By Rónán Galvin

Con Cassidy was born and raised in one the last houses in Croaghlin, Teelin before the ascent to Sliabh Liag, some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. As a boy he snuck out one night to hear the strains of travelling bagpiper, Húdaí Gallagher, and recalled some of the old lilters who laid the foundation for the fiddle tradition in south-west Donegal. Con was the youngest in a collection of great Teelin fiddle players, not least John and Frank Cassidy, Mick MacSeáin, Connie Haughey, Jimmy Lyons and Jim ‘Phait James’ Byrne. In such esteemed company Con often relayed that he was bottom of the ladder, though self-deprecating to a fault, a glint in his eye suggested he knew otherwise.

In his fiddle playing, Con drew on the style of his cousin, Frank, but created his own sound and expression combined with a rich and varied repertoire. Con was a sweet fiddle player, delicate of touch with lightning quick variations that one could easily miss. He had unique versions of common reels and jigs, mixed with WW1 military band marches, barndances, waltzes, highlands and even a version of the French national anthem. Along with their three daughters, Con and his wife, Mary Kate were both warmly welcoming and full of devilment. They opened their door to a host of younger visiting musicians, especially from the 1970s onwards including Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, the late Maurice Bradley and their close neighbour, Dermot Byrne. As the 1986 LP, the Brass Fiddle highlights, fiddle styles and expression can vary greatly in a distinct geographic region. Although polar opposites in style, Con found a dynamic playing partner in the late fiddle player, James Byrne from Meenacross, a townland deeper into the parish of Glencolmcille.

This playlist features various solo tracks of Con that have not been released commercially on either of the two excellent CDs produced by Cairdeas na bhFidléirí, nor on the aforementioned Brass Fiddle release. Also featured are several tracks recorded in October, 1992 at the annual Glenties fiddle weekend in duet with his close friend, the fiddle player Dermot McLaughlin. Con’s devilment shone through in his playing, and in life. I last met him on his bicycle on a summer evening in August 1993, six months before his passing –  when he declared he couldn’t sleep the night before as he was thinking of joining the priesthood!