Cloone Céilí Band
Probably the most “famous” céilí band in Leitrim’s history was Cloone Céilí Band. Owing to Fr. Peter Conefrey’s championing of traditional music and his ability to command national attention – Cloone Céili Band, founded by Conefrey and as pictured here appeared on RTÉ radio for a special broadcast in 1935.
Leitrim Library Local Studies Oral Collection
From the Oliver O’Higgin’s collection in Leitrim Library’s Local Studies section, we can hear recordings of some of the musicians who were involved in Cloone Céilí Band. The O’ Higgins brothers recorded the music to be sent to New York with a Mrs Murray who was emigrating in the morning. Recordings possibly made in 1959/60
Content
Speaker: Introduces a group of Musicians from Cloone area
Group members: Patsy Doherty, Patrick Mulryan, Owenie Mitchell, Sonny Colreavy, Desmond and Oliver O’Higgins. Speaker goes on to introduce fiddle player Ownie Mitchell. Most of these musicians played with Fr. Conefry’s “Old Cloone Ceili Band of the 1930’s.
Reel “The Heather Breeze” – Ownie Mitchell
Reel: Farewell to Leitrim – Ownie Mitchell
Pat Frank Mulryan of Rocullion plays two reels on fiddle: Rattigan’s and The Old Torn Petticoat
Another reel: Rakish Paddy (a 4-part version)
Sonny Colreavy introduces himself playing the “Tambourine” (Bodhrán)
The group plays with Sonny: Three Jigs: “Old Man Dillon” also known as “The Mug of Brown Ale”, “The Mist in the Meadow” and “Munster Buttermilk”
Reel: “The Morning Dew”
Reels: The First House in Connaught”, The Woman of the House” and “Cooley’s”
Oliver or Desmond O’ Higgins Introduces himself playing flute:
Reels: “Tim Maloney”, “Greig’s Pipes”
Hornpipe: “The Cloone Hornpipe”
“The Roscommon Reel”,
Hornpipes – “The Swan”, “The Fairy Queen” and “Cooley’s Hornpipe”
Fiddle music – Patsy Doherty
Reel: “The Sally Garden’s”
Jig: “The Maid on the Green”
Desmond O’ Higgins and Patsy Doherty
Reel: “The Dublin Reel” (a two- part version)
Jig: “The Lark in the Morning”
Pee Fitzpatrick on fiddle
Reel: “Mason’s Apron”
Two Hornpipes: “The Stage” and “The Western”
Reel: “The Boys of the Lough” (an unusual version)
Three Jigs: “Gallagher’s Frolics”, “The Knight’s of St Patrick” and “The Bush on the Hill”
Michael Creegan on fiddle
Reel: “The Swallow’s Tail”
Hornpipe: “The Wily Old Bachelor”
Desmond O’ Higgins and Patrick Francis Ryan – flute and fiddle
Two Reels: “Cooley’s” and “The Earl’s Chair”
Reels:” Fisherman’s Island” and “The Hunter’s House”
Jigs: “Brennan’s” and “Gallagher’s Frolics”
Reel: “Lucy Campell”
Reels: “Tim Maloneys”, “Cooley’s”
Reels: “The Galway Rambler”, The Flowers of Red Hill” “Touch Me If You Dare”
back into “The Galway Rambler”
Reels: “The Hare’s Paw”
Reels: “The Morning Dew”, “The Earl’s Chair”
Oliver O’ Higgins
Speaking in 1993, Oliver O’ Higgins identifies the era in which the music was recorded (1959/62). He speaks about the erection of a monument to the founder of The Cloone Ceili Band, Fr. Conefry, in 1982 at which all of the band, except for Thomas Canning (deceased) were present. He comments on the passing, since, of all the members of the band excpt for John Patrick Blessing, Aughavas
Desmond O’ Higgins on flute
Hornpipes: “The Golden Eagle” and “The Trumpet Hornpipe”
Two Reels: 1st – name undistinguishalbe but known as “The Old High Reel / The Beehive / The Castle” 2nd “Toss the Feathers”
Playing a Slow Air “The Coolin”
Two Jigs: Charlie’s Aunt (composed by Charlie Mulvihill) and The Rambling Pitchfork
Reel: The Graff Spay
Pee Fitzpatrick on fiddle
Hornpipes: The Stage and The Western
Jigs: The Bridal Jig (or “Kennedy’s Bridal Jig” (O’Neill’s Waifs and Strays – 1922) from James Kennedy, a fiddle player from Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Recorded by Eileen O’Brien and friends on “The Fiddler’s Friend” titled “Dinny O’Brien’s”.
Pee Fitzpatrick and Desmond O’ Higgins
Reel: The Wild Irishman
Reels: Bunker Hill and Tommy Coen’s (Christmas Eve)
Pee Fitzpatrick
Reels: 1st reel is introduced as The Glen of Aherlow but is another Sean Ryan reel called The Dash to Portobello. The second is St. Anne’s Reel.
Jigs: The Castle and The Nightingale, both composed by Sean Ryan.
Reels: Tim Maloney and The Silver Spear
Reels: Cooley’s and The Earl’s Chair
Reels: The Lady on the Island and The Holy Land
Jim Rawl and Jim McKiernan – members of The Cloone Ceili Band 1933 to 1938
Reels: The Humours of Toomagh, also know as The Cloone Reel, and The Aughavas Reel
Reels: The Morning Dew and unknown reel (2nd part sounds like The Roscommon Reel
Reel: Lord McDonald’s
Reels: Fisherman’s Lilt, The Bird in the Bush
Reels: Drowsy Maggie, The Tap Room
Reel: A version of The Green Groves of Erin
Reels: The Salamanca, The Reel of Bogie
Reel: Unknown
But there were others…
Ceolus and Fr. John Quinn
And right up to recent times -we had Ceolus Céilí Band under Fr. John Quinn’s guidance
Listen to Ceolus on Comhaltas Live
and All-Ireland winners of the Senior Céilí Band competition in 2013 “The Moylurg” had many Leitrim members.
Céilí Bands Galore
Sligo native and fiddle player, Philip Duffy recently published “On The Night”
“A new book (with 2 accompanying music CDs) which tells the story of some of Ireland’s greatest céilí bands is currently the subject of upcoming presentations around the country. Written by Sligo native and well-known fiddle player, Philip Duffy, ‘On The Night’ brings to the surface hundreds of musicians behind the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Senior Céilí Band Competition over a seventy year period from 1951 to 2021.” which is available in Leitrim Library and includes many Leitrim musicians who were part of various céilí bands over the years.
Check out more on Michael McNamara’s links to various bands on Furls of Music
There is much more scope for research here as so many of the individual musicians that made up these bands have an interesting musical background tale to tell.
Meanwhile, enjoy a song written and performed by the late, Paddy Kelly of Cloone who was a member of the later “Cloone Céilí Band”. This song commemorates his friend Jimmy McKiernan who was a member of the original line-up.
