Hello all..
I am researching a screenplay where two characters go to a small village in northwest County Cork in 1914(Ballyhoolahan perhaps). They end up at a ceili dance. Is there a particular style or sets of tunes from that region of Ireland? Would anyone know what instruments there might have been in a session back then and at that place?(Known for Pipers perhaps or Box players) I live in the US and am clueless as to the finer regional points of ITM. Any help would be most appreciated...
Thanks in advance..
Aloysius
I'm really not an expert in the styles myself, but I know that the Cork area, espesically the west area against the county Kerry border(also known as Sliabh Luacra) are famous for polkas and slides. There are ofcourse hornpipes, jig and reels, but polkas and slides are more popular here (now a days and I think also in 1914).
About the instruments; surely fiddles and Uileann pipes. Probably boxes although the box is a new (it was invented in the middle of 19th century, i think) instrument in 1914. I belive the one row melodeon was more common than the two row accordion at this time
I belive a bunch of people at thi forum have a lot more info about particulary nice tunes from this area
The area spanning the borders of NW Cork and E Kerry is known as Sliabh Luachra and has its own very distinctive style of music. It is characterised by a fairly fast tempo, an insistent, swinging rhythm and the prevalence of *slides* and *polkas* (although jigs, reels and hornpipes are also plentiful). The two instruments most readily associated with the tradition are the fiddle and the button box. Some of its most notable exponents were/are Padraig O'Keefe (fiddle), Johnny o'Leary (box), Denis Murphy (fiddle), Julia Clifford (fiddle) and among those still living, Jacky Daly (box), Seamus Creagh (fiddle), Seamus and Breandan Begley (box), Maire O'Keefe (fiddle).
That's a pretty skeletal description of Sliabh Luachra music. The instrumental styles have many features - phrasing, bowing, ornamentation etc. - have many features which set them apart from other regional styles. In this respect, the fiddle is probably the best documented.
I am no expert, but I would hazard a guess that, in 1914, the single-row melodeon might have been more common than the 2-row accordion.
I hope someone better informed will be able to expand on my comments so far.
Norwegian - I see we cross posted. Just one point - I don't know about 92 years ago, but nowadays, the pipes seem to make very few appearances in that part of Ireland. A couple of years ago, I went to a session in Castleisland, on the borders of Sliabh Luachra. There were two brothers, probably in their early twenties, playing there. They claimed they had never seen a set of pipes until, a year or two earlier, a piper had turned up at the annual Padraig O'Keefe festival, which takes place in their town.
That is not to say that there was never a piping tradition in the SW of Ireland (I'm almost certain there was). But the uillean pipes seem to have undergone a great decline in the 20th century, to the point of extinction in most places. The widespread popularity of the pipes now probably owes much to Dublin-based pipers such as Seamus Ennis, and popular bands such as Planxty and The Bothy Band. But the revival appears to have been slow to reach some of the more remote parts of Ireland.
I've can't name a piper from Sliabh Luacra so I belive spoon has right about the pipering, althogh the pipes was far more popular then than now a days.
I haven't heard much polkas and slides played on pipes either I think. When The Chieftains and piper Paddy Moloney plays theese tunes he more often play whistles
I had the pleasure to meet Charlie Piggott in West Clare last year. Originally from Cork, he rarely plays reels in his own session though jigs occasionally pops out of his box. Hope to see him again and learn some tunes from the south.
A guy I know, who had an elderly teacher from Tipperary (not too far from the spot you are looking at) said that his teacher complained that young folks always wanted to play reels, reels, reels. He said that in his younger days, you would not hear reels in a session, but you would hear a lot of marches. So that might be one way the music was different in days gone by.
In addition to the tunes and the instrumental mix, you need to think about what dances the dancers at the ceilidhe would be doing. Someone else should chime in to confirm it, since I am far from an expert on what dances occur in what counties, but I think the dancers in that area would mostly be dancing sets, rather than dancing the type of dances that are called ceilidhe dances, and documented in that little yellow CCE book.
Thank you all for the replies...most informative...I hadn't thought much about the dances that these folks will be playing for..looks like my horizons are about to be broadened even further..Many thanks...
TradLad - I have heard one piper playing slides and polkas (this is how I came to be talking to the two Castleisland lads about the pipes). His name is Con Durham. He is from Dingle (where he plays at The Marina), not Sliabh Luchra. But the popularity of Sliabh Luachra tunes seems to extend consideraly beyond the boundaries of the district itself. In addition, I believe the neighbouring counties of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare (south) have their own repertoires of slides and polkas.
Regional Style and Tunes
Regional Style and Tunes
Hello all..
I am researching a screenplay where two characters go to a small village in northwest County Cork in 1914(Ballyhoolahan perhaps). They end up at a ceili dance. Is there a particular style or sets of tunes from that region of Ireland? Would anyone know what instruments there might have been in a session back then and at that place?(Known for Pipers perhaps or Box players) I live in the US and am clueless as to the finer regional points of ITM. Any help would be most appreciated...
Thanks in advance..
Aloysius
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by Aloysius
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
I'm really not an expert in the styles myself, but I know that the Cork area, espesically the west area against the county Kerry border(also known as Sliabh Luacra) are famous for polkas and slides. There are ofcourse hornpipes, jig and reels, but polkas and slides are more popular here (now a days and I think also in 1914).
About the instruments; surely fiddles and Uileann pipes. Probably boxes although the box is a new (it was invented in the middle of 19th century, i think) instrument in 1914. I belive the one row melodeon was more common than the two row accordion at this time
I belive a bunch of people at thi forum have a lot more info about particulary nice tunes from this area
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by TradLad
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
The area spanning the borders of NW Cork and E Kerry is known as Sliabh Luachra and has its own very distinctive style of music. It is characterised by a fairly fast tempo, an insistent, swinging rhythm and the prevalence of *slides* and *polkas* (although jigs, reels and hornpipes are also plentiful). The two instruments most readily associated with the tradition are the fiddle and the button box. Some of its most notable exponents were/are Padraig O'Keefe (fiddle), Johnny o'Leary (box), Denis Murphy (fiddle), Julia Clifford (fiddle) and among those still living, Jacky Daly (box), Seamus Creagh (fiddle), Seamus and Breandan Begley (box), Maire O'Keefe (fiddle).
That's a pretty skeletal description of Sliabh Luachra music. The instrumental styles have many features - phrasing, bowing, ornamentation etc. - have many features which set them apart from other regional styles. In this respect, the fiddle is probably the best documented.
I am no expert, but I would hazard a guess that, in 1914, the single-row melodeon might have been more common than the 2-row accordion.
I hope someone better informed will be able to expand on my comments so far.
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by ragaman
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
Norwegian - I see we cross posted. Just one point - I don't know about 92 years ago, but nowadays, the pipes seem to make very few appearances in that part of Ireland. A couple of years ago, I went to a session in Castleisland, on the borders of Sliabh Luachra. There were two brothers, probably in their early twenties, playing there. They claimed they had never seen a set of pipes until, a year or two earlier, a piper had turned up at the annual Padraig O'Keefe festival, which takes place in their town.
That is not to say that there was never a piping tradition in the SW of Ireland (I'm almost certain there was). But the uillean pipes seem to have undergone a great decline in the 20th century, to the point of extinction in most places. The widespread popularity of the pipes now probably owes much to Dublin-based pipers such as Seamus Ennis, and popular bands such as Planxty and The Bothy Band. But the revival appears to have been slow to reach some of the more remote parts of Ireland.
Just my thoughts - I know nothing.
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by ragaman
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
I've can't name a piper from Sliabh Luacra so I belive spoon has right about the pipering, althogh the pipes was far more popular then than now a days.
I haven't heard much polkas and slides played on pipes either I think. When The Chieftains and piper Paddy Moloney plays theese tunes he more often play whistles
Thanks for the correction.
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by TradLad
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
I had the pleasure to meet Charlie Piggott in West Clare last year. Originally from Cork, he rarely plays reels in his own session though jigs occasionally pops out of his box. Hope to see him again and learn some tunes from the south.
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by slainte
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
A guy I know, who had an elderly teacher from Tipperary (not too far from the spot you are looking at) said that his teacher complained that young folks always wanted to play reels, reels, reels. He said that in his younger days, you would not hear reels in a session, but you would hear a lot of marches. So that might be one way the music was different in days gone by.
# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
Yeah, Charlie plays a lot of marches and waltzes in Lisdoonvarna.
# Posted on May 4th 2006 by slainte
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
In addition to the tunes and the instrumental mix, you need to think about what dances the dancers at the ceilidhe would be doing. Someone else should chime in to confirm it, since I am far from an expert on what dances occur in what counties, but I think the dancers in that area would mostly be dancing sets, rather than dancing the type of dances that are called ceilidhe dances, and documented in that little yellow CCE book.
# Posted on May 4th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
Thank you all for the replies...most informative...I hadn't thought much about the dances that these folks will be playing for..looks like my horizons are about to be broadened even further..Many thanks...
# Posted on May 4th 2006 by Aloysius
Re: Regional Style and Tunes
TradLad - I have heard one piper playing slides and polkas (this is how I came to be talking to the two Castleisland lads about the pipes). His name is Con Durham. He is from Dingle (where he plays at The Marina), not Sliabh Luchra. But the popularity of Sliabh Luachra tunes seems to extend consideraly beyond the boundaries of the district itself. In addition, I believe the neighbouring counties of Tipperary, Limerick and Clare (south) have their own repertoires of slides and polkas.
# Posted on May 5th 2006 by ragaman