According to the notes from the book Irish Fiddle Solos: 64 pieces for violin, Padraig O‘Keffe learnt it from his grandmother. Hugh Roe O’Donnell was an Irish chieftain whose defeat at the battle of kinsale in 1601 marked the begining of the end of gaelic Ireland.
Slow air, no strict metre. This is a tune to be played freely.
Re: Lament For O’Donnell
This is “Caoine ui Dhomhnaill [Dhonaill on the Clifford & Murphy ”Star above the Garter“ record]”/“O’Donnell’s Lament” and it’s an air. I’ve taken the liberty of changing the Tune Type from “reel” to “waltz”, since that category seems to be the most frequent way to classify airs here.
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