Kitty Hayes

The Maids of Mount Kisco (reel) | Tunes From Doolin | Irish Traditional Music

Maids of Mount Kisco (The)

The Maids of Mount Kisco (often spelled “Mount Cisco”) is a very popular session tune. Mount Kisco is actually a place in New York State. I have learned this great reel through various sessions and associate it with the playing of two great ladies in particular, Kitty Hayes and Elizabeth Crotty.

The Maids of Mitchelstown (reel) | Tunes From Doolin | Irish Traditional Music

Maids of Mitchelstown (The)

“The Maids of Mitchelstown” is a wonderful tune that was made popular by The Bothy Band, on their album Out Of The Wind Into The Sun. I believe the original key was D minor, and I learned it in that key from my friend Tom Delany. It is also quite common in E minor in sessions around Doolin, as recorded by the great band Moher.

Kitty Hayes Hornpipe | Tunes From Doolin | Irish Traditional Music

Kitty Hayes’ Hornpipe

I learned Kitty Hayes’ Hornpipe from the great album “Rooska Hill” by Tony O’Connell and Éamonn O’Riordan. Kitty Hayes recorded this tune herself as Junior Crehan’s. I couldn’t find this hornpipe in the book of Junior Crehan’s compositions, There is howver a reel called Crehan’s Banbhs in the book which shares a lot of similarities with this tune.

Kitty Gone A-Milking (Reel) | Tunes From Doolin | Irish Traditional Music

Kitty Gone A-Milking

Kitty Gone A-Milking is a common session tune in the area. It is a reel very much associated with concertina players from County Clare, and has been recorded, among others, by Elizabeth Crotty, Kitty Hayes, Gerdie Commane and Tom Carey. I learned this tune through various sessions.