Séamus Ennis visited the home of Néillidh Boyle in Cró na Sealg, An Clochán Liath numerous times on his various collecting trips to Donegal. Often they just played music together and chatted but invariably Séamus Ennis would come away having written some tunes from the fiddle player. ‘The Castlefinn Reel’ was one of two reels that Ennis transcribed from the playing of Néillidh Boyle in early March 1944. More commonly known with the title ‘The Humours of Castlefinn’ it can be found in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 1 (No. 186). The tune was recorded as ‘Egan’s Reel’ on one of the first LPs of Irish traditional music, All Ireland Champions Violin (1959) featuring Paddy Canny, P.J. Hayes, Peadar O’Loughlin and Bridie Lafferty. It is also very much associated with the playing of Tony MacMahon and Noel Hill who recorded it as the opening track of the album I gCnoc Na Graí (1985).

Ennis wrote in Irish along with the transcription, ‘Two reels I wrote from Niall Ó Baoill (c.50), a fiddle player, An Clochán Liath. (unnamed) (Castlefinn Reel) 3.3.44 when I visited him again’.