The Luachrachán’s Jig/The Miller’s Maggot
This track is from our 2006 CD, Concert Tour of North America 2006.
Both of these relaxed jigs are associated with two of the true ‘greats’ in our musical tradition,Junior Crehan and John Kelly,both from West Clare.The first was composed by Martin ‘Junior’ Crehan, (1908-1998) from Ballymackea, near Miltown Malbay. Not only was Junior Crehan, a most respected musician, he played both the fiddle and the concertina.He was also a man who had a great insight into the broader spectrum of the Irish culture – the language, stories, house dances, seanachas and oral history among them. ‘Junior’ Crehan was taught the fiddle by Scully Casey,father of another ‘great’Bobby Casey,but he also played the concertina.This tune ‘The Luachrachán’s Jig’ was, like many of Junior Crehan’s compositions,a response to a person,an event or a feeling and it also provides us with a fine example of Junior as a raconteur. The jig is accompanied by the following story as taken from the recently published Martin ‘Junior’Crehan’s Musical Compositions and Memories1908-1998.
…As I sat by the fire with my son Páidín,a sudden change came over the scene. Down the chimney came a little man so old,and I asked him for the Crock of Gold. “No gold I have but good advice,and if you heed it you will be wise,Grow small barley and keep a pig,and play this tune ‘The Luachrachán’s Jig’.”
The second jig was played by the late John Kelly (1912-1987), fiddler and concertina player,a native of Rehy,Loop Head,Co.Clare,who lived most of his life in Dublin.John Kelly’s shop ‘The Horse Shoe’in Capel Street was a meeting place for so many musicians in the capital.John Kelly was not oly famous for his musicianship and his highly significant contribution to the Castle Céilí Band and Seán Ó Riada’s Chualainn and of course, like ‘Junior’ Crehan his contribution to the Willie Clancy Summer School,he was also highly respected authority on Irish music with a wide and deep knowledge of the music,singing and indeed the Irish Language. John Kelly had a particularly extensive repertoire and it included many very old distinctive and particularly musical tunes such as this jig,a jig that the younger generation of the Kelly family,John Kelly Junior and his brother James, play with the old setting of the Cliffs of Moher.Whereas it is often referred to as ‘John Kelly’s’this jig was first published under the title ‘The Miller’s Maggot’in the milestone collection O’Farrell’s Pocket Compnaion for the Irish or Union Pipes, which comprised a number of volumes published circa 1804/5 – 1810.
- Date
- 5 December 2006
- Tune
- The Luachrachán’s Jig/The Miller's Maggot
- Source
- Concert Tour of North America 2006
| Performers/Subjects | Instruments |
|---|---|
| Vincent Jordan | Piano Accordion |
| Comhaltas Concert Tour 2006 Group | |
| Junior Creehan |
