Annotation:Idle Road (The)

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 IDLE ROAD, THE (An Bóthar Fánach). AKA and see "Winding Road (The)." Irish, Jig. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (O'Neill's): AABBCCDD' (Cranford). Breathnach (1976) says this title is sometimes incorrectly applied to Denis Murphy's "Cordal Jig." The tune is known as "The Winding Road" in County Roscommon. The jig has gained considerable currency among Cape Breton fiddlers in modern times.  Source for notated version: "Cronin" [O'Neill]. Chicago fiddle Edward Cronin was born in the 1840's in Limerick Junction, County Tipperary. He had a large repertoire and was a skilled and talented musician, from whom O'Neill transcribed many tunes. However, he could also be suspicious, and boasted that he "neither forgot nor forgave a slight". As a result, O'Neill's relationship with him deteriorated.  Printed sources: Cotter (Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor), 1989; pg. 52. Cranford (Jerry Holland's Collection), 1995; No. 261, p. 75. Feldman & O'Doherty (The Northern Fiddler), 1976; No. 100b (appears as untitled jig). Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; No. 88. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 839, p. 156. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 101, p. 32.  Recorded sources: CAT-WMR004, Wendy MacIssac - "The 'Reel' Thing" (1994). Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 167, Peter Horan & Gerry Harrington - "The Merry Love to Play" (2007).  See also listing at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index Hear Michael Costello playing the tune in 1959 at the Comhaltas Archive

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