More (Mostly) Folk Music

Dessie O'Halloran   •   The Pound Road

image
image image
image image image
more images
  • The Pound Road
    • 2001 - Daisy Discs DDCD001 CD (IRL)
  • Tracklist
    1. Courtin' in The Kitchen (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Byrne, Kiely, Lunny, O Flynn, M. & S. Shannon) & Reel: Dessie's Delight (Lunny & S. Shannon.)
    2. I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley)
    3. Come Down from the Mountain Katie Daly (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Byrne, Hutchinson, L.& Y. Kane, Lunny , Munay, M. & S. Shannon)
    4. Eileen McMahon (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Hutchinson, Jordan, Murray & S. Shannon)
    5. I've waited as long as I can (Say You Love Me) (Hylo Browne) & Devaney's Goat (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, The Woodchoppers, S. Shannon, Ni Dhomhnaill & Lunny)
    6. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Fred Rose)
    7. Patsy Fagan (T. P. Keenan, Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Byrne, Jordan, L. Kane, Lunny, Murray, O'Flynn, M. & S. Shannon.)
    8. Mairtin Byrne's Waltz & Nic's Tune (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Hutchinson, Lunny, Murray, M. & S. Shannon)
    9. Ould Ballymoe (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Jordan, Kiely & Lunny)
    10. The Boys From the Co. Mayo (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Hutchinson, Lunny, Murray, M. & S. Shannon)
    11. The Soldier's Farewell (Sitting Side By Side) (Trad. Arr. O'Halloran, Kiely, Lunny & Shanley)
    12. Tomín O'Dea's (Tomín O'Dea, Trad. Arr. Lunny, O'Halloran & Shannon)
    13. Will the Circle be Unbroken (C. Hutchinson)

  • Musicians
    • Dessie O'Halloran: Lead Vocal, Fiddle & Chorus
    • Cathy Jordan: Vocal, Harmony Vocals, Backing Vocals & Chorus
    • Donal Lunny: Bouzouki, Acoustic Guitar, Bodhran, Bodhran Bass, Bass, Harmony Vocals & Chorus
    • Eleanor Shanley: Vocals, Backing Vocals & Chorus
    • Ger Kiely: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Harmony Vocals & Chorus
    • James Delaney: Hammond Organ
    • Jim Murray: Acoustic Guitar & Chorus
    • Liz Kane: Fiddle, Backing Vocals & Chorus
    • Lloyd Byrne: Drums, Percussion & Chorus
    • Mary Shannon: Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle & Backing Vocals
    • Ronnie O'Flynn: Electric Bass & Chorus
    • Sharon Shannon: Accordion, Fiddle, Melodeon, Whistle, Backing Vocals & Chorus
    • Tony Molloy: Bass
    • Trevor Hutchinson: Double Bass
    • Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill: Keyboard, Vocal & Backing Vocals
    • Yvonne Kane: Fiddle, Backing Vocals & Chorus
    • Tom Joyce, Tom Skerritt, Hidebow Itami, Jerry Lombard, John Dunford, Keith McDonnell & Leo Healy: Chorus
  • Credits
    • Producer: Donal Lunny
    • Recorded in Sharon’s cottage in Co. Galway, June 2001 — except:
      • Track: 5 — Recorded at The Old Monastery Hostel, Letterfrack, Co. Galway, November 1999
      • Track: 7 — Recorded at Totally Wired Studios, Dublin, April 2001
    • Mixed at Totally Wired Studios, Dublin by Donal Lunny & Keith McDonnell
    • Engineer: Keith McDonnell — except:
      • Tracks: 5 & 7 — Engineered by Tom Skerritt
    • Mastered by Robyn Robins at Mid Atlantic Digital
    • Executive Producers: Sharon Shannon & John Dunford
    • Location Catering: Tom Joyce
    • Studio Installation: Tom Skerritt
    • Transport: Frank at Stallion, John McFadden, Tom Joyce, Fiacre Gaffney
    • Photography by Nutan
    • Layout: Dave Turner
    • Co ordination for Daisy/Hummingbird: Juliet Martin
    • Co ordination for Topfloor Management: Judy Murray
    • Thanks to Paula Gaffney, Geraldine Hennessy, Jeff Delmar, Barry Higgins, Enda Layng, Gillian & All at Resostan, Johnny O’ Halloran for the use of the Louisiana Melodeon (Sharon), Tommy & Louise at the Burren Pub Boston for their hospitality, Dickon Whitehead, Judy Murphy for help with the liner notes, Brendan O’ Reagan, Joyce Redmond, Ita Kane, Brendan Macken, Dick & Brigid Hogan, Cathal Johnson, Tony at Mid Atlantic Digital. Special thanks to the management & staff at the Quality Clarinbridge Court Hotel; Sheila, Marko, Pamela, Caroline & Martin Brett. Thanks also to Mattie, Daisy & Gaffo for providing superb entertainment during the recordings.

Sleeve Notes

I'd like to dedicate this album to the people and island of Inishbofin where I learned my first music and songs. And it's also for my friends, wherever ye am. Ye know who ye are. Special thanks to Sharon and John. They suggested doing this album and without them it wouldn't have happened. Thanks to Donal Lunny for producing it and having so much patience with me; to the Woodchoppers, who've been so nice to me for the last 10 months on the road; to Eleanor Shanley and Cathy Jordan for singing on the album; Ger Kiely and Trevor Hutchinson for their musical contribution; everyone at Topfloor Management; Mary Lavelle from Bofin who helped a lot, John O'Halloran, Liz Hanrahan, Frank & Yvonne, Olive Brennan, Judy Murphy. A special thanks to Tom Joyce — who cooked lovely food for us at Sharon's while we were recording the album. And for my sister Mary Joe for thinking of the name of the album. The Pound Road is where we live on Bofin and I suppose it's where it all began really. A big thanks to everyone else who helped, too numerous to mention.

Dessie O’ Halloran


Courtin' in The Kitchen & Reel: Dessie's Delight — I first heard this from Bernard Tierney, this version is a hit slower and in a reggae style.

I'll Fly Away — This is from the soundtrack of a great film called "O, Brother Where Art Thou?", with George Clooney. It was sung by Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch and is a kind of gospel song. John Dunford gave me the album and I liked that one a lot. For my niece Bernie O'Halloran , and grandnephews Callum and Rees.

Come Down from the Mountain Katie Daly — The Rainey's were a family of travelling musicians in Ireland during the 1950's. Paddy Rainey's wife Biddy Cleary used to sing Katie Daly, and she made it her own. I first heard this song on Inishbofin from the late Bernard Tierney in the 1950s before I left to go working in London. The first time it was recorded in Ireland was in 1959 by the late Tom Dunphy. I like the song. I'd like to dedicate it to my cousin Katie O'Halloran on Inishbofin.

Eileen McMahon — I first heard this one when I was very young. It's written by a man called JM Crofts and it's about a dream, really. There's a nice air and words to it. Thanks to Christy Concannonfor the words. Cathy Jordan sings this one with me. She sang this with Dervish on an album called 'At the End of the Day', a few years ago.

I've waited as long as I can (Say You Love Me) & Devaney's Goat — I first heard the song 'Say you love me' when I was in London about thirty years ago. This song is taken from the Diamond Mountain Sessions where it is called Say You Love Me. It subsequently emerged that the song is called I've waited as long as I can and was written and recorded by Hylo Browne. This song is for Barbara and Kirsty Day.

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain — Eleanor Shanley sings this one with me and we do it straight through together. It was recorded by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. Fiacre Gaffney suggested this song - thanks Fiacre. It's for Olive Brennan.

Patsy Fagan — This is written by T.P. Keenan and I believe it's about a fellow working in Glasgow who came originally from Antrim. He was a big hit with the women. I'd forgotten the words of it but two Bofin women, Penny King and Philomena Schofield helped me to trace them again. This is also known as the "The Dacent Irish Boy".

Mairtin Byrne's Waltz & Nic's Tune — Mairtin Byrnes was a great fiddle player from Ahascaragh in East Galway, who I met in London. Originally the tune was known as a jig "100 Pipers" but he put it into waltz time. Myself and my brother Vincent put it out on an album, "The Men of the Island", which we recorded on the Topic Label in 1976. Nic's Tune is one that I like a lot. I heard it on an album by Nic Jones the Welsh singer.

Ould Ballymoe — This is a Roscommon song that Cathy Jordan suggested. We sing it together. It's about a man who meets a woman and wants to walk to Ballymoe with her. It's a kind of funny song.

The Boys from the Co. Mayo — I've known this song since I was very young, but I'd forgotten some of the words. There's quite a few different versions but the version I've recorded is from the songsheet of Ireland's Own of April 29th 1961. My sister Mary Joe had collected them and she gave them to me. I've changed the words from 'like one i another' to 'sub one another'. (Subbing was very common on the building sites in England when I worked there). Tony Dalton's Waltz: Sharon learned this waltz in Doolin, a lovely banjo player from Athea in West Limerick.

The Soldier's Farewell (Sitting Side by Side) — I always call this song Sitting Side by Side after the first line of it. The first time I heard it was when Dolores Keane and her sister Christina sang it at a concert in the old hotel in Louisburg when I was living there between '87 and '89. Eleanor Shanley joins me on the chorus. I think this is a really nice song, it's really sad. It's for Margaret Lavelle and Rita Burke from Bofin. They like this song a lot.

Tomín O'Dea's — The composer of this tune, Tomín O' Dea, lived in the early part of this century and was a flute player from West Clare. This is a tune that I first heard Fairport Convention playing. It's on an album I bought in England a long time ago.

Will the Circle be Unbroken — I like this song, for my late brother Christy liked it very much. This is my first time singing it and I'd like to dedicate it to his memory. Thanks to Ann O'Halloran Prendergast for the help she gave me with the words of it.