The Lads of Laois is a beautiful reel that I associate with the playing of Gerdie Commane, concertina player from Kilnamona. Michael Queally (fiddle) also recorded this tune on the band Moher’s first album, “Out on the Ocean”.
X:1
T:Lads of Laois, The
R:reel
M:4/4
K:Edor
|:EB,B,B, EGFE|DA,A,2 DEFD|GEED EFGA|B2ec dBAF|
EB,B,2 EGFE|DA,A,A, DEFD|E2BE dBAF|1 DEFA BEED:|2 DEFA BE~E2||
|: eB~B2 egfe|defa gfed|(3Bcd ed efge|fgaf gfed|
eBB2 GBFB|EBBA (3Bcd ef|g2ge ~f3d|1 efed BAFA:|2 efed BAFD||
“John Dwyer’s” is a popular session tune composed by John Dwyer of the famously musical family of west Cork (John is a brother of Finbar,
I learned The Kilnamona Barndance from the playing of Gerdie Commane, in a video published by Custy’s Music Shop on their website a good few years back. John Williams, a great accordion and concertina player from Chicago who spent a lot of time in Doolin, also recorded this tune on one of the first albums of the band Solas.
“Dowd’s Favourite” is a very beautiful reel which I associate with the playing of Paddy Carty. It is also simply called “Dowd’s” or “O’Dowd’s” and was recorded by Tommy Peoples on his album “The Iron Man”. I am not really sure where I originally learned this tune though, I think it might have been from my friend Damian Werner.
