Irish Traditional Music Archive
Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann
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Cathal McConnell Tribute
Cathal McConnell, flute player, whistle player and singer, was born in Bellanaleck, Co Fermanagh, in 1944, and has been immersed in traditional music all his life. He is from a musical family, being a fourth-generation flute player; his father Sandy, a well known traditional singer and musician, recorded for the BBC in the 1950s. An All-Ireland champion on whistle and flute at 18, Cathal has been a virtuoso professional musician for over thirty years, constantly touring the world since 1967 with the Edinburgh-based traditional group The Boys of the Lough, of which he was a founder-member with Robin Morton and Tommy Gunn. Having absorbed the music and song of his native region from musicians and singers such as Big John McManus, John Joe Maguire, Eddie Duffy and Mick Hoy, Cathal has spread a knowledge and awareness of this local repertory widely through his own performances, and has added items from it to the national repertory. |
 Cathal McConnell |
Cathal McConnell has lived in Edinburgh for many years and consequently is not as well known or as frequently heard in Ireland as he should be, but for some years past he has been involved in teaching and performing at the annual Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co Clare. In 2009 the School decided to honour his contribution to Irish traditional music in a special occasion on 7 July which formed part of its afternoon programme of events. Organised by friends and fellow musicians, colleagues and admirers, the tribute reflected many facets of Cathal’s music and personality. Some of the historical recordings used in the tribute had been donated to the ITMA by his late sister Maura McConnell.
The occasion was recorded by ITMA staff members Danny Diamond, Mícheál Ó Catháin, & Joan McDermott. The audio tracks presented here are a representative selection from the event, which ran for over two hours.
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Tracks
1 Welcome by Muiris Ó Rócháin
2 BBC TV audio: Big John McManus (fiddle) and Cathal McConnell (flute) play a jig and speak about its origins. With introduction by Cyril Maguire
3 Tape recording from the Maura McConnell collection: Cathal McConnell (flute) plays 'James Hanley's Reel'
4 BBC TV audio: Cathal McConnell (tin whistle) plays a reel and P. Flanagan dances
5 Cathal McConnell (flute), Big John McManus (fiddle), Cyril Maguire (flute), Jim McGrath (accordion), Gabriel McArdle (concertina), Sharon Creasy (flute), Francie Rasdale (tin whistle), Duncan Wood (fiddle), and Claire McGrath (keyboard) play 'Dickie Gossip', an unidentified reel and 'The High Road to Linton'
6 Group of musicians as above play two jigs, 'Top of the Hill' and 'Katie's Lilt'
7 Cathal McConnell and Len Graham sing 'Erin the Green'
8 Rosie Stewart sings 'Maggie from Ballybofey'
9 Cathal, Cormac, Mickey, and Seán McConnell sing 'The White Cockade'
10 Mick O'Connor speaks about Cathal McConnell
11 Cathal McConnell (flute) and Gerry O'Connor (fiddle) play 'Big John's', 'McHugh's' and 'The Strokestown Reel'
12 Group of musicians as per tracks 5 and 6, joined by Mick O'Connor (flute), Gerry O'Connor (fiddle), Antóin Mac Gabhann (fiddle), Dermy Diamond (fiddle), and Tara Bingham (flute), play two reels, 'Lady Anne Montgomery' and 'The Noone Lasses'
With thanks to Cathal McConnell, Cormac, Micky & Sean McConnell, Maura McConnell, Muiris Ó Rócháin and the Willie Clancy Summer School, Cyril Maguire and the group of Fermanagh and other musicians listed above, Len Graham of Antrim, Mick O’Connor of Dublin, & Gerry O’Connor of Dundalk. For further information see
http://www.fermanaghmusic.com/
http://www.boysofthelough.com/
http://www.sagearts.com/htrec/camc.html
http://compassrecords.com/cathal-mcconnell.
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