It just came to my attention a couple of hours ago that Tom McHale’s “Outlet” album - the first ever full LP record devoted to solo Irish traditional music played on whistle [ as far as I know ] - is now available in it’s entirety on “iTunes” for the princely sum of £4.49. 
They are perpetuating the mistaken spelling on the original album, so you need to look for “Tom McHaile”.
[ I added this to a previous discussion, but it’s in the Irish Music Forum. I thought it worth mentioning here in a new thread ].
Some years ago someone put a batch of private recordings on Soundcloud.
Here.
Thanks for the soundcloud link! I love these recordings of Tom’s playing, they are wonderful, so much better than his rather stilted album. Anyone know what the name of the 4th tune he plays?
By way of discussion, the whole idea of musical performance as a competition is strange to me, not have grown up round it. I wondered if Mr McHale entered a whistle comp today would he still win it? How are such events scored/judged?
Track 4 is “Lament For Oliver Goldsmith”, slow air composed by accordion player Seamus Shannon. My favourite slow air played on whistle was this same tune, but played by Finbar Furey in the North of Scotland in 1977 [ I think ]. Must see if I can post it sometime.
I remember Seamus Shannon. Years ago a flute player who will remain unnamed did gigs in town, sort of for the tourist season. The posters said ‘with S.Shannon and M.Tubridy’. Sort of suggesting Sharon and Michael to many passing through. But in fact Seamus and Martin.
Thanks Kenny, I’d be very interested to hear Finbar’s version too!
Folks,
I’ve now put up a lot more tracks by Tom McHale on SoundCloud
You’ll find them at http://soundcloud.com/deeor-1/sets/tom-mchale-house-recording/
Some are duplicates but Tom always seemed to have little variations in his playing.
I’m very bad at naming tunes so any contributions on the front will be very welcome.
When you are listening to them please think of my late friend Denis Calvert who made the recording and preserved the tape for many years.
Wonderful!! Thanks Deeor.
Kenny, is this the same recording that was out on CD? Accompanied on Guitar by Den Warrick. Track 1 was Centenary-Hynes Marches.
Kevin, the outlet lp is the same
I had a quick listen to homerecording the on soundcloud
and came to the following titles, a few more at the tip of my tongue but can’t name them right now:
1. Lady on the Island
2. Col Rodgers (McKenna #1) / Happy day of youth (McKenna #2)
3. Longford Tinker (Jenny dang the weaver)
4. Laurel Tree
5. Piper’s despair / Paddy Taylor’s
6. Around the world for sport / Crooked road
7. ? / ? / Paddy Taylor’s
8. Templehouse / Holy Land
9. Princess Royal (?)
10. air
11. set dance
12. hrnp
13. Dr O neill
14. Pipe on the Hob
15. Josie McDermott’s / ?
16. Cow that ate the blanket
17. Flogging reel
18. Boil the breakfast early
19. Morning dew
20. Earl’s chair
21. Toss the feathers
22. Down the Broom
23. Ships are sailing
24. Queen of the fair
25. Job of journeywork
26. Tom Billy’s #1
27. Boys of Ballisodare
28. First house in Connaught
29. Copperplate
30. Salamanca
31. Air (Anach Cuin)
32. Maud Millar
33. Anderson’s
34. Foxhunter’s
35. Barry’s fancy (the Swallow)
36. Up to your knees in sand
37. Nine points of roguery
38. Dublin reel
39. Tommy Whelan’s
40. Eddie Kelly’s (Meelick Team)
41. Hag with the money
42. Bag of Spuds
43. Paddy Fahey’s
Thank you Mr Gumby. Excellent 
No, thank you for putting up the clips.
I may get a few more names, there are a few I should know but this is my first quick stab at it.
No… Thank You everyone for posting and expanding thread! Wow!
For the folkclub recording I can add
- (another) Paddy Fahey / Pigeon on the Gate
- Templehouse / Fairhaired Boy
35 above is also called the Clogger’s Quilt, I don’t think it has settled to one name ever.
First tune in #7 is a really nice version of the Swallowtail Jig, isn’t it? (From the house recording, not the club set.)
First tune in #7 is a really nice version of the Swallowtail Jig, isn’t it? (From the house recording, not the club set.)
Generic Em jig, yes. There is a name for it though but it won’t come to me. Not yet anyway.
I’m the last person on earth to offer a tune name. On the house recording list is #10 slow air ‘The Blackbird’?
Posted this on “session.org” earlier :
Track 1 - “The Lady On The Island” is followed by “The Humours Of Westport”.
Track 3 - “The Longford Tinker” is followed by “Sean Sa Ceo”.
Track 8 - is 3 reels : “The Templehouse / The Fair-Haired Boy / The Enchanted Lady”
Track 10 - “Lament For Oliver Goldsmith” [ composed by Seamus Shannon ].
Track 11 - “The Little Heathy Hill”
Track 12 - “The Lone Bush” [ composed by Ed Reavy ].
Track 15 - “Josie McDermotts / McDonagh’s” These 2 reels were both recorded by Matt Molloy on his “black” album, which leads me to think the date of this recording of Tom McHale may be post 1975, although Tom McHale might well have got the tunes from a completely different source[s].
That’s as far as I’ve gone so far. Enjoying listening to the recordings.
Well done Kenny. I had the Fairhaired Boy but apparently forget to write it down while I was thinking if it was the Enchanted Lady or the Holy Land (picking the wrong one in the end). I used to play the Humours of Westport a lot in Friel’s but couldn’t think of the name (we reversed parts though, high one first). The trip to Birmingham is the title for Josie McDermott’s I was trying to come up with and it came to me just now, FWIW.
Thanks folks. Amendments duly made.
Kenny, I suppose it’s always possible that Matt Molloy got the tunes from Tom. I have the impression that Tom travelled a lot
Ytliek I’ve had two separate ID’s of Lament for Oliver Goldsmith so I reckon I’ll go with that.
Dennis R