Mary McMahon reel

Transcribed from a session recording.

this is the tune on paddy moloney sean potts whistle record after the connaught heifers
they call it micho russel’s reel
nice tune

Also recorded by Martin O’Brien in his concertina CD album: “An Crann Carraige”. (WWW.custymusic.com)

Nice reel. I don’t know which Mary McMahon it refers to but I remember the tune being included in one of the Bulmer & Sharpley collections - the one with the blue cover, No. 2 I think.

Its the second tune in this set:
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_215_1_brid_harper_and_danny_omahoney/

I think Donegal fiddler Aidan O’Donnell calls this “James Byrne’s”. You is a pretty nice tune. It’s also been recorded by Johnny Cronin and Joe “Banjo” Burke (who call it “Micho Russell’s”) and The Yanks.

it is in the tulla Céilí Band Ireland Green album as Mcmahons reel

From a fiddler who played Mary McMahon in G at our session last night.

Here’s Hammy Hamilton’s solo rendition after The Cocktail on It’s No Secret. He plays it single, leaves plenty of breathing space and doesn’t use those C naturals.

Extremely simple setting, I didn’t add any ornaments like triplets or rolls. This is what I would take as a starting point and then I would add some ornamentation and variations. As per the melody line, not sure now where I got it from.