I learned “Garrett Barry’s” as one of my first jigs, from my friend Stéphane Germain here in Doolin. It is a common session tune associated with the blind piper Garrett Barry from Inagh, in Co. Clare.
X:1
T:Garrett Barry’s
R:Jig
M:6/8
K:Dmix
|:DEF ~G3|AGE c2A|dcA d2e|fed cAG|
~F3 GFG|AGA cde|dcA GEA|DED D2A:||
|:dcA d2e|fed ege|dcA c2d|ege dcA|
dcA d2e|fed ege|dcA GEA|DED D2A:||
“Francis John McGovern’s” is associated with Charlie Lennon, even though it isn’t one of his compositions as far as I know. I learned it from my friend Thierry Masure, fiddle player from Belgium who lived in Clare for several years and still visits regularly.
This jig comes from the playing of John Williams, a great concertina and accordion player from Chicago, whose father came from Doolin. John spent a lot of time in Doolin over the years, but I learned this particular tune from a YouTube video.
A reel I like very much, “George White’s Favourite” is a tune that I associate with Christy Barry, Terry Bingham and James Devitt. It was also recorded by Hugh & Colm Healy on their album “Macalla na hÓige”, for which particular set they were joined by Noel O’Donoghue and Eric Healy.
