Annotation:Humors of Lisadel

Back to 

 HUMORS OF LISADEL {Pléaráca Lios an Daill}. AKA "Humours of Lissadell." AKA and see "Musical Bridge (The)." Irish, Reel. E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Lissadell is a place name from County Sligo, the subject of some of the writings of the poet Yeats. The tune was the composition of the great fiddler John McGrath (1900-1965) of Co. Mayo and New York, according to his nephew Vincent McGrath, and was originally titled "Musical Bridge (The)," after a structure in Belmullet. However, other's dispute the claim for McGrath. Breathnach (1963) notes that Boston button accordion player Jerry O'Brien has a setting of this tune in his Irish Folk Dance Music (168). The tune was popularized by south Sligo fiddler Paddy Killoran (1894-1974), an immigrant to New York City.  Source for notated version: flute player Éamonn de Stabaltún (Ireland) [Breathanch]; fiddler Fred Finn {1919-1986} (Kiltycreen, Kilavil, County Sligo); Frank McCollam (Ballycastle, County Antrim) [Mulvihill].  Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 191, p. 74. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 80. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 128, p. 34. Taylor (Where's the Crack), 1989; p. 7.  Recorded sources: Coleman Music Center CHC 009, fiddler Jim Rawl (Co. Leitrim) - "The Coleman Archive, vol. 2: The Home Place" (2005. Various artists). Folk-Legacy FSE 78 (LP), "Seamus and Manus McGuire." Folkways FW 8876, Kevin Burke - "Sweeney's Dream." Green Linnet, Jack Coen - "The Branch Line" (mistakenly labelled as "Lads of Laois"). Green Linnet SIF-1110, Liz Carroll, Martin Hayes & Eileen Ivers - "My Love is in America: The Boston College Irish Fiddle Festival" (1991). Green Linnet SIF 1163, Joe Derrane - "Return to Inis Mór." Leader LEACD 2004, "Martin Byrnes" (1969). Philo F12108, Jean Carignan - "Plays the Music of Coleman, Morrison, and Skinner" (appears as one of "Coleman Reels"). Rounder CD7018, Frank Ferrel - "Boston Fiddle: The Dudley Street Tradition." Shanachie, Paddy Killoran - "Back in Town" (reissue of 78 RPM). Martin Byrnes - Martin Byrnes & Reg Hall. Joe Ryan - "An Buachaill Dreoite." Tom Healey & John Duffy - "Memories of Sligo." Salamanca - "Paddy in Paradise." Shaskeen - "Pipe on the Hob." Bobby Gardiner - "The Master's Choice." The Bothy Band - "1975."  See also listing at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info Hear Paddy Killoran and Paddy Sweeney's 1937 recording at the Comhaltas Archive

Back to