Annotation:Castle Kelly
X:1 T:Untitled T:Castle Kelly M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stephen Grier music manuscript collection (Book 2, c. 1883, No. 234, pp. 49-50) B:http://grier.itma.ie/book-two#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=48&z=168.3401%2C107.3971%2C3278.6224%2C1328.6073 N:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894) was a piper and fiddler from N:Newpark, Bohey, Gortletteragh, south Co. Leitrim. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amin A2 cA A2 cA|GEcE GEEG|ABcA ABcd|efed cA A2:| gfed cdef|gedB cA A2|gfed cdef|gedB c4| gfed cdef|gedB cA A2|eg g2 ea a2|gedB c2 Bc||
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, Treoir). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Flaherty): ABB (Breathach, Johnson): AAB (Joyce): AABB (Heymann, Miller, Treoir): 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.
The tune was entered as an untitled reel into Book 2 (Grier No. 234) of the large c. 1883 music manuscript collection of County Leitrim fiddler and piper biography:Stephen Grier (c. 1824-1894). 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.
