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Sleeve Notes
The focus of the fourth documentation of Irish folk music in Germany is not, as in previous years, on Irish gypsy music or the songs of the Gaelic-speaking minority, but on the styles and sounds of the west coast music of Ireland, especially in the counties of Kerry and Cork, Clare and Galway can be heard.
Inchiquin developed from the lively folk music tradition of County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, where the bagpiper Willie Clancy and the Russell Family also come from. Against the backdrop of this tradition, which includes Noel Hill, one of the best concertina players and "All Ireland Champion" from 1970 to 77, and the fiddler Tony Linnane, Inchiquin tries to incorporate the influences of other parts of Ireland into their music.
Tony and Noel were founders of the group Harp, a combination of Clare & Galway musicians, which disbanded in the summer of 76.
Barry Moore, the third member of Inchiquin, contributes significantly to the group's sound with his melodic guitar playing. The brother of the well-known Irish singer Christy Moore has already been on a solo tour in Germany and, alongside Mick Hanly and Andy Irvine, is one of the most interesting vocalists of the current Irish folk revival.
Micko Russell is a farmer in Doolin, Co. Clare. He plays a distinctive and completely individual style of flute. His music was influenced by his parents and grandparents (his mother was a well-known concertina player, his father a singer of Gaelic ballads) and by the music of the Aran Islands, which can be reached by boat from Doolin. Micko played mainly at dances and in pubs in the immediate vicinity of Doolin. He only became known when he won the title of "All Ireland Champion of Tin Whistle" in 1972 at the age of 57.
Jackie Daly grew up in the small town of Kanturk in the north of Co. Cork. There, near the Sliabh Luachra mountain, a lot of music is played in the traditional style. This is where Jackie got his first musical impressions and influences. He played with older musicians at local dance festivals (crossroad dancing and ceilis) and learned the old melodies and traditional playing techniques.
Jackie Daly took part in the 1974 All Ireland Fleadh in Listowel, where he was the winner and won the title of All Ireland Champion of Accordion. Jackie Daly is known for his clean and sensitive performance of traditional jigs, reels and laments.
Seamus Creagh Born in County Westmeath in 1946, he learned to fiddle at the age of 12 from his neighbour Larry Ward. When Seamus moved to Cork, he met Jackie Daly, whose music fascinated him and with whom he has played together ever since. Seamus Creagh developed his own fiddle style over the years. His role models include Tommy Peoples from Donegal and Dennis Murphy from County Kerry.
Jackie Daly & Seamus Creagh performed as a duo at the 4th Irish Folk Festival in 1977.
Andy Irvine was an actor before he became interested in folk music. He first got his inspiration from the songs of Woody Guthrie and from spending time with Derroll Adams and Jack Flliott. In 1966 he came to Copenhagen, where he played in folk clubs for about 6 months. He then formed a group with Johnny Moynihan in Galway, which developed into Sweeney's Men. In 1968 he left the group to travel around Eastern Europe; he played street music, wrote songs and "soaked up the sun and music" in Yugoslavia and Romania in particular. In 1969 he started a solo career in England and Ireland and was then asked by Christy Moore to play on his album "Prosperous" together with Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn; this formation became known as Planxty. Andy played with Planxty from the beginning (1972) until they disbanded in 1975.
Mick Hanly was born in Limerick in 1949. His early musical influences were the Beatles, Animals, etc. In 1970 he came to Dublin and played in clubs, at that time mainly "contemporary songs" and Woody Guthrie songs. In 1971 he made his first tour of Ireland with Planxty. During this time he began to get involved with traditional Irish music. The main reason for this was his meeting with Michael O'Domhnaill (now Bothy Band), with whom he founded the group Monroe. In 1975, Mick Hanly went to Brittany for two years. He performed in Germany for the first time with the “Irish Folk Festival 1977”.
De Danann is one of the leading Irish folk groups. They play delicate Irish music in complicated rhythms. Their music can be described as a combination of the traditional styles of Galway and Kerry.
Frankie Gavin, the youngest member of De Danann, masters his instrument with perfection and so much feeling that he is already one of the best young fiddlers in Ireland. His style reflects influences from Donegal and Kerry. Charlie Piggott (key melodion, bouzouki, tin whistle, banjo) is the group's multi-instrumentalist. He learned the key melodion style of East Kerry from his father. Alec Finn was born in Yorkshire/England, came to Dublin at the age of 12 and from there to Spiddal. Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh, a native of Galway, provides the rhythmic basis. He is probably the best bodhran player in Ireland and has mastered the rare art of "bone playing". This involves hitting two rib bones rhythmically against each other in one hand, creating a castanet-like sound.
De Danann came to the 4th Irish Folk Festival in 1977 with a slightly different line-up, with Johnny Moynihan as singer, who had previously played with Sweeney's Men and Planxty. Johnny's nuanced playing of the bouzouki, cittern, 5-string banjo and tin whistle underscores the differentiated music of De Danann.