The Humours Of Castlefin reel

Mary Macnamara - Traditional music from East Clare

Good tune, and GREAT album.

The only C is sharpened, in the lead-in to the first bar…it looks like a definite Edorian for the rest of the tune, as well. Beautiful tune!

This great reel was first recorded by Paddy Canny, who called it Egan’s. It was followed by Sean Ryan’s composition "The Glen of Aherlow," which was renamed after the piano accompanist Bridie Lafferty at the time of recording. Then Mary MacNamara took up the set and recorded it together with P.J. and Martin Hayes, adding the single version of "The Killarney Boys of Pleasure" at the end. Here’s a short but sweet sound clip of their trio playing: http://www.claddaghrecords.com/www/music/real_audio/cc60/cc60trk15.ram (from Claddagh Records Catalogue: http://www.claddaghrecords.com/www/product.asp?cID=18&pID=42&c=2758)

I think this is a version of "The Game of Love" or vice versa. "The Game of Love" has many different versions, but I want to know what others think about these two tunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUglPS3iUsI

play video

X: 1
T: Canny Egan’s
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|:A|BE E2 BAFB|ADFD EFAd|BE E2 B2 AF|GBAF E2 FA|
BE E2 BE E2| ADFD EF A2| BE E2 B2 FA|GBAF E3A ||
|:B2 ed egfe|defg afed|B2 ed efgb|agfa ge e2|
B2 ed egfe|defg afdf|efga bagf|egfd edBA|

I was happy to see that geoffwright cited Mary MacNamara, but I think his transcription is from another source. My buddy Mike Gregory and I made some changes, and think this versionj is much closer to hers.

X: 1
T: Humours Of Castlefin, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
|BE EE BEFB|AD DD FGAd|BE EE BE AF|GBAF EFGA|
BE EE BEFB|AD DD FGAd|BE EE BE AF|GBAF EFGA|
B2 eB egfe|defg afed|!B2 eB egfe|agfa geed|
B2 eB egfe|defg afdf|efga bagf|e2fd e2|]

The other versions are nice, but we like hers best.

There is a supreme version of this tune on Track 1 of Tony MacMahon and Noel Hill’s album "I GCnoc Na Grai". It comes before The Templehouse. Brilliant driving set!

links it to a tune in Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (bottom of page 57) called "Paddy Miles Fricassee", a great title but a very tenuous connection in my opinion, though I can just about understand it!

David

Great video of PJ and Martin Hayes with Geraldine and Eamon Cotter playing this, followed by Glen of Aherlow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFmk-2Krjyg

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmdwzGDNcIg

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb2-lYKommU

play video

Patrick Ourceau and Eamon O’Leary!

The Tony MacMahon & Noel Hill setting is the one I was familiar with for years, and they seem to play it double, but every other transcription and setting I can find now seems to be single. It’s not one I’ve heard pop up often at sessions, so I’m curious - is it normally played single and Tony and Noel just play it double to suit a particular dance?

Q: Is it single or double?

A: yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMaFG34xzZk

play video

Here’s the version Martin and PJ Hayes play in the video with Eamon Cotter.

This is the version Noel Hill and Tony McMahon recorded. It’s double and the differences from Martin’s version are subtle.