Annotation:Jim Coleman's (5)

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Jim Coleman, elder brother of Michael Coleman, authenticated by a descendant as reported in the Comhaltas magazine Treoir, IML 55, Uimhir 2, 2022. p.65.

JIM COLEMAN'S [5]. AKA and see: "Jack O'Neill's Fancy," "Morrison's Hornpipe," "Parker's Fancy," "Sweeney's Hornpipe (1)," "Sweep's Hornpipe (2) (The)." Irish, Hornpipe. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). Jim Coleman, of Drumacoo, Monasteraden, on the Roscommon/Sligo border between Ballaghaderreen and Gurteen, was the elder brother of famed fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945). Jim played both fiddle and flute and was accounted by some to have been an equal fiddler to his brother. Unfortunately, there are no recordings of his music.

A tale told by Joe McGowan^[1] was passed from Jim Coleman to Mick Finn, fiddler Fred Finn's father, who told his son, who shared it with local historian P.J. Duffy, and finally to McGowan. According to Jim's tale, he and Michael were returning home from a night out when they went astray. They happened on an old ringfort and rested there, but suddenly found themselves in a beautiful field, 'with lovely plains, trees and flowers.' They felt a compulsion to play their instruments, and picking them up they began to play and continued all night long until they were exhausted. Mustering enough energy to continue on their journey, they arrived home and were astonished to find that in was still early in the night and they were only ten minutes late. Afterwards they playing of the brothers noticeably improved, and was remarked upon locally. Jim, however, 'was terrified to go out at night all his life after that'

Additional notes

Recorded sources : - Green Linnet SIF 1035, Brian Conway & Tony DeMarco - "The Apple in Winter" (1981).

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↑ Joe McGowan, Sligo Folk Tales, 2015.

[1] Joe McGowan, Sligo Folk Tales, 2015.

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