Josephine Marsh - accordion
Declan Corey - mandolin
Tommy Carew - acoustic guitar
Paul O Driscoll - double bass
Mick Kinsella -snare drum
The author of this first reel is unknown to us. It was recorded in 1968 by Sean McGuire and Josephine Keegan on the Viva record label and also on the 1981 Green Linnet recording 'Apple in Winter' by fiddlers Tony de Marco and Brian Conway and guitarist Caesar Pacifici.
The second tune of this set is one of our favourite reels to play and is acomposition of the fiddle player Eileen O Brien and daughter of the late Paddy O Brien (accordion player) from Nenagh, Co Tipperary

I wrote the first tune in commemoration of a great night in Westport, Co Mayo with lots of laughter, music, and snoring. Thanks to Tony Moylan for the name of the tune. The second hornpipe, Springtime is self explanatory.

Our producer PJ Curtis brought a version of 'The Lock Keeper' (sung by John Gorka) to one of our pre-recording rehearsals and Tommy decided this was one for him to sing! I hope we have done justice to this beautiful song by the late Canadian singer/songwriter Stan Rogers.

I got the idea for the first tune, whilst playing music with guitar player
Graham Dunne. The second jig is a composition of the great Cape Breton fiddler Jerry Holland, and was recorded by Sean Smyth on his 'Blue Fiddle' album and the last jig dates as far back as the early 1800's.

This set of Breton tunes I learned last year whilst playing with a group of musicians from Brittany, Quebec and Ireland. They are two different types of traditional dance tunes.

To say that I am a fan of J J Cale would be putting it mildly. This is oneof his songs from his album 'Closer to You', which is a favourite of mine;and I'm glad to say, the bands' too!

The Abbey Leix, which Declan learned from Cork fiddle player, Carol Leader, is one of over 250 tunes composed by the late Sean Ryan (fiddler) from Nenagh, Co Tipperary and features in a book of his works titled, 'The Hidden Ireland' and published by Brian Ryan. Brian Mc Neil is the composer of the second tune and Declan heard it first played by Sligo multi-instrumentalist, Seamus O Dowd. The last tune of this set is a composition of Paul StewartCranford a fiddle player from Toronto, Canada and Declan learned this one from fiddle player, Geraldine Clancy from Miltown Malbay, Co Clare.

The Egg Jig is a composition of flute player Tim Goddard who christened the tune this because the first notes of the second part begin with egg agg egg, etc. The second jig, I wrote on a peaceful, sunny day. The last tune is a composition of the fiddle player Paddy Kelly from Aughrim, Co Galway and member of the Aughrim Slopes Ceili Band.

We learned this waltz from flute player Derek O Shea. The author unfortunately is unknown to us, but Derek thinks it was composed by a very young musician from Northern Ireland. The second is a tune from the very talented French accordion player/composer, Serge Desaunay who recorded this with his band 'Roulotte Bleue' .

Eamonn an Chnoic or Ned of the Hill came from Cnoc Maothail (828ft.) in the parish of Templebeg, Co Tipperary. Ned, who lived in the 18th century, was a fugitive from the English forces. In this song the lonely rebel outlaw seeks shelter in the house of a girl who offers to protect him against the bullets of his enemies, if need be, with her own body. Ned was killed for the purpose of obtaining the reward on his head. It is unsure where he is buried but it is said that his head is buried in the ancient graveyard in Dun Bleisce, Co Limerick.

Mrs Judge is a tune composed by the celebrated 18th Century harper Turlough O Carolan. I learned and played this tune as a child with the other young members of 'The O Callaghan's Mills Groupi Ceol'. This was a group put together by music teacher Deirdre O Brien Vaughan and stayed together throughout our teenage years with major assistance from John's dad, Sean Moloney! On one of this groups many trips to the Willie Clancy summer school in Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, we heard a German flute player called Herman playing a jig which took my fancy.

The Old Forge is a lovely old style cottage in the heart of the Burren, and a house, which has resounded to the sound of music for several generations. I wrote the second reel after many journeys to my east Clare home in Broadford on my bicycle. The last tune is one of the great session reels, the Wise Maid: made famous by the legendary east Galway accordion player Joe Cooley (R.I.P.)