Chiff and Fipple Forums

I read a post here about something or other, its content not the point, and my gaze settled on the posters location.

There's stuff with USA attached, and then all on it's own 'Co. Clare...' I couldn't be bothered to pursue where the author is really from, as today it is no longer relevant to Irish folk music, all sorts of nationalities partaking of the hobby. Maybe 'Co. Clare Michigan'? or China?

But, and here is the source of my amusement, if a person solely is 'Co. Clare Ireland' . then he/she is barred from most of 'Capt Francis O'Niell's 1001 Irish Dance Tunes'. Because the majority of those are not 'Co. Clare ..' but other counties.

Remarkable achievement too, to have this wonderful place as part of one's being. After all is said and done, it must be a great county, what with all the people going to Ireland every summer for their vacation and so on.

But still, I don't know at which part of the globe it is. And if it is in Ireland maybe it is a separate new republic there? The Republic of 'Co. Clare.. '. It has to have those dots to set the reader wondering what should have been next.

Who would have thought back in the old days, Coleman, Morrison, Cooley et al, that there isn't anywhere else in Ireland that a person could be from, much less to have any pride in his/her roots except from there! I mean, one is almost tempted to think that admitting Co. Roscommon Ireland is your origin admits defeat!

Now there are some, Wiki experts for example, who have labored hard to make such as Matt Molloy to be 'not' from there. According to these scholars Matt is a Sligo man, at least the last time I looked, that's what is published.

Still my amusement at the identity game of being from mystical places, and never from some rainy bog riddled flat part of the world, the Shannon delta Ireland, for example. I think I should be from somewhere as nice as 'Co. Clare ..' so that I can get more scope for my advertising and so on, but then those dots are kind of a put on job, not at all in character with the place I really am from. Renowned for honesty, and mighty music, BTW most of the great tunes in Irish folk music begun there, and modesty.

Next stop, The Drone ..

I'll get me hat !

Nurse...!

Yes having trouble making sense of this

The Matt Molloy reference may have to do with an old argument. Born in Ballaghaderreen (Irish: Bealach an Doirín, meaning "the way of the little oak grove") , a town in County Roscommon, Ireland, but traditionally part of County Mayo. His pub, BTW, is in County Mayo. Matt, in an interview, indicated his family were from Sligo area, and Matt is renowned for playing in a Sligo style.

http://www.mattmolloy.com/interview-with-matt/

Also, I think there may be another reference to at least one C&F member who splits his time with a USA residence and one in County Clare. There are of course others who have similar habits.

In any case, I think the OP was making the point that location is no longer so restrictive as to musical style as it might once have been.

Fildafluter wrote:But, and here is the source of my amusement, if a person solely is 'Co. Clare Ireland' . then he/she is barred from most of 'Capt Francis O'Niell's 1001 Irish Dance Tunes'. Because the majority of those are not 'Co. Clare ..' but other counties.

Barred? On a residential basis? You have my baffled attention.

Nanohedron wrote:

Fildafluter wrote:But, and here is the source of my amusement, if a person solely is 'Co. Clare Ireland' . then he/she is barred from most of 'Capt Francis O'Niell's 1001 Irish Dance Tunes'. Because the majority of those are not 'Co. Clare ..' but other counties.

Barred? On a residential basis? You have my baffled attention.

I thought you'd figure that out. One is supposedly limited to the tunes of one's native county - no straying allowed.

kkrell wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:

Fildafluter wrote:But, and here is the source of my amusement, if a person solely is 'Co. Clare Ireland' . then he/she is barred from most of 'Capt Francis O'Niell's 1001 Irish Dance Tunes'. Because the majority of those are not 'Co. Clare ..' but other counties.

Barred? On a residential basis? You have my baffled attention.

I thought you'd figure that out. One is supposedly limited to the tunes of one's native county - no straying allowed.

I didn't know that ol' Jimmy H Miller played the flute...

kkrell wrote:

Nanohedron wrote:

Fildafluter wrote:But, and here is the source of my amusement, if a person solely is 'Co. Clare Ireland' . then he/she is barred from most of 'Capt Francis O'Niell's 1001 Irish Dance Tunes'. Because the majority of those are not 'Co. Clare ..' but other counties.

Barred? On a residential basis? You have my baffled attention.

I thought you'd figure that out. One is supposedly limited to the tunes of one's native county - no straying allowed.

Well, that wipes out a huge chunk of the Appalachian tradition, then.

kkrell wrote:The Matt Molloy reference may have to do with an old argument. Born in Ballaghaderreen (Irish: Bealach an Doirín, meaning "the way of the little oak grove") , a town in County Roscommon, Ireland, but traditionally part of County Mayo. His pub, BTW, is in County Mayo. Matt, in an interview, indicated his family were from Sligo area, and Matt is renowned for playing in a Sligo style.

http://www.mattmolloy.com/interview-with-matt/

Also, I think there may be another reference to at least one C&F member who splits his time with a USA residence and one in County Clare. There are of course others who have similar habits.

In any case, I think the OP was making the point that location is no longer so restrictive as to musical style as it might once have been.

That's about it all.

But I have to add, Ballahadereen is deffo in Co Roscommon, I should know, lived in it. Too, need to clarify, in Ireland your County is always where you were born, not your family. Kinda nutty if you ask me, but there it is. I think the tradition comes from the GAA, Gaelic Athletic Association, where your Parish of birth is what provides your colors. IOW if your parents are from Bejing China, and you are born in Ballahadereen, then you are a Roscommon person, if considering your Irish identity. OC if you are not in Ireland it does not matter. Matt Molloy is an internationalist, so he can be from where ever he likes, but in Ireland everybody, and their dog, knows that Matt is a Roscommon man.

Local tune traditions did once rule the roost, IOW where you grew up provided most of your lore. In my case there are nearly no Polkas/Slides and not many Hop Jigs, however if I grew up in the Kerry region I would not have as many great Reels and Double Jigs. So asserting my identity, here in the USA, as X County .. begs the question, 'what don't I know of other counties ..' Too asserting any county, especially Co. Clare ( Ireland ) is just empty boasting, because its how well you play Co. Clare Ireland tunes that makes it remarkable, not merely saying it. For example ' Junior Crehan' no need to say where he originates, or 'Miko Russell' same thing, but in his case a non English speaker might make the mistake of confusing him with Bertrand ... lol. Too I have a great pal on the net who doesn't play a note on anything other than the Radio, he's a Clare man. In all the years I have known him, never mentions it at all. So there ya go, on Irish Folk music sites making the claim, to me, is just funny, and in a lot of cases, false. If you live a lie, your music is a lie.

I could get in a Blues Group and boast ... 'Fildafluter Delta Miss ..' to gain more scope and authority for my bleatings... I just find it amusing that a person with little of no connection to it would add 'Co. Clare ..' to his/her name ...

I'll get me hat ..

Fildafluter wrote:

kkrell wrote:The Matt Molloy reference may have to do with an old argument. Born in Ballaghaderreen (Irish: Bealach an Doirín, meaning "the way of the little oak grove") , a town in County Roscommon, Ireland, but traditionally part of County Mayo. His pub, BTW, is in County Mayo. Matt, in an interview, indicated his family were from Sligo area, and Matt is renowned for playing in a Sligo style.

http://www.mattmolloy.com/interview-with-matt/

Also, I think there may be another reference to at least one C&F member who splits his time with a USA residence and one in County Clare. There are of course others who have similar habits.

In any case, I think the OP was making the point that location is no longer so restrictive as to musical style as it might once have been.

That's about it all.

But I have to add, Ballahadereen is deffo in Co Roscommon, I should know, lived in it.

When working with flute players on the 3 Wooden Flute Obsession volumes, I did have instances where the County was in dispute, and the player insisted I address my mail as per THEIR preference, not An Post's.

kkrell wrote:[One is supposedly limited to the tunes of one's native county - no straying allowed.

Ack.. what about another *country*.. some of us would have to play Irish tunes hiding under a blanket. Well, sometimes that's what I feel I should be doing in any case, at my level..

Look. Fildafluter's objecting over nothing, because he's talking about the profile location. "Location" does not mean "point of origin". If I moved to the Antarctic, I would change my profile location accordingly, and I would not expect people to infer - nor should they - that I was born there.

Yup. My location says Virginia. I spent the first 40 years of my life in Houston and Dallas.

What Irish county does that equate to, so I can know what tunes I can play?

No clue. Just for starters, we might need to know many Irelands can fit in Texas alone.

Nanohedron wrote:No clue. Just for starters, we might need to know many Irelands can fit in Texas alone.

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