Midleton Rare by John Cronin & Daithí Kearney

Irish traditional music is a relatively rare commodity in East Cork but for the past few years box player John Cronin and banjo player Daithi Kearney have been playing in Wallis' Bar in Midleton. Both were influenced in their music by their parents and their upbringing in Newmarket and Tralee respectively.

This album is heavily influenced by their shared enthusiasm for the music of the Sliabh Luachra region.
John's father, DD Cronin (1917-90), was a fiddle player from Glenamuckla in the parish of Newmarket. Pádraig
O'Keeffe used to come to the house to teach his brother John. Later Denis Doody, Julia Clifford and Con Curtain, as well as perhaps less well known visitors including Billy Mahony and Dan Fitz, would call in for tunes.
Having learned his music in this milieu, John came to East Cork in the 1970s. Daithí arrived from Kerry
some thirty-five years later.

It is perhaps fitting that we should start with the Scart Slide, recorded by Denis Doody (1937-2007) on Kerry Music (1978). Scartaglen village is dominated by a statue commemorating the travelling fiddle master Pádraig O'Keeffe (1887- 1963). Doody was a grandson of fiddle player Din Tarrant (1871-1957) of Ballydesmond and both often played with John's father, DD. The second slide also appears on that recording as The Priest, and features untitled in Bunting's first collection published in 1796. The third appears as a jig. Barrack Hill, no 410 in O’Neill's 1001 but John learned it from his neighbour Dan Fitz. Denis Doody recorded it as "Tanglony" Johnny
O'Leary recorded it on Dance Music from the Cork-Kerry Border (1995) He also had the name "The cat jumped into the mouse's hole and didn't come
down 'til morning" for it.

Jim Keeffe's, The Ballyvourney Polka and Johnny Micky's were recorded as a set by Jackie Daly on
Music From Sliabh Luachra Vol. 6 (1977). Daly is an important figure in developing an awareness of and
the popularity the music of Sliabh Luachra. He learned music from Jim Keeffe, a student of Pádraig O'Keeffe
from Ballinahulla, Ballydesmond. The second tune was also called Lackagh Cross. Lackagh Hall near
Ballydesmond was owned and operated by Peter Murphy from 1928 to 1940. Jackie was also influenced
by concertina player Johnny Mickey Barry (d.1981) from Toureendarby a pupil of Tom Billy Murphy (1875-
1943) who in turn was a pupil of Tadhg Ó Buachalla (Buckley) or Taidhghin an Asal, who travelled the
area on a donkey and cart teaching music and mending shoes.
The first tune on track 3 is a tune associated with the blind fiddle teacher Tom Billy Murphy of Ballydesmond, and is also called "The Flowers of Spring" from Denis
Murphy (1910-74) in CRE2 No.31. The Cordal Jig is named after the birthplace of his near contemporary
and rival Pádraig O'Keeffe. The Lisheen Jig is the local name for "The Woeful Widow" (No. 307 in O'Neills 1001). Lisheen is a place near Gneeveguilla, which was the homeplace of two of his greatest
students Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford (1914-97).

Walsh's Hornpipe is again sourced from Jackie
Daly (1977) who notes it came from the playing of Philip Walsh, a fiddle player from Sliabh Maol. It was
a favourite of Denis Murphy and Johnny O'Leary also recorded it on The Trooper (1989). Her Golden Hair
Curled Down Her Back has been recorded by accordion players John Brosnan and Jackie Daly as well as fiddle player Connie O'Connell from Kilnamartyra.

Brosnan's Reel is a composition from John Brosnan, originally from Lyreacompane but living in Kilcummin, a man well known for tuning and playing accordions.
The Piper's Despair is sourced to Hartnett in O'Neill 1850. Sergeant Mike Hartnett was a well known
dancer in Chicago and neighbour of James O'Neill. In Irish Minstrels and Musicians Francis writes he
"was born and brought up within a radius of a dozen miles or so of where the Counties of Kerry, Cork and
Limerick come together". It has been recorded by many including Denis Murphy and John Brosnan. The Trip to Cullenstown is a composition of Wexford harmonica player Phil Murphy but was recorded by Séamus Creagh and Aidan Coffey (1999) - a typical Sliabh Luachra fiddle and box duet from Westmeath and Waterford respectively not quite within the
usual borders.

DD Cronin's is sourced to John’s father. The Quarry Cross was recorded by Johnny Leary as "If I had
a wife" on Music for the Set (1977) and "Mick Mahony's" on The Trooper (1989). The Rathawaun featured on the seminal recording The Star Above
the Garter recorded by Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford in 1969.

The Cascade is a composition of Toureenderby box player Timmy O'Connor. DD Cronin's Favourite is
again sourced from John's father and the third is named after fiddle player John Walsh of Derrygallon, Kanturk.
Tony MacMahon and Noel Hill recorded Cooley's Jigs on I gCnoc na Grai (1985) in Dan O'Connell's pub
in Knocknagree, a pivotal space in Sliabh Luachra that unfortunately has gone silent. John played there a few times and my mother danced there but the main man was always Johnny O'Leary who recorded the first tune as "The Peacock's Feather" on The Trooper. The first tune appears in O'Neill's 1001 No. 144 as "The
House in the Glen”.

The first waltz is for John's son who is Far Away in Australia. Mike often sings the song and joins us her on bouzouki with Imelda on fiddle. The Bluemont Waltz was composed by Contradance musician Rodney Miller and was recorded by Jackie Daly with
the group Buttons and Bows on Grace Notes (1994).
The Toormore Polkas were favourites of Johnny O’Leary and he recorded them on Music for the Set (1977). The first one was also recorded as "Wallace's Cross” by Martin Mulvihill and is in CRÉ3 No. 69. Captain Bing's is a version of a composition by Scottish fiddle player Nathaniel Gow (1764-1831).
Breathnach includes a version from Hugh McManus of Cavan in CRÉ2 and a reel version appears as “Captain Byng" in O'Neill's 1001 No. 736 and in the Skye collection from 1887. We are joined here by Louise and Shane Keating.

Cronin's Hornpipe and The Plains of Boyle are very popular tunes. On the second tune I add some steps from the North Kerry dance tradition associated with Jeremiah Molyneaux (1892-1964) of Gunsboro, near Listowel and learned from Patricia Hanafin in Tralee.

Pádraig O'Keeffe recorded The Rambling Pitchfork in Cork in 1960. The two tunes he recorded that day appear in a violin tutor published in 1923 by Treasa Ní Ailpin andSeán Ó Cuirrin, Teagosc-Leabhar
na Bheidhline, as "Ógánaigh na Naprun" and "Peig sa Susa". A version of The Legacy appears as "The Tailor's Wedding" in O’Neill's 1001, No. 109.

The Galtee Ranger, Gleanntán Reel and Callaghan's are a popular set in the Sliabh Luachra repertoire often associated with Julia Clifford and Denis Murphy and also Seamus Creagh. The Galty Rangers appears in The Roche Collection, Vol. 3 No. 84. Callaghan's is named after Pádraig O'Keeffe's uncle Cal Callaghan of Doon.

Dan O'Connell's Favourite is named after the dancing publican of Knocknagree and tune #221 in the Johnny O'Leary collection. Johnny usually followed it with another tune named after Tom Billy Murphy who
was considered an excellent musician for dancers because of the rhythm of his playing. It is more widely known as "The Lakes of Sligo". The third tune, another composition of John Walsh, was recorded on the CD The County Bounds by Connie O'Connell
and Denis MacMahon.

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