FTX-377 - THE LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN

Paddy McCLUSKEY & others

A collection of 18 tunes, reels, jigs and hornpipes, and 17 songs, that were once popular in the Glens of Antrim. Sam Henry noted some of them from Paddy, publishing them in the Coleraine newspaper, "The Northern Constitution", as "The Songs of the People" 1923-1939 including MY TRUELOVE'S GONE A-SAILING, THE APPRENTICE BOY, THE TRIP OVER THE MOUNTAIN and THE LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN. Paddy's solo fiddle-style represents the older tradition with strong rhythm and effective string-droning. Other fiddlers are Paddy O Kane, Bellaghy and Terence McShane of Clough Mills, and the other singers are William Coulter of Dunadry, Dennis Cassley of Glenshesk and James Carey, Paddy Gamble and Donald McMullen, from Clough Mills.

1. Tuning up the fiddle, including noise of pegs, and talking with Sean O Boyle about his father etc. - 1'05"

2. THE CAVE-HILL SIDE (or BELFAST CITY) sung by Paddy McCluskey - 0'48"

3. THE CAVE-HILL SIDE played on fiddle - 1'20"

4. ANNIE-O sung by Paddy - 1'49"

5. BEES AMONG THE HEATHER - Reel - played on fiddle - 1'20"

6. THE LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN - sung by Paddy - 2'47"

7. HAPPY TO MEET, SORRY TO PART - Jig on fiddle - fades in - 0'43"

8. WILLIE AND MARY - sung by Paddy - 2'17"

9. JENNY PAWNED HER BONNET - Reel on fiddle - 0'58"

10. MY BONNY BOY (or YOUNG AND GROWING) (2v only) - 0'49"

11. THE EWIE WI THE CROOKIT HORN - Reel on fiddle - 0'58"

12. DOLLY VEE (or MILKING THE OULD DUNCOW) - Song (2 vs) - 0'33"

13. ALL THE WAY TO GALWAY (or JENNY PUT THE KETTLE ON - Reel on fiddle - 0'44"

14. MY TRUELOVE'S GONE A SAILING - sung by Paddy - 2'46"

15. THE CLOUGH MILLS HORNPIPE - played on fiddle - 0'48"

16. THE APPRENTICE BOY - sung by Paddy - 2'08"

17. THE MASON ON HIS CHAIR - Jig on fiddle (gives title) - 0'51"

18. MY NAME IS HENRY CONNOR - sung by Paddy (frag) - 0'28"

19. THE TRIP (WE TOOK) OVER THE MOUNTAIN - sung by Paddy with talk after- 3'11"

20. YOUNG WILLIE (The Cruel Ship's Carpenter) - sung by Paddy - 3'26"

21. MY LOVE SHE'S GONE AWAY (Old Set tune) - played by Paddy - 0'59"

22. WILLIE ARCHER (BANKS OF THE BANN) sung by William Coulter, Dunadry - 4'42"

23. NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPS - March on fiddle - 1'04"

24. THE PURPLE BOY sung by William Coulter - 3'44"

25. THE CUCKOO'S NEST played by Paddy - 0'56"

26. THE MOUNTAIN STREAMS sung by Dennis Cassley, Glenshesk - 3'14"

27. THE FIRST OF MAY (Reel) played by Paddy - 1'16"

28. AMONG THE WHINNY KNOWES sung by Dennis Cassley - 2'27"

29. THE EWIE WI THE CROOKIT HORN (Reel) played by Paddy - 1'09"

30. GLENSHESK WATERSIDE sung by Dennis Cassley - 2'25"

31. MURRAY'S HORNPIPE played by Paddy - 1'10"

32. THE GREEN VEILS sung by Paddy Gamble, Clough Mills - 3'07"

33. THE COULIN played by Paddy O Kane (fiddle) with his son, Gerard O Kane (mandolin), Ballyscullion, Bellaghy - 2'26"

34. COME ALL YE YOUNG BACHELORS sung by James Carey, Clough Millsb - 1'41"

35. THE ROYAL BELFAST or SWEEPS HORNPIPE - Gerard O Kane (mandolin) - 1'38"

36. LLAMAS FAIR IN CARGAN sung by Donald McMullen, Clough Mills - 2'25"

37. THE LAST OF THE FAIRIES OF LOUGHGUILE - told and played on the fiddle by Terence McShane, Clough Mills including TATTER JACK WALSH (jig); THE FAIRY DANCE (Reel) & THE KING OF THE FAIRIES (March) - 4'54"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy with Sean O Boyle, Co Antrim 1953. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1980.

Many of the FIDDLE TUNES were taught to Paddy's father by a travelling fiddler, William McAteer, whose son made a living as a fiddler in America. REELS were mostly used for THE FOUR HAND, with its figure-of-eight followed by old-style stepping. THE CUCKOO'S NEST was a local Couple or Round Dance.

PADDY McCLUSKEY was born at Tully, Lochgiel in 1880. Until the 1914-18 War, as a youngster, he went to Scotland, working in the shale mines. He had to draw the "hutches" from the face to the bottom of the shaft, and also blasting at the face. After the War he settled at Lislavin, working on farms, thatching and pig- killing etc., until he was 60. When recorded by Peter Kennedy, he was 73 and living alone in a one-room cottage. He learned the fiddle and the songs from his father. He used to play at local dances with a neighbour, John McAfee, who was another fiddler and also a singer. One of ten children, Paddy was the only one in his family to take up the fiddle. The Ulster song collector, Sam Henry, noted a number of songs from Paddy, including THE LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN and OVER THE MOUNTAIN.

Paddy's father played for the LILT-PULLINGS AND AMERICAN WAKES: "They used to be great days pulling flax and playing for dances at night. The owner gave his barn. Whisky was cheap in those days. There were two fiddlers at the big do's, weddings and Harvest Homes. When a man was going to America there would be a send-off dance and a "convoy" would lead him to the station".