Annotation:Drogheda Lasses (1) (The)

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 DROGHEDA LASS/LASSES [1], THE ("Na Cailinide Ua Droicild Ata" or "Cailini Droiciod-Ata"). AKA and see "Hand Me Down the Tackle," "Hielanman's Kneebuckle," "The Pure Drop [2]," "Reidy Johnson's [2]," "The Road to Drogheda," "Tom(m) Steele." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning. AB (O'Neill/1850 & 1001): AA'BB' (O'Neill/Krassen). Drogheda is a Gaelic word for 'bridge by a ford'. Breathnach prints a version of this tune as an untitled reel from Frankie Gavin in his Ceol Rince na hÉireann, vol. III (No. 189). .  Source for notated version: "Kennedy" [O'Neill]. Chicago fiddler James Kennedy had the tune from his father, a celebrated local fiddler from Ballinamore, County Leitrim, where he farmed. James Kennedy was born in the early 1860's and emigrated to the United States, where he found employment in the city's police force. O'Neill called his played 'sweet' and 'expressive', but after the Chicago Irish Music Club broke up in the first decade of the 20th century, O'Neill believed he seldom played. In 1912 Kennedy returned to Ireland to visit, and O'Neill records he found "a deplorable state of affairs as far as music was concerned. There were neither fiddlers nor fiddles of any consequence" [Irish Minstrels and Musicians, 1913, p. 368]. The formerly robust community music-making seems to have submerged, and speculators had swooped into the area to buy up the old instruments, leaving the area with fewer resources for keeping instrumental music alive.  Printed sources: O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 113. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1292, p. 243. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 557, p. 103.  Recorded sources:  See also listing at: Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

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