The Edmond Manuscript Jimmy Edmond (1873 - 1935) was a fiddle player from the Curragh, a mile south of Killinchy in East Down. The manuscripts below have been handed down from Jimmy Edmond to his niece Mary Jane to Jackie Donnan to myself. Jackie Donnan met Mary Jane on the road near Derryboye in 1951 and expressed interest in the Edmond's jig The Pleasures of Summer. He had heard about Edmond's playing of the tune from his mentor Willie McCloy. Mary Jane called with Jackie a few days later and gave him the one page of Jimmy Edmond's manuscripts that contained the jig. Sadly the remainder of the Edmond manuscripts were burnt. 1 Reel - Captain Bounce (HD ref JE181) Reel - Fight about the Coals (HD ref JE181) [See also Captain Bounce transcribed by Willie McCloy (HD ref JS85). There is a vast difference in the bowing between Jimmy Edmond's version and that scribed by Willie McCloy. T his is particularly interesting as they only lived a couple of miles apart. ] 2 Jig - Sheelin Agra (HD ref JE180) Hornpipe - Jack's the Lad (HD ref JE179) 3 Jig - The Pleasure of Summer (HD ref JE180) 4 Jig - Happy to Meet (HD ref JE179) Jig - Paddy get up (HD ref JE179) Jig - Paddy O'Carrel (HD ref JE180 )

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

The Gray & Moore Manuscripts Robbie & Davy Gray Robbie and Davy Gray were two fiddle playing brothers who were raised in Ballynahinch and played regularly together for 60 years. Robbie (1909 - 1991) married and lived in Ballynahinch throughout his life where he worked as a cobbler, the same trade as his maternal grandfather William Shields. Following the death of their mother, Davy (1917 - 1990) went to live with Tommy McCormack's family at the Burren, a few miles west of Ballynahinch on the road to Dromore. He lived there for the remainder of his life. He worked on the roads carrying out maintenance and took pleasure cutting men's hair in the evenings. John Rooney (piano accordion), Robbie & Davy Gray (fiddles) & Stanley Carson (button accordion), at the Annahilt Official Unionist annual meeting, c.1982. Robbie Gray Davy Gray Jim Moore Jim Moore (1921 - 2018) lived all his life in Dromara working as a lorry driver and van driver. He initially learned the fiddle from Sammy Thompson. Other influences on his playing were Robbie Chambers of Finnis, who called regularly to the family home, and Robbie & Davy Gray of Ballynahinch and the Burren. Jim Moore playing a few tunes at Davy Gray's house at the Burren, c. 1983. Jim Moore Part 1 Jim Moore Part 2

Manuscript Indexes The various tune types are self-explanatory (as they relate to various dances e.g. reels, jigs, mazurkas), with the exception of Quadrille Tunes. Fiddle players in East Down generically called tunes played for the dancing of Quadrilles (and their associated sets) "Quadrille Tunes". These include single jigs, double jigs, polkas and marches, and shades in between. Reels Jigs & Slip Jigs 6/8 Quadrilles, 2/4 Quadrilles, 4/4 Quadrilles Polkas Hornpipes Mazurkas, Marches Schottisches, Strathspeys, Flings Barndances, Waltzes, Varsovienna Tunes Figure Dances, Country Dances, Round Dances, Irish Dances, Planxtys, Airs

James Ward - Part 1 Part 1 of the manuscripts were handed down from Jimmy Ward to Dick McConville, to Dick's son Eugene, to myself and Jackie Donnan in 1994. 1 Jig - The Maid that can do it (HD ref JW29 6) Jig - The Royal Arch Mason (HD ref JW298 ) [Note: Jimmy Ward's signature on the right hand side.] 2 Reel - The Harvest Home Reel (HD ref JW324) Reel - Rachael Rea's Reel (HD ref JD160) 3 Reels - The Copperfire Reel generally known in Ireland as Rakish Paddy (HD ref JW322) Reel - The Regatta Reel (HD ref JW293) Jig - Joan down upon Jennet (HD ref JW293) [Note - Rakish Paddy is Scottish in origin where it is known as Caber Feidh (The Deer’s Antlers). It is interesting that the original Scottish title Caber Feidh is phonetically similar to Jimmy Ward's title Copperfire . 4 Reel - Old McDonald's Reel (HD ref JW320) Reel - Scotch Reel (HD ref JW316) 5 Reels - The New Road to Elgin (HD ref JW326) Reel - The Forth Bridge of Edinburgh (HD ref JW324) [The Forth Bridge of Edinburgh is a version of the reel well-known in Ireland as The Musical Priest .] 6 Reel - The Lily of the West generally known as Miss Monaghan (HD ref JW324) Reel - Sleeping Maggie a version of Drowsy Maggie (HD ref JW321) [Note - Jimmy Ward was known for adding additional parts to a tune, often in a different key to those preceding them.] 7 Hornpipe - Gibraltar Hornpipe (HD ref JW288) Reel - Roll her down the Mountain (HD ref JW320) 8 Jig - Untitled (HD ref JW300) Jig - All the Blue Bonnets are over the Border (HD ref JW290) 9 Jig - Jackson's dear Whiskey (HD ref JW292) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The New May Moon (HD ref JW308) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled generally known as Duncan Davidson (HD ref JW306) 10 Reel - Lady Hillsborough's Reel (HD ref JW317) Reel - Lord Egilton's auld Man: Scotch Reel generally known as a strathspey titled Lord Eglintoun's auld man (HD ref JW317) Reel - New Irish Reel (HD ref JW325) 11 Jig - The Widow's Rant (HD ref JW299) Jig - The Self Jig (HD ref JW299) known in East Down as The Lilies of France (HD ref JS83), and best known as collected by James O'Neill as The Girls of Banbridge as published in Music of Ireland , Francis O'Neill, 1903. Jig - The Lug of the Spade (HD ref JW296) 12 Reel - The Bowl of Coffee (HD ref JW321) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille for the Lancers Jimmy Ward No 8 (HD ref JW314) 13 Reel - Untitled Reel locally known as Jimmy Ward's Reel (HD ref JW329) Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe (HD ref JW290) 14 Jig - The Miners of Wicklow (HD ref JW296) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - The Tyrone Quickstep (HD ref JW311) known in East Down as Brian O'Neill (HD ref WMcC96) a version of the well-known jig Paddy's Return Jig - The Rakes of Newcastle (HD ref JW297) 15 Jig - The Kinegar Slashers (HD ref JW295) generally known as The Kinnegad Slashers 16 Reel - Touch it if you dare (HD ref JW328) 17 Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe

David Carse - Part 7 1 Reel - Drowsie Maggie Reel - Glasgow Gates 2 Jig - Captain White (HD ref JM360) Fling - Green grow the Rashers O' (HD ref JW283) Polka - Ladies Polka 3 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled locally titled Burneys No 3 (2nd part only) (HD ref WS119) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled locally titled La Russe (HD ref WS121) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled locally known as The March to the Battlefield (HD ref WS126) Schottische - The Keel Row 4 Hornpipe - Bonaparte's Hornpipe 5 Jig - Untitled locally known as The Widow's Rant (HD ref JW299) 6 Reel - Back to Dromore Hornpipe - The Butchers of Bristol (HD ref JW322) 7 Polka - Untitled Polka Reel - The Bowl of Coffee (HD ref JW321) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled locally known as Robbie Gray's (HD ref JW311) 8 Hornpipe - The Queen's Hornpipe (HD ref JW289) Jig - The Bridal Jig Hornpipe - Untitled generally known as The Trumpet Hornpipe 9 Reel - Purty Kate generally titled Bonnie Kate Hornpipe - Saint Patrick's Hornpipe 10 Reel - The Wind that shakes the Barley (HD ref JW328) Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe 11 Reel - Untitled locally titled Over the Hill Reel - Untitled generally titled The Scholar 12 Hornpipe - Untitled Hornpipe 13 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Boys of Belfast (HD ref WS125) 14 Schottische - Maggie Picking 15 Hornpipe - Millicen's Favourite generally titled The Belfast Hornpipe

Map of Central Down (Dromara) James Ward of Drumaknockan, Mussen, Ward & Lunn The McConvilles of Ballyvicknakelly Sammy Thompson & Tommy Ervine Jim Moore of Dromara Davy & Robbie Gray, Jimmy Gregg of Edentrillick The Wallaces of Waringsford Johnny Bryson, William Gill, John Ferris, John Magowan, James Alexander & Sandy Young Joe Gamble & the Jess Brothers of the Leapoges The McClurgs & Robbie Chambers Jimmie Campbell & Jimmy Doyle of Dromara Jimmy Cargin, Andy Crookshanks, Sam Agnew of Dromore

Sammy Thompson - Part 1 Part 1 of Sammy Thompson's manuscripts were handed down from Sammy to Jim Moore, and following Jim's death from Jim's daughter Linda to me in 2021. Jim had previously given me photocopies c. 2002. 1 Reel - The Edentrillick Reel (HD ref RQ205) 2 Reel - My Lofty Hills (HD ref RQ205) Reel - Lord Roden's Reel (HD ref RQ205) 3 Reel - Miss Johnston's Reel (HD ref RQ205) 4 Reel - Untitled Reel generally titled Jimmy Ward's Reel (HD ref RQ205) 5 Reel - Untitled Reel generally known as The Donegal Reel 6 Hornpipe - The New Invention Hornpipe (HD ref JW288) Reel - Scotch Mary (HD ref JW321) 7 Song - No Luck about the House Schottische - The Keelrow Song - Let him go, let him go tarry 8 Hornpipe - The Stack of Barley. Parts 3 & 4 are generally known as Bantry Bay 9 Reel - The Lowlands of Scotland (HD ref JW325) Reel - The Bowl of Coffee (HD ref JW321) 10 Reel - Untitled Reel locally called Lord Roden's Reel (HD ref JW317) 11 Hornpipe - The Harvest Home Reel - Queen's Wedding (HD ref ST354) 12 Jig - The Widow's Rant (HD ref JW299) Schottische - Sally round the Gooseberry Bush (HD ref JW331) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Duncan Davidson (HD ref JW306) 13 Waltz - Untitled Waltz, locally called Jimmy Ward's Waltz (HD ref ST357) Jig - Lannigan's Ball (HD ref RQ203) 14 Round Dance - Bravo locally called Mary Ann Magee (HD ref WS129) Polka - Untitled Polka (HD ref JW305) Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille from Sammy Thompson (HD ref ST353) 15 Polka - Untitled Polka (Jimmy Ward's No 2 HD ref JW 305) 16 Jig - The Rollicking Irishman (HD ref JW298) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - La Russe (HD ref WS121) 17 Hornpipe - Boney over the Rhine Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille Tune generally known as The muckin o' Geordie's Byre 18 Schottische - Untitled Schottische 19 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled locally called Yankee Doodle (HD ref JW316) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - The Rose Tree also locally called Auld Moylan Gibberland (HD ref WS117) 20 Waltz - Ballykeel Waltz (HD ref ST357) Waltz - The Alpine Waltz (HD ref JW338) 21 March - The Centenary March 22 Jig - The Miners of Wicklow (HD ref JW296) 23 Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled 2/4 Quadrille Tune (Sammy Thompson's No 3 HD ref ST354) 24 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - Untitled Quadrille from Jimmy Ward No 8 (HD ref JW314) Quadrille Tune 2/4 - Untitled generally titled I wish I were where the Gaddy Rins (HD ref JW307) 25 Jig - Untitled Jig from Sammy Thompson (HD ref ST351) 26 Highland Fling - Untitled Fling from Jimmy Ward (HD ref JW286) 27 March - Shane O'Neill's March 28 March - The Belfast March 29 Figure Dance - The Sweets of May 30 Hornpipe - The Stack of Wheat 31 Jig - The Red Rose (HD ref ST 351) 32 Quadrille Tune 6/8 - I'm a Young Man (HD ref ST 353) Jig - The Drunken Parson (HD ref PJJS174) 33 Waltz - The Starry Night (HD ref JW340) 34 Waltz - Johnny Bryson's Waltz (HD ref JB384) 35 Polka - The Dargon Polka (HD ref ST352) 36 Hornpipe - The Boys of Blue Hill 37 Round Dance - Molly Walker Circle 38 Round Dance - Coming through the Rye (HD ref JD162)

Jim Moore (1921 - 2018) Jim and I played tunes (twin fiddles) for many years at his home in Dromara each Tuesday night. He always had a great fire built up in the grate. He recorded these tunes of us both playing for himself to play along with. The vast majority of the tunes were from his repertoire that he played with a number of local fiddle players, Robbie Chambers, Sammy Thompson, Davy and Robbie Gray and Jimmy Doyle. I didn't know the most of them so the balance in volume between the two fiddles is weighed heavily towards Jim's playing. Barndances - Jimmy Doyle's Barndances Jim learnt these barndances from the playing of Jimmy Doyle, a fiddler raised in Katesbridge who relocated in Dromara to work in the Jimmie Campbell's blacksmith shop. Jimmie also played the fiddle. Jackie Donnan got the barndances from me and we played the second one regularly for the two-hand dance the Scottish Barndance at the weekly Greyabbey Village Hall. Jimmy Doyle's Barndances Jim Moore 00:00 / 03:07 Jig - Royal Charlie Jim learnt Royal Charlie from Dree fiddler Robbie Chambers. There are several variations of this tune titled Wha'll be King but Charlie , one version played by Davy Gray around Ballynahinch and another by Willie Savage around Killyleagh. The tune is Scottish in origin, and known in the Irish tradition as Behind the Bush in the Garden. Royal Charlie - Jig/Quadrille Tune Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:47 Reel - The Peeler's Jacket The Peeler's Jacket - Reel Jim Moore 00:00 / 02:05 Reel - Queen's Wedding Jim learnt Queen's Wedding from fiddler Sammy Thompson, who in turn learnt it from Jimmy Ward. It is a simpler, and most likely an older, version of the Swallow's Tail . Queen's Wedding - Reel Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:27 Jig - The Widow's Rant This is another of the many tunes Jim learnt from Sammy Thompson that came from Jimmy Ward. The Widow’s Rant was published in James Aird’s - A Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs. Vols I-VI Glasgow, 1790-97. It was published under the title the Irish Newsman in T. Dibdin’s - The Irish Newsman Sung by Mr. Dighton at Sadlers Wells with unbounded applause . Written by T. Dibdin. London, 1795. The Widow's Rant - Jig Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:51 Jig - Castle Donovan Castle Donovan - Jig Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:53 Jig - The Highland Quickstep Another of the many tunes Jim learnt from Sammy Thompson. The Highland Quickstep - Jig Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:21 Hornpipe - The Honeysuckle Hornpipe The Honeysuckle Hornpipe Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:35 March - The Ballela March Jim learnt the Ballela March from its composer Jimmie Campbell. Jimmie named the tune after Ballela the neighbouring townland to where he was raised in Kilkinamurray. The Ballela March Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:58 Jig - Kissed Yestereen Jim learnt Kissed Yestereen from Sammy Thompson. Titled Kiss'd Yestereen this double jig was published in the Collection of Scotch Airs. Vol II and III . 1738-42, in James Oswald’s - The Caledonian Pocket Companion Book II . London, c. 1750. Books III - XII c. 1751 – 1760 titled O as I was Kiss'd th' streen and in James Johnson’s - The Scots Musical Museum . Edinburgh, 1787-1803 titled O as I was Kist Yestereen . Kissed Yestereen - Jig Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:20 Polka - Untitled Polka from Jimmy Ward No. 2 Jim learnt this polka from Sammy Thompson, who learnt it from Jimmy Ward. Ward was well-known for adding additional parts to tunes, often in different keys. This would appear to be one such case; Untitled Polka from Jimmy Ward No 2 Jim Moore 00:00 / 02:04 March - Charlie McClurg's March No. 2 Jim learnt this march from Charlie McClurg. Charlie McClurg's March No 2 Jim Moore 00:00 / 02:37 Waltz - Green Grows the Green Laurel Green Grows the Green Laurel - Waltz Jim Moore 00:00 / 01:41

The McElroy's at Drumnaquoile: Gus (fiddle), Davy Aitken, Kevin Cunningham (button accordion), Dan, Eilish & Tony (piano accordion) Eddie Dornan, 2010 Eddie Dornan (left) c.1915 Kevin Casement & Jim Creaney Eddie Dornan, 2010 1/14 Jim Creaney, Michael Rodgers, Colm Lennon, Billy Redmond, Paddy Brennan & Kevin Cunningham, Gormanstown c. 1985 Back Row; Francis Kelly (fiddle, Dunmore), not known, not known, not known, Marie Lavery (fiddle, Kilwarlin), James Mullen (fiddle, Saintfield), Dan McElroy (piano accordion, Drumnaquoile). Front Row; Father Tom McConville (fiddle, Dunmore), Tom Miskelly (fiddle, Ballygowan), Jackie Donnan (fiddle, Shrigley), Tom Miskelly Snr (fiddle, Ballygowan), Denis Sweeney (fiddle, Belfast), David Aicken (piano, Belfast) Pat Gorman outside his farm at Cabra, c.1930 Michael Rodgers c.1977 Sean Rodgers c.1990 Master Hugh Gorman c.1900 Michael Rodgers c.1977 1/12

Sessions The Bus Pass Ceili Band - Rice's International Bar, Newtownards Reel - The Boy in the Boat Jackie Flynn (accordion), Bernie Stocks (fiddle), Davy Graham (guitar-bouzouki), Trevor Stewart (pipes), Dianna Skillen & Nigel Boullier (fiddles), Paul Bell (flute), Ian Hull (bodhran). Recorded 4th January 2023. Jig - Connie the Soldier Jackie Flynn (accordion), Bernie Stocks (fiddle), Davy Graham (guitar-bouzouki), Trevor Stewart (pipes), Dianna Skillen & Nigel Boullier (fiddles), Paul Bell (flute), Ian Hull (bodhran). Recorded 4th January 2023. Ards Peninsula Sessions - Coach Inn, Portaferry Reels - Austin Tierney's & Return to Miltown From the left; Shirley Howard (fiddle), Davy Graham (mandola), Anita Anderson (piano accordion), Bob Torrens, Ernie Swain, Marie & Deirdre Shannon, Dianna Skillen (fiddles). Recorded 4th November 2012. Reels - Sailing into Walpole's Marsh & the Galtee Ben Healy (flute), Davy Graham (mandola), Bob Torrens, Ernie Swain, Marie & Deirdre Shannon, Dianna Skillen (fiddles), Ian Hull (bodhran). Recorded 4th November 2012. Jig - Sean Ryan's No. 3 This jig was known as Sean Ryan's Number 3 in the Comber and Balloo sessions because it was played in a set after two other compositions of Sean Ryan's. It is generally titled the Dooney Rock . Davy Graham (mandola), Shirley Howard, Bob Torrens, Ernie Swain, Marie & Deirdre Shannon, Dianna Skillen (fiddles). Recorded 4th November 2012. Ards Peninsula Sessions - The Portaferry Hotel, Portaferry Reel - Music in the Glen From the left; Brian Harte (guitar) off screen, Liam McQuillan (bouzouki), Ian Hull (bodhran), John Savage & Ernie Swain (fiddles), Ben Healy (flute), Bob Torrens (fiddle), Trevor Stewart (pipes). Recorded 2017.

Beginnings My passion for Irish Traditional Music began around 1970. My close friends, Davie Wylde, Davy Graham, Charlie Gray, Dick Hogg, and I were all raised in Bangor, County Down. Our mentor Johnny Johnston, had also been raised in Bangor, but spent much of his childhood in the Mourne Mountains. He was a keen hill walker, so whilst he and his wife Anne lived in Bangor, they also had a small cottage in the Mournes. As a result, Davie, Davy, Charlie, Dick, and I rented a derelict house up the lane from Johnny’s. Above Johnny Johnston by the fire in his cottage down a long lane from the Kinnahalla Road, Stang 1976. Denis Reynolds is on the right. Above Wood's Yard, Kinnahalla Road, Stang 1973. Dick Hogg, Des Finlay, Mark Lomas, Davy Graham, Davie Wylde, Charlie Gray & Nigel Boullier. Johnny was a keen ballad singer and Irish dancer. He played the guitar and regularly invited his friend Ernie Swain down to his cottage at weekends. Ernie initially played the banjo, however he quickly moved to the fiddle. In the Mourne environment we all started playing traditional music – Davie the mandolin then the fiddle, Davy the guitar then the mandola, Charlie the guitar, Dick the tin whistle and I the tenor banjo. We started playing in the Saturday night session in Peter Doran’s, the Mourne View Bar, a couple of miles east of Hilltown and later in Tommy John McKay’s Bar beside the Square in Hilltown. Right; Stang, Clonduff 1976 Top Row - Denise Russel, George Russell, Davie Wylde, Charlie Gray Sitting - Dianna Skillen, Nigel Boullier, Ernie Swain, Davy Graham, Julian Friers. Back in Bangor, Davie, Davy and I played regularly in local sessions; Fealty’s Bar in Bangor and Finnegan’s Bar in Kircubbin. The sessions were a mixture of ballads and a few well-known tunes. Around Easter 1974 we were playing in a session in Finnegan’s with Joe Mullan (singer and banjo player), Stevie Egan (fiddle player) and Johnny Muir (singer, harmonica and bones player) when we met Geordie McAdam and Stanley Mooney. Geordie and Stanley had been playing regularly as a duet (fiddle and B/C accordion) and suggested that, since we were primarily interested in Irish Traditional dance tunes, we should go to the predominantly fiddle sessions in the Castle Inn, Comber and Balloo House. The many reels, jigs and hornpipes that we learned in Margaret’s (the Castle Inn) and Balloo stood us in good stead when we started going to the fleadhs in forthcoming years . In July 1975 we met up with four musicians in Fealty’s; Dianna and Norman Skillen, siblings who played tin whistles (Norman is also a singer), Julian Friers played whistle and flute, and George Russell the bodhran. Although they hailed from Bangor we had never met. We started meeting weekly on Friday evenings; the Fealty’s session commenced and although the session has changed over the decades it continued for 47 years. Dianna started playing fiddle soon after our all meeting up. Right Charlie Ferguson (flute), Davie Wylde (fiddle), Nigel Boullier (banjo), George Russell (bodhran), Davy Graham (guitar), Dianna Skillen (fiddle), Julian Friers (whistle/flute) Bangor - New Year's Eve 1975 By 1976 I had realised that the Comber and Balloo sessions were unique; many of the dance tunes played, such as various types of schottisches, polkas, quadrille tunes, strathspeys and mazurkas, had been long lost from the mainstream repertoire in Irish Traditional Music sessions. These tunes had been introduced by the mainstay of the session, Jackie Donnan. Jackie, from Shrigley outside Killyleagh, had learned much of his music locally in the late 1940’s and 1950’s from dance music fiddle players such as Toye William Savage and Willie McCloy. From this point I started collecting any information relating to the local style of fiddle playing; fiddlers’ lore, fiddle tunes and the crucial relationship (in terms of County Down) between the fiddle playing and the local dancing culture. On New Year’s Day 1993 Gerry O’Connor and I spent a quiet afternoon playing tunes with Jackie at his home in Shrigley. It was then that I decided to play the fiddle. So after playing the banjo with Jackie for 19 years, we then started playing the fiddles together at least once a week until his death in 2007. We travelled locally, meeting and playing tunes with fiddlers. This refreshed my interest in the fiddle culture and opened up more avenues for research. In 1996 Jackie and I started playing for the weekly dance in Greyabbey Village Hall; this finally stopped in 2016. In the period after Jackie's death in 2007 Willie Lindsay joined me at the dance in an effort to keep the twin fiddle tradition alive. Nigel Boullier & Jackie Donnan, Greyabbey Village Hall, 2002 Right; Jim Moore, Moybrick, 2004 Around 1998 I called in with Jim Moore, a fiddle player from Dromara. Whereas Jackie had played with Willie Savage and Willie McCloy in the late 1940s and early 1950s around Killyleagh, Jim had learnt his music from Sammy Thompson and Robbie Chambers in the 1930s around Dromara. Although the two districts were less than twenty miles apart Jim had, to large extent, a different repertoire of tunes for largely the same dances. Jim and I played fiddles together weekly for about 10 years.