Annotation:Castle Kelly

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 CASTLE KELLY (Caisleán Ui Cheallaigh). AKA and see "Cumar na Cathrach." Irish, Reel. A Minor (Carlin, Heymann, Johnson): A Dorian (Breathnach, Flaherty, Harker/Rafferty, Joyce, Mulvihill). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Flaherty): ABB (Breathach, Johnson): AAB (Joyce): AABB (Heymann, Miller): AABB' (Mulvihill): AA'BB' (Harker/Rafferty). There are numerous Castle Kelly's to which this title may refer. One is near Tallaght, County Dublin. Other castles built by the O'Kelly's (according to "The Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country", author unknown) are in Moate, near Roscommon; Galy, on the borders of the Shannon, near Knockcroghery; Athleague, Corbeg and Skryne, in the County of Roscommon, and Garbally, Aughrim, Gallagh, Mullaghmore, Moy-lough, and Aghrane, now Castle Kelly in the county of Galway (the latter is where O'Carolan composed his air "Mabel Kelly"). In fact, at one point in their history the O'Kelly's had as many as eighty castles in their territory. As "The Darkhaired Maid" the melody was recorded by Bobby Gardiner in 1970, and Paddy Glackin had a slow setting of the tune when he was with the Bothy Band (which he later recorded on a solo album). Philippe Varlet finds the earliest recording of the tune by the Lough Gill Quartet, in 1941. Source for notated version: from Mr. M. Flanagan (c. 1885) of the Hibernian Military School, Phoenix Park, Dublin, "a good player of the Union pipes. Mr. Flanagan picked them up in North Kildare" (Ireland) [Joyce]; accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Fred Finn (1919-1986, Kiltycreen, Kilavil, County Sligo, Ireland) [Flaherty]; Gus Collins (Bronx, NY) [Mulvihill]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker]. Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 108, p. 45. Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; p. 131, No. 225. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 78. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 66, p. 21. Heymann (Off the Record), 1990; p. 29. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 5: Mostly Irish Airs), 1985 (revised 2000); p. 16. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Song), 1909; No. 359, p. 165. Miller (Fiddler's Throne), 2004; No. 134, p. 88. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 181, p. 49 (appears as "Kelly's Castle"). Peoples (Fifty Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1986; 40. Roche (Collection of Irish Airs, Marches and Dance Tunes, III), 1927; No. 75. Recorded sources: Clairseach Records 8979, Ann Heymann - "Let Erin Remember" (1979). EMI Records ISRM 006, Tulla Ceili Band - "Dance Tunes" (1990). Green Linnet SIF 1075, John Whelan & Eileen Ivers - "Fresh Takes" (1987). Topic 12TS294, "Pat Mitchell Uilleann Pipes" (1976). Paddy Glackin & Paddy Keenan - "Doublin'". Chieftains - "Water from the Well." See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources, Alan Ng's Irishtune.info.

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