Annotation:Farewell to Connacht

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 FAREWELL TO CONNACHT (Slán le Connachta). AKA - "Farewell to Connaught." AKA and see "John Bowe's No. 2," "Maid of Erin (The)." Irish, Reel. D Mixolydian/Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Mallinson, Tubridy): AABB' (Breathnach): AA'BB' (Taylor). "Farewell to Connacht" was first published by O'Neill in Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922, 329). Breathnach (1985) notes that "Maid of Erin (The)" is a County Leitrim title. The tune is similar to "Colliers (The)" and "Ravelled Hank of Yarn (The)." Frankie Gavin mentions that the tune was not recorded until the LP era of the late 1960's. The old Tulla Céilí Band recorded it in a medley with "Ballinasloe Fair." Mark Simos comments on an interesting relationship between "Farewell to Connacht" and old-time tune "Billy in the Lowground (1)", which he observes are "two different harmonic 'readings' of literally the same melodic notes," one in D mixolydian and one in C major.  Source for notated version: from a manuscript given to O'Neill in Chicago by Irish music enthusiast Francis E. Walsh, noted in San Francisco from the playing of Roscommon fiddler John Kelly, described as a "phenomenal fiddler" [O'Neill]; the late fiddler Bobby Casey (County Clare, Ireland) [Breathnach]; a 1960 recording of Seán Ryan and P.J. Moloney [Miller & Perron].  Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 98, p. 50. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 1, No. 38. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 62, p. 27. Miller & Perron (Irish Traditional Fiddle Music), 2nd Edition, 2006; p. 68. O'Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 329. Taylor (Through the Half-door), 1992; No. 26, p. 20. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, Book Two), 1999; p. 26.  Recorded sources: Cló Iar-Chonnachta, CICD 148, Mick Conneely - "Selkie" (2001). Mulligan Records LUN 018, Bobby Casey - "Taking Flight" (1979). Shaskeen - "Atlantic Breeze." Tara CD 4011, Frankie Gavin - "Fierce Traditional."  See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources Alan Ng's Irishtune.info

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