”The Shoemaker’s Fancy” is a jig that I learned from Yvonne Casey & Terry Bingham at a session in McGann’s Pub. It also features on a great CD called “The Humours of Highgate” by John Blake, Lamond Gillespie & Mick Leahy, which is one of my favourite albums.
X:1
T:Shoemaker’s Fancy (The)
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
|:GEE G2e|dBB dBA|GEE G2e|dBA B2A|
GEE G2e|dBB def|gba gfe|1 dBA ABA:|2 dBA A2B||
|:dBB gfe|dBB B2e|dBd gfe|dBA A2B|
dBB gfe|dBB def|gba gfe|dBA A2B:||
I learned Kiss The Maid Behind The Barrel through various sessions, as it is quite a popular tune which I have heard very often over the years. I associate this reel with Noel O’Donoghue, flute player from Drummevin near Kilfenora and a great friend who has been very supportive over the years.
I learned this hornpipe from the playing of Cormac Begley, who learned it himself from East Clare concertina player Mary MacNamara.
I first learned “Josephine Begley’s” many years ago from Terry Bingham’s album, on which he calls this tune “Mairtin O’Connor’s”. I only found out in February 2021 that this hornpipe was in fact a composition of Frankie Gavin. It is the great flute and concertina player from Laois Tommy Fitzharris who provided me with this information.
