I heard “Big Pat’s Reel” at a session in Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, played by my friend Christophe, a great fiddle player and harpist from France. I was also familiar with this tune through the recording “Waifs & Strays” by Michael Hynes and Denis Liddy.
X:1
T:Big Pat’s Reel
R:reel
M:4/4
K:Emin
|:BGEF G2BG|G2AG FDFA|BGEF G2Bd|1 gefd e2dc:|2 gefd ~e3f||
~g3a bgag|eaag fdef|g2ga bgag|fedf e2ef|
g3a bgag|eaag fdef|g2ge ~f3d|egfd e2dc||
I learned “The Sunny Hills of Beara” in 2020, it is a wonderful jig composed by the late John Dwyer. I learned it from the playing of Tony O’Connell (concertina) and Brid Harper (fiddle), who recorded it on Tony’s solo album “‘Live And Well”.
“The Glen of Aherlow” is a great reel composed by Sean Ryan, fiddle player from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. I associate this tune with my friend Paolo Cerato, an accordion player from Italy who has been living in Co. Clare for many years.
One of my favourite reels! “The Concert Reel” is quite common in sessions around here but I remember learning this tune from Noel O’Donoghue (flute) and Kevin Finucane (fiddle) in particular, they played it a one of the Riches of Clare concerts a few years back. It is very often played after another great reel, “The Hare’s Paw”.
