Modern Compositions
This section of the website displays the living tradition of composing songs or ballads about a local event or a national event that has consequences locally. Likewise there are a number of modern tune compositions in the traditional style inspired by the geographical features or events of the area. The word modern should be interpreted loosely as the passing of half a century can be viewed as blink of an eye in the world of traditional music.
Songs
The Murder Ballad of the Laune
This ballad was composed in 2019 by Artist and musician Helen Richmond. It is based on a folk tale collected by author Patrick O’Sullivan, Callinafercy. “ Sometimes its hard to identify the beginning of things and often they are a result of the composting of accumulated experiences. Such is the case of the mermaid song. I have been travelling across the Laune for many years now but in 2018 I took part in an exhibition of contemporary art, KFest in Killorglin . The weather was fantastic and on my breaks I would stroll down to the riverbank. The following year I applied to take part once again. This time I proposed to create a riverbank installation based on a story I found collected by Callinafercy author Patrick O'Sullivan. At the time I was struck by how Killorglin was so identifiable with the tradition of Puck fair but realising the river was there before the town I went digging in the local library and came up with some buried treasure. In my installation I suggested identities for the characters in the tale and reasons for their motives.The use of transparent fabric, camouflage and display being an integral part of the work. About a year later I woke up with a melody on my mind and on my way to work I hummed it in to my phone. There were several stops for roadworks along the route so I had the tune down before I got to Waterville. It sounded a little dark creepy and watery and having started with the feeling of a night journey, images of the Laune and the murder floated to the surface and the words quickly followed......”
The South Kerry Championship 2004
Composed by Padraig O’Connell, Cappanagrown, about the South Kerry championship between Dromid Pearses and Skellig Rangers.
Willie Goggin’s hat was composed by John Studebaker "Jack" Hardy” November 23, 1947 – March 11, 2011. He was an American singer-songwriter and playwright based in Greenwich Village, who was influential as a writer, performer, and mentor in the North American and European folk music scenes for decades. He was cited as a major influence by Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, and many others who emerged from that scene in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Hardy was the author of hundreds of songs, and toured tirelessly for almost forty years. He was also the founding editor of Fast Folk Musical Magazine, a periodical famous within music circles. The song is on his 1997 album ‘The Passing’
A new song composed in 2017 by Glenn McDonald and Anne Golden for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Fenian rising of 1867.
This song was composed by Padraig O’Connell, Cappanagrown, to celebrate the victory of Dromid pearses in the 1994 All-Ireland Gaeltacht tournament in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal.
This song was composed by Bill Dwyer in 2002. Bill and Jackie Dwyer along with their children were annual visitors to Mortimer Moriarty’s campsite at Mannix Point. Bill has composed many songs including a humorous one about a trip to visit Fungie the dolphin on one of the rare occasions when he failed to make an appearance.
‘Does the white mist shroud the Calvary on Knocknadobar hill
Do the seals sunbathe at Mannix Point on the rosks at low tide still
Behind Beginnish Isle when the scarlet sun sinks down to hide
Does she cast a million dancing diamonds on the evening tide’
Tunes
This Jig was composed by Hanna McCarthy Cahersiveen
Dancing with ghosts (coming Soon)
“This tune came to me in January 2012, it was the second tune I ever composed. I just followed the notes and the tune came out. It suprised both me and my teacher as I am a student of traditional Irish.music. That said, I do have a big love of world wide traditional music. The air has a strange kind of distance and a haunting eternal yearning that bubbled up from somewhere deep. I feel it has a very Eastern European or Jewish feel to it and I think that I do possess traces of near East DNA. But in some ways it is like a very slowed down tango.. Which would be fun to speed up! I can hear that fast version full of passion and twists... in my head but I'm afraid I'm not skilled enough to do play or write it down though I can hum on request.”
Helen Richmond 15th January 2021
Transcribed by Peter Mullarkey 23rd January 2012