definatly shows up the best and worst of both players….
the shockingly overblown ‘Hunters purse’ still makes me laugh, makes you long for the restraint of moving harps!

er, I meant Moving Hearts… Moving Harps are a harp trio in Victoria, Australia… My bad

Does that Emin Reel have a name or is it a REEL Gan Ainm?

Track 2, listed as ‘Brady’s Set’

‘Lead The Knave” Track 2
Listed on the CD as “Brady’s Set” - Brady being Paul Brady, according to Fintan Valley in his interview with Lucy Farr (“Blooming Meadows” page 74), which also explains that she wrote the first of the two tunes in this set, and on hearing it on the radio thought ”Good God, that’s my tune!”. Pleased rather than bothered by the lack of accurate attribution, it happens.
First tune is her composition ‘Music On The Wind’ (possibly originally written as a slide)
https://thesession.org/tunes/2654
The second tune is The Kerry Jig
https://thesession.org/tunes/2188
Sometimes called Lucy Farr’s #2, but as ceolochan has pointed out, it’s in O’Neill’s “1001 Gems” as number 991, The Kerry Jig. Obviously not her fault that the tune is sometimes given her name when other sources and names aren’t remembered.

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Re: Lead The Knave

I used to have the cassette of this album. Cant find it now. I am researching the origins of the Air on the album that is called Caoineadh Eoghain Ruadh. I recall that they attribute the air to the death of the soldier Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill who died in 1649. I always assumed that was correct , and on that basis I “corrected” the whistle player Sean Ryan in one of his classes way back , because he gave it to us as an air for Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (1748 – 29 June 1784), anglicized as Owen Roe O’Sullivan (“Red Owen”), who he told us was an Irish poet.

I now reckon Sean is right ( why would he not be…) and I was relying on an incorrect attribution of the tune on that album.

Can anyone check the sleeve notes to see what they say? I’d really like to know the answer.

Thanks !

Re: Lead The Knave

Here you go, Seán.

‘CAIONEAD EOGHAN RUADH - a nephew of the great Hugh O’Neill fought at the battle of Benburb in 1646. Cromwell’s army landed at Ringsend in Dublin in August 1649. Eoghan Ruadh was to have led the Irish army into battle against them, but hopes were dashed when Eoghan Ruagh was poisoned by the enemy at Cloch Uachtair in Cavan in November 1649. This is a lament in his memory.’

I note that the album was released by the Ringsend Road label.

Posted by .

Re: Lead The Knave

Many thanks GW, that’s exactly what I was looking for. It confirms my belief that those sleeve notes are inaccurate about that tune. That assumes that the posts on the internet are correct of course, but they seem pretty comprehensive. The air that celebrates the O’Neill of 1649 appears to be a tune written by O’Carolan and there are a good few versions out there - and here on the Session too. Not the one played on this album.