Annotation:Castle Island

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 CASTLE ISLAND. Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (O'Neill {Krassen}): AA'B (O'Neill {1850}). Castleisland is a market town in County Kerry, which takes its name from a castle that formerly stood on the spot. "The Castle of the Island of Kerry" was built in 1226 and stood for some 400 years before being destroyed around the year 1600. There are spectacular limestone cave systems near and under the Castleisland area, running for over two miles. Source for notated version: "Dillon" [O'Neill]. Retired Chicago police officer Timothy M. Dillon, born in the Parish of Rathea, near Newmarket West, County Limerick, was one of the core members of the Irish Music Club during the early 20th century. He was an accomplished step dancer and had commenced learning the violin around 1855 at the age of nine, "under the tuition of Patrick O'Grady, and in a few years was ranked with the best of them" [O'Neill, Irish Minstrels and Musicians, p. 395]. O'Neill found him (unlike some other members of the club) to be "genial and kindly...at peace with the world." He remarked that Dillon's playing was "plaintive and pleading", and "indescribably weird and wailing even in his reveling reels." O'Neill thought he produced such sounds by rolling onto and off notes; "we noticed that his finger tips slid slightly from the stops with much frequency, thereby shading the tones in a most expressive way." Printed sources: O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 133. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1409, p. 262. Recorded sources:

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