Charlie O'Neill's

reel

Key signature: Eminor

Submitted on April 22nd 2002 by Will CPT.

This tune has been added to 86 tunebooks.

Also known as Charlie O'Neill's Highland Fling, Donegal, Donegal Highland.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• 40th Anniversary 1946 - 1986 by The Tulla Ceili Band
• Ar An Bhfidil by Oisin MacDiarmada
• Atlantic Fiddles by Various Artists
• Best Of 1987-1993 by Altan
• Celtic Sessions by William Coulter
• Come To An Irish Dance Party by Laichtín Naofa Céilí Band.
• Cosa Gan Bhroga by Eithne Ni Uallachain, Gerry O'Connor And Desi Wilkinson
• Cuig by Blackbeers
• Foinn Seisiun 2 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Forty Years Of Irish Piping by Seamus Ennis
• From The Archives by Sean McGuire And Josephine Keegan
• Hungry Grass by Hungry Grass
• Irish Piano Magic by J.J. Sheridan
• Island Angel by Altan
• Kilkenny Road by Kilkenny Road
• Live At West Mabou Hall by Howie MacDonald, Dave MacIsaac And Mac Morin
• Live In Belfast by Paul Bradley, Pádraig Rynne And Paul Meehan
• Marie And Martin Reilly by Marie And Martin Reilly
• Mick Mulcahy by Mick Mulcahy
• O' Bheal Go Beal by Marcas O'Murchu
• Over The Moor To Maggie by Inis
• Skin And Bow by Declan Folan And Junior Davey
• Songs, Jigs, Reels by Glenside And Kilfenora Ceili Bands
• The Crooked Stair by Cran
• The First Ten Years: 1986 - 1995 by Altan
• The Night Rambler's Companion by Harry Bradley
• The Three Piece Flute by Desi Wilkinson
• The Three Sisters by Barry Kerr
• The Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Various Artists
• Through The Round Window by Eamonn Coyne
• To Welcome Paddy Home by Boys Of The Lough
• What Road? by Session A9

X: 1
T: Charlie O'Neill's
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
A|BEBE cBcA|BEBE cAFA|BEBE cBcB|Addc BGGA|
BEBE cBcA|BEBE cAFA|BEBE cBcB|Addc BGBd||
|(3gag fg (3BBB BA|G2 ag fdef|(3gag fg (3BBB BA|GBdc BGBd|
(3gag fg (3BBB BA|G2 ag fdcA|GBdB cdef|gbaf g3 A||

Charlie O'Neill's

Altan calls this "Donegal Highland" on Island Angel and The First Ten Years, but in the liner notes they attribute it to the playing of Charlie O'Neill, "a fiddler from Ardara, County Donegal, now living in the Moy, County Tyrone." Most printed sources I've seen don't quite match Altan's setting, but give the tune as Charlie O' Neill's.

Altan's set starts with the Fermanagh Highland and then drops into Charlie O'Neill's. Lots of string crossings make this highland even more work for the bow than the first. Take it slow and deliberate, emphasizing the downbeats (but also letting this tune's swing come through a bit more than the Fermanagh, especially in the A Part).

# Posted on April 22nd 2002 by Will CPT

Per Jeremy's comments on labeling tunes as reels, highlands, flings, strathspeys (and barndances too), I'll just clarify here that Altan lists this as a highland, which to me, in the Donegal style, means something of a cross between a strathspey and a reel. A highland goes much slower than a reel, with the sort of "deliberate" cadence and beat as a strathspey, but without the "scottish snap." The best way to "explain" this is to quit throwing words at the screen and let you find Altan's Island Angel or The First Ten Years and listen to this track.

# Posted on April 22nd 2002 by Will CPT