Video Clips of Fiddle Players Jackie Donnan Geordie McAdam Sam McCaughey Brian Sutherland Ernie Swain Dianna Skillen Andy Dickson Nigel Boullier Sessions

The McCloy Manuscripts Willie McCloy (1886 - 1959) was a builder and carpenter from Derryboye, a townland between the towns of Comber, Killyleagh and Crossgar, in East Down. He initially learned the fiddle from John Simpson, where he picked up many of the tunes below. Willie would turn the page through 90º and write the music from top to bottom, whilst talking the student through the phrasing and bowing. The manuscripts below have been handed down from Willie McCloy to Jackie Donnan to myself. 1 Jig - Saddle the Pony (HD ref WMcC95) Reel - The Humours o' Glen (HD ref JS83) [ this reel is written for tuning the fiddle to "open A" i.e. strings tuned to AEAE ] 2 Reel - The Killyleagh Lasses (HD ref WMcC98) [ (The bow treble at the end of each four bar cycle is timed to match with the step dancers treble.] 3 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 1 (HD ref WS123) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Lancers figure 2 (HD ref WS123) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 3, Whut wud you dae if your rump was brok (HD ref WS123) [Generally called the Patience Lancers these are the first three figures ] 4 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Lancers figure 4 (HD ref WS124) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Lancers figure 5 commonly called Old Molly Doodle will you not come out (HD ref WS124) [Generally called the Patience Lancers these are figures 4 & 5 ] Jig - Blue Bonnets over the Border (HD ref WMcC94) 5 Jig - Brian O'Neill (HD ref WMcC96) locally called The Tyrone Quickstep in Central Down and is a version of the jig Paddy's Return Jig - Annie Laurie (HD ref WMcC96) 6 Jig - The White House Lassie (HD ref JS84) Jig - Katy of Youghal a jig that John Simpson titled The Heart of my Kitty (HD ref JS82) 7 Jig - The Maid on the Green (HD ref WMcC95) Jig - The Connaught Man's Rambles (HD ref WMcC95) 8 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Bonnie Dundee (HD ref WS118) which Willie McCloy played for 1st figure of the Caledonians Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Kelvin Grove (HD ref WS120) which Willie McCloy played for 2nd figure of the Caledonians 9 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Over the Sea (HD ref WS122) which Willie McCloy played for 3rd figure of the Caledonians Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Banjo which Willie McCloy played for 4th figure of the Caledonians and better known in East Down as Down the wee dark hole being played for the two-hand dance The Laughing Gauger (HD ref WS116 ) 10 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Niel Gow's Farewell to Whiskey (HD ref WS122) which Willie McCloy played for 5th figure of the Caledonians Polka - Petronella (HD ref WS116 ) which was generally played for played for the two-hand dance The Laughing Gauger a hop/skip polka 11 Country Dance - The Princess Royal (HD ref WMcC93) Reel - The Opera Reel (HD ref WMcC99 ) 12 Reel - The Mason's Apron (HD ref WMcC98) Schottische - Hop Light Loo (HD ref WMc101 ) which Willie McCloy played for the two-hand dance The Plain Schottische similar to another version known locally as The Glasgow Highlanders (HD ref WS131) 13 Reel - The Pleasures of Lough Rea (HD ref WMcC100) 14 Figure Dance - Bessie Black (HD ref WS113) and played for the Figure Dance of the same name Reel - The Peeler's Cap (HD ref WMcC99) 15 Hornpipe - The Queen's Wedding (HD ref WMcC94) Reel - Captain Bounce (HD ref JS85) [See also Captain Bounce transcribed by Jimmy Edmond (HD ref JE181). There is a vast difference in the bowing between Willie McCloy's version and that scribed by Jimmy Edmond. T his is particularly interesting as they only lived a couple of miles apart. ] 16 Reel - Flora MacDonald (HD ref WMcC97) Reel - Charlie's Welcome (HD ref WMcC97)

Davy Gray (1917 - 1990) at home in his cottage at the Burren, between Ballynahinch & Dromore, 1986 Sammy Thompson & Joe Jess John Rooney, Robbie & Davy Gray, Stanley Carson c.1982 Jimmy Gregg, 1991 Sammy Thompson & Joe Jess 1/16 Two Ulster fiddle players c.1900 Willie Wallace c.1890 Willie Wallace c.1920 Jim Cargin, 1965 Willie Wallace c.1890 1/12 Eugene McConville playing a tune in his flax mill, 1994

Step Dancing to fiddle music below Spence's Mountain, east Mourne Mountains, 1874 Hans & Annie Donnan c.1900 Champion step dancer Hans Stephenson Donnan (1859 - 1900) Dancing on Bangor Boat, 1906 Square Dancing, Bangor, 1963 Hans & Annie Donnan c.1900 Champion step dancer Hans Stephenson Donnan (1859 - 1900) 1/13 Dancing Half Sets at Lambeg on the River Lagan, c.1930 Dancers are thought to include; Dorothy Beattie, Patricia Mulholland, Roy Lillie & Joe Stewart (gentleman in the top hat). Fiddlers thought to be Paddy O'Rafferty and his daughter McElroy's Ceili, 1949 Clea Ball, 1900 Waringsford Orange Hall, 1920 McElroy's Ceili, 1949 1/12 Greyabbey Village Hall, 2006. American students visit the weekly dancing class Back row - US student, Philip Robinson, Andy Brown, US student, John Bailie, Phyllis Goodall, US student, Hammy Lawther, Betty Schofield, Betty Woods, Margaret Gibson, John Davidson, Jim Cuthbertson Middle row - Rachel McAvoy, US students Front row - two US students, Nigel Boullier (fiddle), Jackie Donnan (fiddle), Bob Traite

Formation of Comber Session Jackie Donnan - see Fiddlers/East Down 2 Geordie McAdam Ernie Swain Sam McCaughey Dianna Skillen Davie Wylde Brian Sutherland Davy Calhoun (The Major)

James O'Neill (1862 - 1949) Jim Creaney c.1963 Joe McKinley, 1960 Jim Creaney c.1994 Jim Creaney c.1963 1/5 Marie Lavery (1925 - 1996) Geordie Lavery (1927 - 2001)

James Ward - Part 2 Part 2 of the manuscripts were handed down from Jimmy Ward to Sammy Thompson, to Jim Moore finally to myself in 2000. 1 Reel - Untitled Reel known in Central Down as The Edentrillick Reel after the district that Jimmy Ward was from. (HD ref JW323) Reel - My Lofty Hills (HD ref JW320) a two-part version of Over the moor to Maggie . 2 Reel - The Lowlands of Scotland generally titled The Hare's Paw (HD ref JW325) Reel - The Bowl of Coffee (HD ref JW321) generally titled The Teetotaller 3 Hornpipe - The Victoria Hornpipe (HD ref JW290) Hornpipe - The Sweep's Hornpipe (HD ref JW289) 4 Polka - Untitled Polka (8 bars only) Jig - The Heart of my Kitty (HD ref JW294) Hornpipe - The Austrian Hornpipe (HD ref JW287) 5 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled tune for 1st figure of the Lancers, Jimmy Ward's No 6 (HD ref JW313) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled tune for 2nd figure of the Lancers known locally as Burney's No 2 (HD ref WS119) 6 Jig - The Campbells are Coming (HD ref JW294) Jig - Pop goes the Weasel Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Highland Whisky (HD ref WS122) generally known as Niel Gow's Farewell to Whisky 7 Reel - Scotch Mary (HD ref JW321) Barndance - Untitled Barndance locally known as Kitty's Barndance (HD ref JW284) 8 Reel - Untitled Reel generally known as Miss McLeod's (HD ref JW319) Polka - The Kitchen Polka (HD ref JW303) 9 Schottische - Sally round the Gooseberry Bush (HD ref JW331) Reel - The Soldier's Joy (HD ref JD161) Jig - The Rocky Road to Dublin (HD ref JW298) 10 Hornpipe - The Londonderry Hornpipe Hornpipe - The Dublin Hornpipe (HD ref JW288) 11 Polka - Untitled Polka (HD ref JW305) Waltz - The Dewdrop Waltz (HD ref RQ207) 12 Hornpipe - The Liverpool Hornpipe Irish Dance - The Bag of Praties Mazurka - Untitled Polka Mazurka (HD ref JW301) 13 Schottische - The German Schottische different version (HD ref WS130) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Quadrilles No 1 locally titled Yankee Doodle (HD ref JW316) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Quadrilles No2, The Rose Tree known as Auld Moylan Gibberland in East Down (HD ref WS11701) 14 Jig - The Siege of Carrick better known as Haste to the Wedding Jig - The Tenpenny Bit Round Dance - Molly Walker Circle 15 Hornpipe - The Butchers of Bristol (HD ref JW322) Hornpipe - The 1st May (HD ref JD148) 16 Polka - Untitled Polka (HD ref JW305) Waltz - Untitled Waltz but Jimmy Ward usually called it Woodland Whispers (HD ref JW341) 17 Hornpipe - The Sailor's Hornpipe (HD ref JW298) Reel - Miss Johnston's Reel (HD ref JW319) 18 Barndance - The Bottom of the Punchbowl (HD ref JD146) Hornpipe - The Cuckoo's Nest (HD ref JD147) 19 Jig - Blue Bonnets o'er the Border (HD ref WMcC94) March - The Boyne Water (HD ref JW 309) Polka - The Drumlough Polka (HD ref JW303) 20 Hornpipe - Bonaparte's Hornpipe (HD ref JW286) Hornpipe - The Londonderry Hornpipe 21 Polka - Untitled Polka different four part version (HD ref JD155) Jig - The Hills of Glenorchy (HD ref JW295) Jig - Untitled Jig 22 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrilles No1 (HD ref JW311) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrilles No2 (HD ref JW312) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrilles No3 (HD ref JW312) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled Quadrilles No4 (HD ref JW313) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrilles No5 (HD ref JW313) 23 Hornpipe - The Newcastle Hornpipe Reel - The Flowers of Edinburgh (HD ref JW323) 24 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled generally known as The Girl I left behind Me (HD ref WS125) Highland Fling - Untitled locally known as Jimmy Ward's Fling (HD ref JW286) March - The Lily 25 Schottische - Untitled Schottische

Brian Sutherland Jigs - The Whistler at the Wake, The Old Flail & The Rafters over the Waves Brian Sutherland, Finbar McLaughlin (pipes) & Cyril Maguire (flute) playing the jigs The Whistler at the Wake , The Old Flail and The Rafters over the Waves, accompanied by John Robertson (bodhran). The first two tunes were composed by flute player Vincent Broderick. Recorded c.2007. Strathspey - The Laird of Drumblair Brian Sutherland playing The Laird of Drumblair , a strathspey played regularly by Brian's uncle Jackie Donnan. Recorded c.2010. Reel - The Moving Bog Brian Sutherland playing The Moving Bogs of Allen , a well-known reel in the Comber session where it was usually titled simply The Moving Bog . Recorded c.2010. Jig - Tatter Jack Walsh Brian Sutherland playing Tatter Jack Walsh , a well-known jig in the Comber session. Recorded c.2010. Mazurkas - Jackie Donnan's Mazurkas Brian Sutherland playing two mazurkas that he learned from his uncle Jackie Donnan. Jackie usually called them Jimmy McElroy's (from whom he learned it) and The Spanish Mazurka. Recorded c.2010.

Index of Fiddle Players The following data relates solely to fiddle players researched in the book Handed Down: Country Fiddling and Dancing in East and Central Down , which includes some 335 practitioners who were active in the period up to the 1950s. Information was gathered from the National Archives of Ireland - 1901 and 1911 census records, General Register Office - births, marriages, deaths, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Distribution of Fiddle Players Demographics - Gender Demographics - Kinship Demographics - Religion Demographics - Cultural Identity Demographics - Occupation Repertoire Instruments

Map of the Ards Peninsula John Macpherson Mulhollan Ned & Tom McCarry Andy Hanlon of Portaferry Sam White, Joe & Mary Walker, John & Annie Eadie Jimmy Bailie, the Kearneys, Barney Smyth, Brigid McGrath Harry Coulter Jim McBride, Agnes White Francis Donnelly, Eddie Devine, James Tomelty James Bailie, Frank & Bob Caughey, James Reid & Johnnie Dunn Eddie McMullan, Stevie Egan

Handed Down documents the traditional fiddle playing and dancing culture in County Down, in particular areas to the east and centre. Spanning over three decades in its development, this book presents a snapshot taken in 2012. The project is unique within traditional music and dance in Ireland due to the demographic nature of the county – the musicians, their music and dance, having been drawn from both unionist and nationalist communities. Much of the material, including some 500 pieces of music, 30 dances and profiles on 300 fiddle players, has to date gone unrecorded. This led to research into the development of traditional music and dance in County Down, including the origin of many of the popular dances, the extensive network of dancing masters in the 1700s and how fiddle players practiced their art in the late 1880s and into the twentieth century. Overall the project sheds fresh light on many of the commonly held perceptions regarding our culture. In contrast to much of the currently archived material, the musicians profiled here were, by and large, ordinary practicing fiddle players; likewise the dances were carried out by ordinary folk at a wide variety of social gatherings, making this an ideal window for looking at traditional music and dance as it was practiced over a century ago. Suffering serious decline as the twentieth century progressed and with most of the fiddle players and dancers having passed away, this previously rich culture continues to be practised by a diminishing number of musicians and dancers in, predominantly, rural areas of County Down. Buy Reviews Daniel Neely, Irish Echo, New York - 14th August 2013 "Occasionally, one comes across a publication that sheds significant new light on a subject matter and changes fundamentally its study and appreciation. Nigel Boullier's brilliantly researched and lavishly illustrated Handed Down: Country Fiddling and Dancing in East and Central County Down is one such study. " " Overall, Handed Down is an extraordinary publication." "Meticulous and carefully wrought, Handed Down : Country Fiddling and Dancing in East and Central County Down should revolutionize the way people think about the history of traditional music in that part of Ireland." [View Daniel Neely's highly detailed review below.] Philip Heath Coleman, Musical Traditions - 24th June 2014 "Nigel Boullier's inwardly fascinating, outwardly impressive and all in all quite extraordinary volume on the traditional music and dance of County Down." "At a stroke he has raised what was hitherto a totally-disregarded backwater of traditional music to being probably the best d ocumented area in that respect - the dust jacket refers to 500 [ sic] biographies, 300 [sic] tunes and 30 dances - not just in Ireland, but anywhere in the British Isles." (The review should have stated "300 biographies, 500 tunes") "To call Handed Down merely comprehensive would be absurd and to diminish the author's achievement." "a book which should be a prized possession of anyone who pretends to an interest in, knowledge of or affection for the traditional music of Ireland - or indeed of anywhere in the British Isles - and wherever it has travelled." [View Philip Heath Coleman's highly detailed review below] Daniel Neely, Irish Echo, New York 14th August 2013 Philip Heath Coleman, Mustrad (Musical Traditions) 24th June 2014

John Macpherson Mulhollan John Macpherson Mulhollan was born in 1781 and was raised in Donaghadee on the north-east coast of County Down. He published A Selection of Irish and Scots Tunes in Edinburgh in 1804. John Mulhollan's collection consisted of some 130 tunes including Airs, Marches, Strathspeys, Country Dances as well as Reels and Jigs. He included two of his own compositions - Mr James Lemon's Reel and Craigbuy House , and a composition of a close family member - The Donaghdee Hunt. Mr James Lemon's Reel [James Lemon was the Harbour Master in Donaghadee. Although the Crown forces had doubts over his loyalty, as he was reputed to be a United Irishman, he was left in charge of the Harbour during the period of the 1798 Rebellion. [T he Antient and Present State of the County of Down by Walter Harris] Craigbuy House [Craigbuy House, (current spelling Craigboy) was situated in the townland of Craigboy, a couple of miles south of the town of Donaghadee.] The Donaghadee Hunt